네팔 장애인권법제에 관한 소고

This paper analyzes Nepal's disability rights legislation with a focus on its historical development, current status, connections to international human rights standards, and its shortcomings. Nepal is a society where discrimination and social exclusion of persons with disabilities are deeply rooted in diverse religious, traditional, and caste systems as well as complex geographical and social structures. However, over the past few decades, institutional efforts to promote disability rights have intensified in response to the adoption of international human rights treaties and political changes. Nonetheless, discrimination against persons with disabilities, and more seriously institutionalization under the traditional guise of “rehabilitation,” persist. Although legal provisions have progressively expanded rights to equality, accessibility, and independent living, the actual implementation continues to face chronic challenges such as social stigma, institutionalization, lack of community support, and limited policy enforcement. These problems are especially pronounced among groups experiencing intersectional discrimination, including women with disabilities and persons with psychosocial disabilities. Therefore, it is essential to structurally identify the developmental progress and limitations of Nepal's disability rights legislation and the institutional and practical barriers encountered in the domestic implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). This effort provides a more balanced and realistic perspective on Nepal, which has often been viewed primarily as a target country of international development cooperation from a rehabilitation and welfare standpoint, and serves as a foundational basis for drawing implications for other Asian countries facing similar challenges in ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities.