The minister for law and justice, Prem Bahadur Singh, presided at a ceremony attended by representatives of the government, civil society, the media, various UN agencies and the diplomatic community.

The Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols form the bedrock of international humanitarian law, a set of rules which seek, for humanitarian reasons, to limit the effects of armed conflict. International humanitarian law protects persons not, or no longer, taking part in hostilities and restricts the means and methods of warfare. Speaking at the ceremony, Patrick Vial, the head of the ICRC's delegation in Nepal, said that "by producing this translation, we are offering our support to the efforts of the Nepalese government to fulfil its obligations under international humanitarian law."

The Geneva Conventions are the most universally accepted treaties in history, with 194 States being party to them. The Conventions have saved numerous lives, given comfort to thousands of prisoners of war, helped reunite millions of families and contributed to the restoration of peace.

Reflecting on the victims of the recent armed conflict in Nepal, particularly those who disappeared and whose fate and whereabouts remain to be clarified, Mr Vial said: "We, the ICRC, as custodians of the Geneva Conventions, take this opportunity to urge all those who, through their initiative or authority, can have a positive impact on the lives of the families of missing persons, to take action so that the families can move on and bury the demons from past."

The ICRC derives its mandate to provide protection and assistance for victims of armed conflict from the Geneva Conventions. It works closely with governments to spread knowledge of the Conventions and their Additional Protocols, and to improve compliance with them.

Nepal is party to the Geneva Conventions but has not yet ratified the Additional Protocols. "The ICRC is hopeful that, one day, Nepal will also accede to the Additional Protocols and other instruments of international humanitarian law," said Mr Vial. "The ICRC stands ready to support any initiative of the of the Nepalese government to achieve this aim."