फास्ट ट्र्याक लगायतका आयोजनाबाट अधिकार उल्लङ्घन भएको भन्दै खोकना र बुङमतीका आदिवासी नेवा: समुदायद्वारा संयुक्त राष्ट्रसंघका विज्ञहरुसँग थप पहलको आग्रह

२९ सेप्टेम्बर २०२६, काठमाडौं

ललितपुरको खोकना र बुङमतीका आदिवासी नेवा: समुदायले आफ्नो पुर्ख्यौली भूमि, सांस्कृतिक सम्पदा र जीविकोपार्जनमा असर पार्ने काठमाडौं–तराई/मधेश द्रुतमार्ग (फास्ट ट्र्याक) तथा अन्य पूर्वाधार आयोजनाको सन्दर्भमा आफ्नो अधिकार संरक्षणको लागि संयुक्त राष्ट्रसंघका विज्ञहरूलाई थप पहल गर्न आग्रह गरेका छन्।

खोकना र बुङमतीका जनसरोकार समितिले आदिवासी जनजातिको अधिकारसम्बन्धी संयुक्त राष्ट्रसंघका विशेष समाधिक्षक तथा अन्य सम्बन्धित विज्ञहरूलाई आज पठाएको ताकेता पत्रमा फास्ट ट्र्याकसँग सम्बन्धित पछिल्ला घटनाबारे जानकारी दिँदै नेपाल सरकार र आयोजनामा संलग्न अन्य पक्षसँग थप पहल गर्न आग्रह गरेका हुन्। विशेषगरी, खोकना, बुङमती तथा आसपासका क्षेत्रमा फास्ट ट्र्याकका लागि जग्गा अधिग्रहणसम्बन्धी सूचना १८ जुन २०२६ मा पुनः प्रकाशित गरिएको विषयमा समुदायले चिन्ता व्यक्त गरेका छन्। समुदायका अनुसार यसले सरकार फेरि विवादित पुरानै मार्गबाट आयोजना अघि बढाउन लागेको देखिन्छ।

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Indigenous Newa communities in Khokana and Bungamati call for renewed action from UN experts over Fast Track Expressway and other projects affecting their rights

29 September 2026, Kathmandu

Indigenous Newa communities of Khokana and Bungamati in Lalitpur have called on United Nations Special Procedures to take renewed follow-up action to protect their rights amid continuing concerns over the Kathmandu–Terai/Madhesh Fast Track (Expressway) and other infrastructure projects affecting their ancestral lands, cultural heritage and livelihoods.

In follow-up information submitted today to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples and other relevant UN Special Procedures, Janasarokar Samiti (Public Concerns Committees) of Khokana and of Bungamati representing the Fast Track and other project affected families have raised concerns over recent developments related to the Fast Track project. They have called on the UN experts to continue engaging with the Government of Nepal and other entities involved in the project. They have particularly expressed concern over the republication of a land acquisition notice for the Fast Track in Khokana, Bungamati and adjoining areas on 18 June 2026, which they say shows that the Government is again moving ahead with the disputed original alignment.

The Committees have welcomed the continued attention of the UN Special Procedures to their concerns. In June 2024, the Special Procedures had sent their latest Allegation Letter to the Government of Nepal, as well as domestic and international businesses involved in the Expressway, their home States and the Asian Development Bank, following an earlier communication issued in March 2021. According to the Committees, the concerns raised in those communications however remain unresolved, and the Government of Nepal has not, to their knowledge, provided a response to the latest communication.

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Indigenous Newa and other communities file complaint with the Asian Development Bank over its financing for projects related to Bagmati and other river corridors

Indigenous Newa and other locals affected by Bagmati and other river corridors across Kathmandu valley have filed a complaint to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) regarding violations of its safeguards in the Bagmati River Basin Improvement Project and other associated projects it finances related to the river corridors.

In a letter submitted to the ADB’s Nepal resident mission on Thursday, representatives of the committees of those affected by the no-construction and buffer zones imposed along the banks of the Bagmati river and its tributaries have called on the ADB for immediate actions to resolve their grievances in relation to the impacts faced by and concerns of the communities along the river corridors, including the following:

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Joint submission on the human rights situation of Indigenous Newa communities made to the UN for the 4th Universal Periodic Review of Nepal

Community Empowerment and Social Justice Network (CEMSOJ), Save Nepa Valley (SNV) Movement and Thāe Bāe Yā Lwāpu made a joint submission for the 4th Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Nepal. The UPR is a unique process which involves a review of the human rights records of all UN Member States and is held under the auspices of the UN Human Rights Council. The submission presents key human rights challenges faced by indigenous Newa communities, particularly in the context of “development” and business projects in Nepal and the systematic violations of rights to housing and property as well as cultural rights of the Jugi community within the Indigenous Newa nationality of Nepal. It  also  examines the compliance of the Government of Nepal with relevant recommendations received during the 3rd and 2nd UPR cycles of Nepal related to the rights of Newa and other Indigenous nationalities.

