Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has received on the Criminal Code Bill passed by the Nepali Parliament on 8 August 2017; what discussions he has had with Government of Nepal on that bill; and if he will make a statement.

​During drafting, our officials in Nepal met with the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs to discuss the Bill and raise the need for compliance with the international human rights standards. The final legislation is not yet public. However, if the final legislation follows up the intentions in the draft bill, I would welcome the criminalisation, within Nepali law, of acts that constitute gross violations of human rights and are established as crimes under international law, including enforced disappearances and torture.