Nepal’s first ever youth-led human rights report submitted to the UN
25 July 2025Nepal has submitted its first-ever youth-led and child-led Universal Periodic Review (UPR) reports to the United Nations, marking a historic step for meaningful youth and child participation. These reports ensure the voices of young people and children are heard in shaping a just and equal future for all.
Plan International Nepal, in partnership with Yuwalaya, has successfully developed and submitted Nepal’s first-ever Youth-Led Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The UPR is a unique UN process that reviews the human rights records of all 193 member states every 4 to 5 years. Nepal’s fourth review is set for January 2026.
Why youth-led reporting matters
Young people make up more than 40% of Nepal’s population, yet their voices are often missing in decision-making spaces. Youth-led reporting ensures that the real issues affecting young people, including child marriage, gender-based violence, education, and employment, are heard at national and international levels. It shows that young people are not just recipients of change but are leaders and partners in building a just and equal society.
A milestone for young women leaders
This report is a historic milestone as it is the first-time young women aged 18–29, including members of our Youth Advisory Council (YAC), have led and shaped a report of this kind in Nepal. It has been endorsed by 67 youth-led and like-minded organisations, ensuring youth voices are reflected globally.
YAC member Sostika shared, “Leading this report made me realise the power of our voices. We have stories, struggles, and solutions that need to be heard.”
“At first, I was nervous about speaking on such a big platform, but I saw it as a chance to represent thousands of young people whose voices are often ignored.”
“Now, I feel proud that we have shown young women can lead and influence decisions that shape our future.”
“Leading this report made me realise the power of our voices. We have stories, struggles, and solutions that need to be heard.”
Sostika, YAC Member
Working together with civil society
Ashmita Thapa, Youth Coordinator at Plan International Nepal, reflected on the process, “Working on this youth-led report was a powerful example of what we can achieve when young people and civil society organisations come together for a common cause.”
“We worked with diverse organisations, including youth-led and community-based groups, ensuring the report reflected the lived experiences of young people from different backgrounds.”
She also shared a few challenges, “One of the challenges was ensuring meaningful participation of young people from marginalised communities while balancing tight timelines for submission. We also faced technical challenges in aligning the voices of young people with the reporting requirements of the UN system.”
“But these challenges also showed us the importance of flexibility and partnership in ensuring youth voices are part of national and international human rights processes.”
“We worked with diverse organisations, including youth-led and community-based groups, ensuring the report reflected the lived experiences of young people from different backgrounds.”
Ashmita Thapa, Youth Coordinator
Moving forward
Ram Kishan, Country Director of Plan International Nepal, said, “This achievement proves that when we trust young people to lead, they bring real change. We must continue to support their participation in decisions that affect their lives.”
“This achievement proves that when we trust young people to lead, they bring real change. We must continue to support their participation in decisions that affect their lives.”
Ram Kishan, Country Director
At the same time, a child-led UPR report has also been developed and submitted, following a national workshop that engaged 25 children from all 7 provinces who consulted with over 700 children across 40+ municipalities. These discussions centred on child protection, participation, development, and child marriage, ensuring that children’s voices are directly reflected in Nepal’s reporting to the UN.
By supporting youth and child-led advocacy, Plan International Nepal is committed to shaping a more just, inclusive, and rights-respecting future for all children and young people in Nepal.
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