Corruption is a serious threat to realization of SDGs, say Nepal¹s development partners

International development partners, the United Nations Development Programme, the judiciary and the academia in Nepal have called for stronger efforts from all quarters to prevent and fight corruption, which poses a serious threat to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

 

Speaking at an interaction programme organized by Law Campus with the support of UNDP, the representatives from donors’ community, UNDP and the Supreme Court said combating corruption is critical to meeting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

 

British Ambassador to Nepal, Richard Morris, said corruption and poor governance were constraining Nepal’s economic potential, posing a barrier to investment, growth and poverty reduction. “Foreign investors are deterred by practices that do not provide a level playing-field,” he said, “Successful anti-corruption efforts are an effective way to build investor confidence.” He rounded off his talk by applauding the dynamism, commitment and ambition of the young people in Nepal. “You can make this the country you want it to be,” he told the students at the programme.

 

Ambassador of the EU delegation to Nepal, Rensje Teerink, in her remarks, talked of the “social and moral” exigency of tackling the issue of corruption. She referred, notably, to Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index of 2015, which had ranked Nepal 130^th out of 168 surveyed countries on the basis of corruption, as an illustration of the seriousness of the issue and the work to be done.

 

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Sushila Karki, also the Chief Guest at the event, highlighted some of the commitments and the achievements the country had made in the fight against corruption, with particular focus on the judiciary’s performance. She said that there were still hurdles aplenty in their path, and among these was the difficulty of putting together a strong, diverse workforce. “In Nepal, we have people who can’t find jobs, and jobs for which we can’t find people,” she said. The Chief Justice urged the students to put themselves forward and join the fight against corruption.

 

Sophie Kemkhadze, UNDP’s Deputy Country Director in Nepal, elaborated on how the SDGs represented a “transformative agenda” not just for Nepal, but the world at large. The costs of corruption, she said, are not merely in the abstract, there is a concrete price tag, where every year, a hefty $1.26 trillion is lost in developing countries, and $2.6 trillion globally to corruption. “Fighting corruption is not only an issue for the government but one in which each and every one of us have a role to play,” she said imploring the students to be part of an informed and responsible citizenry as well as reaffirming the UNDP’s commitment to anti-corruption efforts.

 

The interaction was organized with the support of UNDP through its Strengthening Rule of Law and Human Rights Protection System in Nepal Programme (RoLHR), the Government of Nepal, and the Embassies of Denmark, Norway and Finland.

 

A short interaction session followed the talks, where students raised questions on matters of corruption, sustainability and the law, which were answered by the speakers.

 

This year’s International Anti-Corruption Day is themed “Corruption: An Impediment to the SDGs”. [UNDP Nepal Press Note issued on Dec 9, 2016]

Regional conference highlights the need to address conflict-related sexual violence

Kathmandu, 27 September: Transitional justice experts and survivors from post-conflict countries, including Nepal, Cambodia and Guatemala have underscored the urgency for addressing pending cases of conflict-related sexual violence to secure lasting and sustainable peace.

Experts speaking at a two-day conference at the end of September on peer-to-peer sharing of lessons for addressing conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), said many of the victims silently suffer and continue to live with the mental trauma, and will do so until a conducive environment is created to address the consequences of conflict-related sexual violence.

 

The conference sought to build the capacity of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence to articulate their concerns, speak up for their rights and advocate for addressing their specific needs. Peer-to-peer support experts from Cambodia and Guatemala shared the history of their countries' conflicts, how the issue of conflict related sexual violence was dealt with and their personal testimonies, which is expected to help countries like Nepal find workable solutions and roadmap for healing the trauma.

 

"If crimes are left unsolved, the trauma created during the conflict gets transmitted to next generation. It is very important that we let conflict affected people share their experiences to help heal their wounds. What we need here is a healing mechanism that follows proper legal and psycho-social techniques," said Paula Martinez Velasquez from Guatemala's Community Studies and Psychosocial Action Team (ECAP).

 

 

While Nepal has established a set of transitional justice mechanisms, they are inadequately mandated to fully address CRSV cases. Existing legal ambiguities around amnesty and the statutory limitation to report rape, which includes CRSV cases, are some of the areas that need to be addressed to make the mechanisms fully compliant with international standards. An amendment to the Act on Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Commission on Enforced Disappearance, therefore, is expected to fill this gap.

 

"The fact that the conflict related sexual violence survivors have not been officially recognized as conflict affected persons in Nepal is a serious issue. The survivors could not access any services under the government's Interim Relief Programme and continue to remain excluded and uncared for", said Suman Adhikari, Chairperson of the Conflict Victims Common Platform. "Most victims and survivors could not file their complaints to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission due to stigma and lack of sufficient support mechanism including the confidentiality measures."

 "Many people have suffered. They had to get on with their lives and with their families without the issues addressed," said Sita Dev Yadav, Honourable Minister of Peace and Reconciliation. "The Government, NGOs and bilateral organisations will have to provide crucial support to bring justice and dignity. On behalf of the Government, I will try my best to take positive steps towards initiating the healing process."

 

Organized by the Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Taskforce consisting of IOM, UN Women, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF and UN Resident Coordinator's Office, the conference held special significance for Nepal where many people still continue to suffer the consequences of human rights abuses that occurred during the 10-year armed conflict.

