Nepal NHRC delegation meets Indian counterpart

The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal has climbed to 1,410m while 6,145 people remain missing, according to the latest update issued by Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), as rescue, relief and recovery operations continue across the affected districts.

The high-level meeting took place during Wagle's first official visit to India since assuming office as Nepal's Finance Minister. India's Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs also attended the discussions.

International experts and human rights advocates at a conference held on the sidelines of the 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) backed India’s decision to keep the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance, arguing that the issue needs to be examined in the context of security, human rights and the water rights of communities dependent on the Indus River system.

India’s Ambassador to the United States Vinay Mohan Kwatra has laid out a strong defence of the country’s energy policy hours after the US Congress passed legislation opening the door to steep new tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil.

Addressing the Council during an Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas, RSKS India representative Sarath Chandran Babu Sudhambika underlined the importance of farmers’ role not only as food producers but also as custodians of biodiversity, traditional knowledge and agricultural heritage.