Nepal pushes overhaul of Human Trafficking and Transportation Act

Stakeholders gathered in Kathmandu, organized by the Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD), to review the Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act amendment. Participants proposed 22 specific revisions to the First Amendment Bill, urging clearer definitions, stronger victim protection, better inter‑agency coordination and alignment with the Palermo Protocol, to which Nepal is a party. FWLD Executive Director Sabin Shrestha emphasized that the law must reflect the shift from Nepal being only a source country to also a destination for trafficking. Legal officer Binod Chandra Devkota highlighted confusion among the three tiers of government over roles and the need to distinguish human trafficking from human transportation as separate offences. Lawmakers Prem Bahadur Bayak and Sushila Dhakal Acharya raised concerns about cross‑border cases and legal assistance for victims abroad. The revised bill is slated for presentation to the House of Representatives by Minister for Women, Children, Gender and Sexual Minorities Sita Badi.