Ensuring Privacy and Dignity in Local Dispute Resolution
Sharwan 24, 2081 Kathmandu
In a major step toward strengthening community-level justice, Kathmandu Metropolitan City has inaugurated a dedicated mediation room in Ward No. 23, aiming to ensure both privacy and effectiveness in resolving local disputes.
Disputes Require Privacy—Separate Reconciliation Rooms Are Essential: Deputy Mayor Dangol
A Need for Privacy and Record-Keeping
“It is difficult to discuss disputes in a group setting—especially when the issues are sensitive or deeply personal,” said Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol during the inauguration of the newly established reconciliation room in Ward No. 23. “In such cases, the right to privacy must be protected, and the emotional impact on those involved must be carefully considered.”
She emphasized the importance of dedicated spaces for meditation across all wards. “While mediation is now practiced in all wards of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, the lack of space has limited its proper organization in some areas. Establishing structured mediation rooms is one of our top priorities, and our goal is to organize and structure reconciliation spaces in every ward.”
Deputy Mayor Dangol also highlighted the importance of systematic recordkeeping of resolved disputes. “There are two major benefits to this
- we can study social psychology by examining the nature of recurring issues.
- we can quantify our impact and showcase the outcomes of our efforts achieved in numbers. This recording will be for office purposes only.’
Ward 23’s Commitment to Local Resolution
At the inauguration event, Ward Chairperson and Legislative Committee Coordinator Macharaja Maharjan highlighted that over 80% of disputes in Ward 23 are resolved at the ward level.
“We treat mutual disagreements as discussions, not disputes,” he said. “We believe disputes can and should be resolved through discussion. That’s why very few cases from our ward have gone to the judicial committee. Our goal is to ensure that among all the wards, Ward 23 sends the least number of disputes to the center—or ideally, none at all.”
Previously, reconciliation used to take place in the same space where ward office operations were conducted. However, recognizing the need for a more private and organized environment for both the women’s network and the mediation center, the ward has now rented a dedicated room in Ombahal.
After the inauguration, Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol also visited and inspected the women’s network office and the newly established reconciliation room.
Status of Mediation Rooms Across Wards
Basanta Acharya, Head of the Law and Human Rights Department, shared updates on the infrastructure for reconciliation across the wards.
He noted that Ward No. 13 has yet to establish a dedicated mediation room, as no suitable space has been found for rent. In such cases, reconciliation is currently being carried out within the office of the people's representative. To accommodate this, office hours are being adjusted—either extended or shifted—to allow privacy and time for mediation.
Acharya added that many wards have successfully established separate rooms for reconciliation, and the city is continuously working to organize and strengthen these spaces to ensure that mediation can take place in a more confidential and comfortable environment.