A/HRC/4/33/Add.2 Page 85 462. Recommendation (l) stated: The declaration be made with respect to article 22 of the Convention against Torture recognizing the competence of the Committee against Torture to receive and consider communications from individuals who claim to be victims of a violation of the provisions of the Convention; 463. According to information received from NGOs and other sources, there is no information with respect to steps by the Government to take any actions to make a declaration with respect to article 22 of the Convention against Torture. 464. Recommendation (m) stated: The Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture be ratified and a truly independent monitoring mechanism established to visit all places where persons are deprived of their liberty throughout the country; 465. According to information received from NGOs and other sources, there is no information with respect to steps by the Government to take any actions to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture. 466. Recommendation (n) stated: The appointments to the National Human Rights Commission, in the absence of Parliament, be undertaken through a transparent and broadly consultative process; 467. According to information received from NGOs and other sources, following the ceasefires and considerable public pressure, the Commissioners of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), who had been appointed by the then Royal Government, resigned in July 2006. However, the work of the NHRC, already undermined by the manner in which the previous commissioners were appointed, has been hampered by long delays in appointing new commissioners. Commissioners should not be appointed on the basis of political party affiliation, which would undermine the independence and non-partisanship of the Commission, and that the appointments should reflect the balance of gender and ethnic diversity in Nepali society. In December 2006, the Government named a Chairperson and new commissioners but there was widespread criticism of the lack of consultation in the selection process and as of the beginning of 2007, the appointments had not been approved by the Council of Ministers. 468. Recommendation (o) stated: The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court be ratified; 469. According to information received from NGOs and other sources, on 25 July 2006, the House of Representatives adopted a resolution directing the Government of Nepal to ratify the Rome Statute. In August 2006, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Oli assured the House of Representatives that the Government will ratify the Rome Statute as soon as possible. On 14 December 2006, a task force established by the Council of Ministers the previous month to examine the House of Representatives’ July 2006 resolution directing the Government to ratify the Rome Statute, submitted its report to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. According to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release, the report describes the steps necessary for Nepal to take in order to ratify the Rome Statute and the process of implementation following ratification. 470. Since then, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that a task force comprised of representatives of various ministries is examining the matter and as of 30 November was due to finalize a report shortly for presentation to the Prime Minister.