In 1951, the Nepalese monarch ended the century-old system of rule by hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system of government. Reforms in 1990 established a multiparty democracy within the framework of a constitutional monarchy. A Maoist insurgency, launched in 1996, has gained traction and is threatening to bring down the regime, especially after a negotiated cease-fire between the Maoists and government forces broke down in August 2003. In 2001, the crown prince massacred ten members of the royal family, including the king and queen, and then took his own life. In October 2002, the new king dismissed the prime minister and his cabinet for "incompetence" after they dissolved the parliament and were subsequently unable to hold elections because of the ongoing insurgency. While stopping short of reestablishing parliament, the king in June 2004 reinstated the most recently elected prime minister who formed a four-party coalition government. Citing dissatisfaction with the government's lack of progress in addressing the Maoist insurgency and corruption, the king in February 2005 dissolved the government, declared a state of emergency, imprisoned party leaders, and assumed power. The King's government subsequently released party leaders and officially ended the state of emergency in May 2005.

- From the CIA World Fact Book Web Site, http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook

The Daywalka Foundation (TDF) opened its first WCSRC in Kathmandu in 2004.  It strives to strengthen the legal capacity of local Nepali NGOs fighting the odious crime of human trafficking.  Daywalka’s approach comes from our ethnographic underpinning, that we listen before we act and we take care to place local culture and social practices first.  We have made valuable partnerships that have led to the prosecution of traffickers, lawyers trained to properly document and investigate crimes against women and children, created a support network for trafficking survivors, enabled interested stakeholders to fight human trafficking by providing the resources to for them to learn, and have enhanced communication within the counter human-trafficking NGO community and legal professionals.