Nepal Civil Society Network on Citizenship Rights, the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights and the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion Joint Submission to the Human Rights Council at the 23rd Session of the Universal Periodic Review Nepal 1. The Nepal Civil Society Network on Citizenship Rights, the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights and the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion make this submission to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in relation to Nepal. 2. The Nepal Civil Society Network on Citizenship Rights (the Network) is a loose network of civil society organizations working in various sectors of human rights in Nepal. The Network was formed during the tenure of the First Constituent Assembly of Nepal with the aim to lobby equal citizenship rights in the upcoming constitution, and has continued to function during the term of the second Constituent Assembly. There are more than 50 organisations currently associated with the Network. The Network formulates strategies to enhance equal citizenship rights in Nepal and also organizes various programmes related to citizenship. The Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD) acts as the Secretariat of the Network and coordinates all of its meetings and programmes. FWLD, established in 1995, has been working in the sector of citizenship rights from its inception, and provides legal services to victims of discriminatory citizenship laws, provides training for government servants, lawyers and Constituent Assembly Members and carries out research and advocacy on the issue. FWLD has successfully challenged discriminatory citizenship law in the Nepal Supreme Court on multiple occasions. It also has many publications analysing and critiquing the citizenship law of Nepal. 3. The Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights (the Global Campaign) is a coalition of international and national organizations that promotes gender equality in nationality laws, so that women and men can confer, acquire, change and retain their nationality on an equal basis. The Campaign includes a Steering Committee of Equality Now, Equal Rights Trust, the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion, UNHCR, UN Women and Women’s Refugee Commission. The Campaign was launched in June 2014 at a side event of the 26th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, and has conducted international advocacy activities to encourage states which still maintain gender discriminatory nationality laws, to reform their laws and bring them into compliance with international human rights standards. 4. The Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion (the Institute) is an independent non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting an integrated, human rights based response to the injustice of statelessness and exclusion. Established in August 2014, it is the first and only global centre committed to promoting the human rights of stateless persons and ending statelessness. Its work combines research, education, and advocacy, and it provides expertise to civil society, academia, the UN and governments. 1