On May 14, 2025, Ms. Lila Devi Gadtaula officially assumed the role of Chairperson for the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP), Nepal. As a chairperson, she is responsible to manage transitional justice mandate based on the nearly thirty years of outstanding service in Nepal’s civil service and legal system.

Ms. Gadtaula holds the distinction of being the first woman in Nepal’s administrative history to serve as Chief Secretary (Cabinet Secretary) of the Government of Nepal (2024), a historic milestone in the country's bureaucratic leadership. Her long and impactful career is marked by a tireless commitment to legal modernization, gender justice, good governance, and institutional reform.

Having joined Nepal’s civil service in 1996, Ms. Gadtaula has held senior positions across multiple ministries including the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She served as Secretary at both the Nepal Law Commission and the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, playing a central role in high-level policy development, legal reform, and administrative coordination. She served as the Secretary to the Cabinet Committee on the Legislation of the Council of Ministers, contributing directly to legislative reforms.

A prominent legal reformer, she served as Member of the Civil Code Reform Task Force (2009-2011) and more recently on the Criminal Law Reform Committee (2024), shaping Nepal’s evolving legal architecture. From 2023 to 2024, she coordinated Nepal’s high-stakes compliance process with international AML/CFT standards, as Coordinator of the National Coordination Committee on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism.

She has represented Nepal internationally as an Election Observer in Sri Lanka (Presidential Election, 2015) and Norway (Local/Provincial Elections, 2015) demonstrating Nepal’s commitment to democratic principles and abroad. At home, she acted as Returning Officer in both the 2008 and 2013 Constituent Assembly Elections, good election governance reinforcing trust in electoral integrity during Nepal’s political transition.

As a legal scholar and thought leader, Ms. Gadtaula has written and spoken extensively on gender-sensitive governance, Human Rights law, and women’s participation in public service. Her academic journey from a rural village in Tehrathum to earning an LL.M. degree in Human Rights and Gender Justice, an M.A. degree in Political Science, and a Bachelor of Laws, has inspired a generation of Nepali women to pursue leadership roles in governance and justice.

Her commitment to equity is also reflected in her extensive training in international law, project finance, intellectual property rights, and legislative drafting, completed through prestigious international fellowships.

She is a prominent legislative drafter and has gained long experience in drafting of legislation for good governance, empowerment of women and deprived persons, and defending government Bills while debating in the Parliament Committees.

Currently residing in Kathmandu, Ms. Gadtaula is married to Senior Advocate Mr. Matrika Prasad Niraula. Together, they have contributed to Nepal’s legal and institutional advancement while raising two children, a son and a daughter with shared values of justice, service, and integrity.

As Chairperson of the CIEDP, Ms. Gadtaula leads with vision, compassion, and constitutional clarity, guiding Nepal through one of its most critical moments of truth-seeking and reconciliation. Her leadership represents both the institutional memory of governance and the transformative future of transitional justice in Nepal.

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Advocate Gopal Nath Yogi currently serves as a Commissioner at the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP) in Nepal.

His career in public service includes serving as the Secretary of the House of Representatives at Federal Parliament of Nepal. With a deep passion for human rights, social justice and community empowerment, Advocate Yogi has served as a Senior Vice President, Secretary, and Central Committee Member of the NGO Federation of Nepal, an influential network organization representing over 6,500 NGOs of Nepal. He has also represented Nepal internationally as a Council Member of FORUS International, uniting over 24,000 organizations around the world.

As a Public Interest Lawyer, Mr. Yogi brings strong academic foundations on legal ground supported by a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Human Rights and Gender Justice from Kathmandu School of Law and Visiting Scholar on the Public Interest Law Fellowship Program at Columbia University, New York, USA.

Mr. Yogi’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious national honors: The Prabal Jana Sewa Shree Medal in 2074 B.S. and the Suprabal Jana Sewa Shree Medal in 2080 B.S., both awarded by the Right Honorable President of Nepal.

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