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स्विस सरकारद्वारा भिएफ़एस ग्लोबललाई काठमाडौंस्थित छाया सेन्टर व्यापारबाट जिम्मेवारीपूर्वक सर्न सिफारिस

भिसा फेसिलितेसन सर्विसेस (भिएफ़एस) ग्लोबल विरुद्ध दुई नेपाली संस्थाहरूले दायर गरेको उजुरीको जवाफमा स्विस सरकारको नेशनल कन्त्याक्त पोइन्ट (National Contact Point – एनसीपी)ले भिएफ़एस ग्लोबललाई काठमाडौंको पर्यटकीय क्षेत्र ठमेलमा रहेको छाया सेन्टरसँगको भाडा करार सम्झौता जिम्मेवारीपूर्वक अन्त्य गर्न सिफारिस गरेको छ।

जुरिकमा मुख्यालय रहेको भिएफ़एस ग्लोबल (VFS Global) विरुद्ध २५ अगस्ट २०२४ मा स्विट्जरल्याण्ड सरकारको आर्थिक मामिला सचिवालय (State Secretariat of Economic Affairs) मातहतको जिम्मेवार व्यापार आचरणको लागि नेशनल कन्त्याक्त पोइन्ट (National Contact Point (NCP) for Responsible Business Conduct) मा उजुरी पेश गरिएको थियो। उजुरीमा भिएफ़एस ग्लोबलले छाया सेन्टरमा आफ्नो संलग्नताको लागि प्रभावकारीरुपमा मानवअधिकारको मुल्यांकन (human rights due diligence) नगरेको र छाया सेन्टरमा निरन्तर कार्यालय सञ्चालन गरी आदिवासी नेवा: समुदायको मानवअधिकारमा नकारात्मक असर पारेकोले जिम्मेवार व्यापार आचरणसम्बन्धि बहुराष्ट्रिय कम्पनिहरूको लागि ओइसीडीका दिशानिर्देशन (OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct) को उल्लङ्घन गरेको आरोप लगाइएको थियो।

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Swiss National Contact Point recommends VFS Global to responsibly disengage from Chhaya Center business complex in Kathmandu

In response to a complaint filed by two Nepali organizations against Visa Facilitation Services (VFS) Global, the Swiss Government’s National Contact Point has recommended the company to disengage responsibly from its lease agreement with the Chhaya Center business complex in Kathmandu’s tourist district of Thamel.

The complaint (specific instance) against the VFS Global headquartered in Zurich was submitted to the National Contact Point (NCP) for Responsible Business Conduct within the State Secretariat of Economic Affairs of the Government of Switzerland on 25 August 2024. It alleged failures by the VFS Global to conduct effective human rights due diligence for its involvement in the Chhaya Center business complex and associated human rights impacts on the Indigenous Newar community through its continued operations in the complex in violation of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

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भिएफ़एस ग्लोबल यथाशक्य छिट्टै छायाँ सेन्टरबाट सर्ने

भिसा फेसिलितेसन सर्विसेस (भिएफ़एस) ग्लोबल विरुद्ध स्विट्जरल्याण्ड सरकारसंग गरिएको उजुरीको जवाफमा भिएफ़एसले ९ डिसेम्बरमा स्विस सरकारलाई काठमाडौंको पर्यटकीय क्षेत्र ठमेलमा रहेको छाया सेन्टरमा रहेको आफ्नो कार्यालयको भाडा करार सम्झौता नवीकरण नगर्ने र यथाशक्य छिट्टै छाया सेन्टरको परिसरबाट आफ्नो कार्यलय स्थानान्तरण गर्ने निर्णय गरेको लिखित रूपमा जानकारी गराएको छ। 

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VFS Global decides “to relocate from the premises at the Chhaya Center [in Kathmandu] as soon as feasible”

In response to a specific instance (complaint) filed with the National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct (NCP) of Switzerland under the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct against the Visa Facilitation Services (VFS) Global, the VFS on 9 December has reportedly informed the Swiss NCP in written that it has decided not to extend the lease and to relocate as soon as possible from the premises at the Chhaya Center business complex in Kathmandu’s tourist district of Thamel.

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Complaint filed against VFS Global regarding its involvement with Chhaya Center in Kathmandu with the Swiss government

On 25 August 2024, two anonymous Nepalese organisations filed a complaint against Visa Facilitation Services (VFS) Global with the National Contact Point (NCP) for Responsible Business Conduct within the State Secretariat of Economic Affairs of the Government of Switzerland. The complaint concerns the activities of VFS Global in Kathmandu, Nepal, related to its involvement with the Chhaya Center business complex (also known as Chhaya Devi Complex) in violation of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

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NEWS RELEASE – Nepal: Retaliations against human rights defenders over Chhaya Center business complex ‘deplorable’, say UN experts

GENEVA (14 May 2024) – UN experts* today expressed concern over reports of ongoing retaliations against human rights defenders because of their opposition to the development of the Chhaya Center retail and entertainment complex in Nepal.

Retaliatory acts against human rights defenders are “deplorable and unacceptable”, the experts said. “The targeting of human rights defenders for the sole exercise of their right to freedom of opinion and expression violates international human rights norms.”

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