The 5th International Human Rights Conference and The Kathmandu Declaration On Human Rights

One of Kathmandu’s historical palaces and the country’s cultural heritage. Photo by Lin K, retrieved by pexels, 17 November, 2024

During the 5th LAWASIA International Human Rights Conference in Nepal, the work of human rights lawyers and defenders in the Asia Pacific region was praised, and, in a pivotal moment, the Kathmandu Declaration on Human Rights was signed.

The 5th ‘LAWASIA International Human Rights Conference’ was hosted by the Nepal Bar Association in Kathmandu, Nepal, between 15th and 17th February 2025. LAWASIA is a regional association of lawyers, jurists, and legal organisations from over 40 jurisdictions in the Asia Pacific region. Since its foundation over 50 years ago, it has promoted the exchange of legal knowledge between experts from different countries, the respect for the rule of law, and the enactment of legislation to protect human rights. LAWISA aims to facilitate the regional interaction between judges, lawyers, and other legal professionals and allow regional legal communities to raise concerns on human rights protection and safeguarding (LAWASIA Conference, 2025). 

The International Human Rights Conference is a periodic event organised by LAWASIA that aims to bring together legal professionals to discuss the latest human rights issues in the Asia Pacific area, brainstorm ideas, share best practices, and devise solutions that promote human rights development. On the last day of the Conference in February, Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) President Steven Thiru hosted a session with the Secretary of the Nepal Bar Association, Mr Bharat K. Lakai, on the topic of ‘Lawyers and Human Rights’. 

During the session, they first addressed the numerous threats and challenges lawyers in the Asia Pacific region face in defending human rights, including the risks to their own safety. In particular, Thiru highlighted how lawyers are often the targets of both physical and verbal abuse. In certain Asian Pacific countries, like Nepal, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, and India, lawyers who advocate for human rights and the protection of the rule of law are victims of human rights violations such as limitations on their freedom, the freedom of their families, and constant verbal and physical abuse. 

Secondly, at the end of the conference, the ‘Kathmandu Declaration on Human Rights, Environmental Protection and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Region’ was adopted. This declaration represents an important development in human rights enforcement actions in the region. As such, it highlights the need for more thorough and widespread protection of human rights and advocates for long-lasting and systematic collaborations between the national bar associations and the legal professionals to tackle international challenges and strengthen domestic legal frameworks that safeguard fundamental freedoms and promote access to justice (Commonwealth Lawyers, 2025).

The text of the declaration makes it clear what the priorities and the future strategies of the signatories parties are. Topics like climate change, gender equality, freedom of speech and the right to access information are thoroughly discussed. Additionally, guidelines on how to implement specific measures to ensure people’s access to participation in decision-making and justice at the national and international levels are provided. These guidelines highlight the importance of involving all members of society in the decision-making process, including Indigenous people and people from the lower classes. In doing so, the guidelines provide these people with financial incentives that would reimburse them for the time they had to take away from work and cultural benefits such as promoting and safeguarding Indigenous cultures.  

The Asia Pacific region encompasses several countries with different traditions, cultural heritage, and legal systems. Given these differences, it is unsurprising to witness different legal definitions of human rights, their violations, and their constituent elements, depending on the country. Such differences highlight the importance of the work certain lawyers and human rights defenders do daily to denounce human rights violations in these areas, risking their lives. In this context, the LAWASIA Conference and the Declaration represent an essential moment for these countries to brainstorm ideas and develop common solutions. Even if the Nepalese conference is just a starting point in the process of denouncing human rights violations in Asia and recognising the work of human rights lawyers, it represents a meaningful starting point to lay the basis for future plans and discussions that could bring the problem to the International attention (Legambiente, 2025).

Sources and Further Readings: 

Bonardo, S. (2025). Zero draft declaration. Legambiente. https://www.legambiente.it/wp-contentZero-Draft-Declaration.  

Thiru, S. (2025). CLA President Steven Thiru reports on the ‘Lawyers and Huaman Rights’ session at the 5th LAWASIA International Huaman Rights Conference 2025. Commonwealth Lawyers Association. https://www.commonwealthlawyers.com/cla/cla-president-steven-thiru-reports-on-the-lawyers-and-human-rights-session-at-the-5th-lawasia-international-human-rights-conference-2025/.

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. (2025). Kathmandu Declaration.