What role should Nepal’s police play in broader efforts towards peacebuilding and national reconciliation? As the primary civil agency for law enforcement and the maintenance of public order, police are key actors in post-conflict environments. In this collection of essays, commissioned by Saferworld, Nepali authors consider police reform and development in post-conflict Nepal. Nepal’s security institutions have not traditionally been subject to effective public scrutiny or democratic oversight. Debate, awareness raising and the development of indigenous capacities to address justice and security are critical.
Prior to the restoration of multi-party democracy in 1990, the Nepal Police Force (NPF) and other security institutions unambiguously served the interests of the ruling elite. Subsequent moves to more democratic forms of policing have been halting. During the conflict with the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoist) the NPF suffered the bulk of Government casualties and were gradually forced to withdraw from many areas. Maoist attacks and public criticism of the NPF’s wartime human rights record have badly affected organisational morale and the ability to carry out even rudimentary duties.
The NPF have a wide-ranging mandate, including public order, crime prevention and investigation, protection of life and property, intelligence and emergency relief. Issues concerning the role of the NPF are considered, including:
- The potential positive contributions police reform can make to the implementation of Nepal’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
- The extent to which anticipated downsizing of the Nepalese Army presents opportunities to enhance police capacities.
- Possible roles for ex-combatants within the police, including how this could affect police accountability and acceptance within communities.
- Patterns of corruption within the NPF and the introduction of accountability and transparency mechanisms.
- The most appropriate model of policing in Nepal in the context of apparent tensions between enforcing the law and serving the community. The challenges facing community policing are considered, along with the potential for its reinvigoration.
- The structure, function and future development of the Armed Force Police is also analysed, including the need to reassure the public of its neutrality in the post-conflict environment.
In post-conflict societies the ability of the state to reconcile law enforcement with the aspirations of local communities is crucial and should be reflected in the conduct, role and service provided by the police. In this context the following topics are considered:
- The challenges of policing and implementing the rule of law, including an exploration of measures that can be taken to ensure its application.
- Mechanisms that could facilitate the equal treatment of lower caste groups, both before the law and in terms of recruitment and representation within the police.
- The role of the police in addressing the needs and protecting the interests of women and children. This includes consideration of gender-specific crime, the gender-sensitivity of the NPF and the representation of women within it.
- The options for pursuing a social inclusion agenda in relation to the policing, including the challenges and benefits of inclusion programmes for the NPF.
- The concerns and opportunities currently available to further the human rights agenda in policing.
