In response to the survey’s release, advocates are pushing for enhanced government action. While Nepal has ratified international conventions like the Convention on the Rights of the Child, implementation lags. Proposed measures include strengthening school retention programmes, providing scholarships for girls from poor families, and enforcing anti-child marriage laws more rigorously.
Balancing genuine efforts to combat illicit finance with the protection of civic space remains a test that international standards – and international observers – will closely watch.
The developments in Nepal illustrate a familiar tension across many democracies: the challenge of establishing effective self-regulation and accountability mechanisms without creating tools that could be used to constrain critical reporting.
Balancing genuine efforts to combat illicit finance with the protection of civic space remains a test that international standards – and international observers – will closely watch.