Kathmandu, 24 June 2026 — The Lawyers' Association for Human Rights of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples (LAHURNIP), in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), convened the National Dialogue on Business and Human Rights to review the implementation of Nepal's National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAP-BHR).
The dialogue identified key implementation gaps, including weak monitoring, limited awareness, ineffective grievance mechanisms, and inadequate human rights due diligence.
Discussions highlighted the human rights impacts of hydropower development in Indigenous territories, including displacement, environmental degradation, loss of livelihoods, and damage to cultural and spiritual ties to ancestral lands. Participants stressed that renewable energy development must respect Indigenous Peoples' rights through the effective implementation of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), in line with Nepal's Constitution, UNDRIP, ILO Convention No. 169, and relevant Supreme Court decisions.
The dialogue called for stronger implementation of the NAP-BHR through improved coordination, recognition of Indigenous rights, effective remedies, and a rights-based, inclusive, and just energy transition.
