INSEC was founded in 1988 by inexorable HR defender late Prakash Kaphley and prominent HR activist Sushil Pyakurel. Started with the objective of protecting the rights of people engaged in informal sectors, it has significantly contributed in protecting and promoting the fundamental rights of people in virtually all sectors. INSEC has been working in human rights and social justice for more than two decades with credible records. During its more than 20 years of journey, it has established itself as a leading, credible, efficient, effective, and reliable national human rights organization in Nepal.

Started working for promotion of economic rights for the cart pushers of Kathmandu valley in 1989 and was later registered in 1991, INSEC has moved far ahead from by involving itself in campaigns, awareness creation and education programmes for the promotion of civil and political rights in Nepal. Collection and dissemination of primary information related to human rights has been trademark of INSEC for more than two decades. In addition, INSEC has been implementing specific HR awareness and capacity development programmes targeting marginalized people including the Dalits, women, ex-kamaiyas, ex-haliyas, bonded agricultural labors and children, especially at grassroots level.

INSEC adopted the working modality of research, action and organization as per the strategy of influencing national politics to make the public voice heard and to expand the people’s access in it. In 1991, INSEC came to recognize the problem of bonded labor existed in the name of Kamaiya practice in Mid-Western and Far-Western regions. It joined the struggle launched by the bonded labors, and by perseverance in the struggle carried out by Bonded Labor Emancipation Forum initiated by INSEC and the influence created in national politics, succeeded in compelling the state to declare their emancipation.

INSEC also got involved against the cultural malpractices as prohibition on the dalits to touch drinking water sources, refusal by the milk collection centers to buy the milk produced at dalits’ cattle and prohibition on dalits to enter the temples. INSEC was the one which first convened a conference of women affected by political events and supported the voice for women’s dignified participation in politics. During its work and interaction with people, INSEC realized the importance of education and awareness at the grass-root level. Human Rights Education and Awareness has been a central program of INSEC since 1991.

The impact of the program was that the people participating in the programs of human rights education and awareness became organized realizing their rights. INSEC also began to form child rights awareness groups as per their demand and thus INSEC spontaneously began to expand as a network.

Slowly the flow of information regarding human rights violation and abuse to INSEC increased. Documentation and dissemination of such incidents not only expose crimes but evoke sensitivity of the people towards the victims’ plight and expose perpetrators’ intention. Motivated by this thought, INSEC began publication of Human Rights Yearbook since 1992 and the human rights organizations all across the world have expressed wish for its continuation. As a complementary program of Yearbook, the human rights news portal INSEConline was launched that has emerged as a common window related to country’s human rights situation. People from nearly 100 countries visit INSEConline regularly.

By the time Maoist insurgency began in 1996, INSEC had already made its presence felt at the local level and also that the State and the rebels recognize it as having a neutral organizational identity. This enabled INSEC to save many lives of people affiliated to either side. Successful completion of Measles Vaccine campaign organized by UNICEF with the support of INSEC in 2004/05 is another example of established identity of INSEC.

Calling the then king’s assumption of executive power in 2005 as illegal and against human rights principles, INSEC worked with several human rights activists, individuals and organizations against the move. INSEC successfully organized huge mass gatherings out of the capital and managed to send a letter signed by the leaders of three major parties to the UN Secretary General and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The result of those actions was that Agenda 19 was endorsed and opening of the office of the OHCHR became possible.

INSEC has been actively involved in facilitation and co-ordination of the programmes organized by the civil society in favour of fundamental human rights and democracy. Furthermore, it has been implementing projects for promoting and strengthening democracy within political parties and state institutions, especially after Jana Andolan II (People’s Movement) of 2006. During the movement itself, INSEC coordinated ‘Human Rights Monitoring Team’ comprising of human rights institutions and other civil society organizations in facilitation of NGO Federation Nepal.

INSEC has been involved in several human rights activities, including conflict resolution, paving way for return of the IDPs, hearing of the victims and democratization of the politics. Nation-wide presence of INSEC and its networks including Human Rights Treaty Monitoring Coordination Committee (HRTMCC), National Coalition for International Criminal Court (NCICC), Human Rights Alliance Nepal, National Election Observation Committee (NEOC), National Election Monitoring Alliance (NEMA), Accoutability Watch Committee (AWC) are also contributing to the INSEC Campaign.

Regional and district-level agencies are also the members of the local level networks. Most of these networks have their secretariat at INSEC.