Namaste!
The Lawyers’ Association for Human Rights of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples (LAHURNIP) was founded in 1995 by Indigenous lawyers to promote and defend the human rights and freedoms of Indigenous Peoples in Nepal.
The Lawyers’ Association for Human Rights of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples (LAHURNIP) was founded in 1995 by Indigenous lawyers to promote and defend the human rights and freedoms of Indigenous Peoples in Nepal.
We promote and defend Indigenous Peoples’ rights to lands, territories, and natural resources as the foundation of self-determination. Secure control over their lands enables communities [...]
We advance environmental and climate justice through policy advocacy and legal support, strengthening communities’ role in decision-making, protecting ecosystems, and influencing environmental and climate policies. [...]
We support self-determined development, enabling Indigenous communities to define and lead their social, economic, cultural, and environmental priorities according to their values, knowledge systems, and [...]
We advocate ensuring that the business activities respect the human rights. Communities face serious risks from extractive industries, infrastructure projects, agribusiness, renewable energy, eco-tourism, conservation [...]
LAHURNIP has been named the 2025 Human Rights and Business Award recipient by the Business and Human Rights Award Foundation, recognizing its outstanding work in defending Indigenous Peoples’ rights affected by business activities.
The award honors LAHURNIP’s three decades of legal advocacy, strategic litigation, and support for Indigenous communities in Nepal. LAHURNIP remains committed to promoting rights-based development, corporate accountability, and the protection of Indigenous Peoples’ lands, resources, and self-determination.
In August 2025, at an event in Kathmandu, LAHURNIP was honored by the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) for its 30 years of dedication to promoting and defending the rights of Indigenous Peoples in Nepal.
In 2024, at a ceremony in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact awarded the Centre of Defenders Award to LAHURNIP, in recognition of its outstanding contributions to the protection and promotion of the human rights of Indigenous Peoples in the Asia region.
In December 2025, the Hyolmo Indigenous Community honored LAHURNIP for its long-standing legal advocacy in defending the rights of Indigenous Peoples in Nepal.
The recognition, conveyed through a Letter of Honor, followed LAHURNIP’s receipt of the International Business and Human Rights Award 2025 at the 14th UN Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva. The community recognized LAHURNIP’s advocacy in protecting Indigenous lands and natural resources affected by the Melamchi Water Supply Project and its role in securing Supreme Court recognition of the Hyolmo Peoples as an Indigenous Nationality of Nepal.
In December 2025, on the occasion of the 77th International Human Rights Day, Advocate Shankar Limbu, Vice Chairperson of LAHURNIP, received the prestigious Dayaram Pariyar Memorial Award from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Kathmandu. The award was presented by Prime Minister Susila Karki.
Advocate Limbu was recognized for his long-standing contributions to promoting human rights, particularly the rights of Indigenous Peoples and marginalized communities. The award recognizes his continued commitment to justice, equality, and Indigenous rights in Nepal.