"This conference echoes the theme of the International Day of Peace celebrated in September, which was: Sustainable Development Goals: building blocks for peace. By addressing the psychosocial needs of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, we leave no one behind and in doing so, we move a step closer to achieving gender equality and supporting sustainable peace in Nepal," said Renaud Meyer, UNDP Nepal's Country Director.

"The UN remains committed to advocating for the official recognition of sexual violence survivors as conflict victims. We strongly believe that this will promote an understanding that survivors are not to blame for what happened and also open an opportunity for healing," he said.

युवा नेताहरु ! अलाप बिलाप कि कृयाकलाप ?

- सरगम भट्टराई

अाजभोलि एउटा एउटा भनाई सुनिरहन पाईन्छ मिडियामा : बूढाहरुले देशलाई निकास दिन सकेनन, अब युवाहरु अगाडि आउनु पर्छ, युवाहरुमा रहेको जोश जाँगर र बिज्ञता देशको लागि लगानी गर्नु पर्दछ।

जब जब पार्टीहरुका महाधिवेशन नजिक आउछन, यी आबाजहरु बत्तीको पुतली जस्तै एकै चोटी हररर आउछन, जब महाधिवेशन सकिन्छ, त्यहि संगसंगै यी आवाजहरु मथ्थर हुन्छन, कुहिरोको काग जस्तै क्षितिजमा हराउँछन। नेपालका सबैजसो राजनितिक पार्टीमा युवाहरुको कमि छैन: नेपाली कांग्रेसमा गगन थापा,प्रदिप पौडेल ,एमालेमा गोकर्ण बिष्ट, योगेश भट्टराई, राम कुमारी झाँकृ एमाअोवादीमा लेखनाथ न्यौपाने,हिमाल शर्मा आदि आदि। म प्रश्न गर्न चाहन्छु!

तपाईहरुको जोश जाँगर र बिद्दता के का लागि? तालीका लागि जोशिला भाषण गर्दैमा र अन्ध समर्थक र टाट आलोचक मात्र भएर देशले निकास पाउछ भन्ने कुरा एक्काईसौं शताब्दीमा कति जायज़ छ होला? राजतन्त्र समाप्ति पछि पनि भाटतन्त्र र टाटतन्त्र मौलाउनुमा दोषी तपाईं जान्ने सुन्ने युवाहरु नभएर को हुनसक्छ? बहुदल हुदै लोकतन्त्रको बाटोमा हिडिरहँदा धेरै कार्यकर्ता नेता बने यो भिडमा तपाईहरु पनि (धेरै जसो) बूढाहरुकै हनुमान बनेर उदाएको हो कि हैन? होईन भने संसारकै राम्रो ब्यवस्था लोकतन्त्रमा कमिशन, घुस, कालाबजारी र नातावाद खुलेयाम संस्थागत हुनुमा तपाईंहरुको दोष छ कि छैन?

हो ,बूढाहरुले देशलाई निकास दिन सकिरहेका छैनन, यीनीहरु बाट धेरै आश पनि गर्नु हुदैन भन्ने तपाईहरुको कुरो जायज़ हो, तर तपाईहरु मध्ये धेरै जना केन्द्रीय नेतृत्वमा गईसक्दा पनि खोई त जनताको पक्षमा आवाज़ उठाएको?खोई त तराई बल्दा निभाएको? अनि खोई त कर्णाली कठ्यांग्रिदा राप बनेको? साँच्चै देश प्रति तपाईहरुको माया पलाएकै हो भने खोई त हुम्लाको दैलोमा पुगेको? देशमा बिकृति र बिसंगति मौलाईरहँदा खोई त युवाको संजाल बनाई संयुक्त खबरदारी गरेको? खोई त राम्रा कामहरुलाई सिर्जनात्मक समर्थन गरेको? खोई त नराम्रा कामलाई शशक्त खबरदारी गरेको?

बिगतलाई हेर्नुस: बूढा नेताहरुको हँ मा हँ मिलाएर तपाईंहरु कहिले टायर बाल्न जानु भो, कहिले मान्छे मार्नु भो त कहिले सार्बजनिक सम्पत्ति तोड़फोड़ गर्न पुग्नु भो अनि एउटा गुटको ललीपप पाएर उनैको पक्षपोषण गर्नु भो। म दोहोर्याएर भन्छु:

तपाईहरु घोक्रो फूलाएर दुई घन्टा भाषण गर्नु भन्दा दुई मिनेट सिर्जनात्मक काम गरेको भए अहिले बूढा गोरुहरुलाई दुत्कार्न पर्दैनथ्यो, सहि लाई सहि र गलतलाई ग़लत मात्र भनिदिएको भए आज तपाईहरु शिर्ष तहमा हुनुहुन्थ्यो, लोकतन्त्रको मिठो फल बूँढाहरु, तपाईहरु र तपाईका आसेपासेहरुले हैन आम जनताले खाईरहेका हुने थिए।

यसो भनिरहँदा मैले तपाईंहरुको शिर्ष तहमा पुगेर देश बदल्ने सोंचलाई पक्कै पनि अवमुल्यन गर्न खोजिरहेको होईन मेरो र मेरो उमेरको प्रतिनिधित्व गर्नेहरुको गुनासो यो हो कि,तपाईहरु जस्तो पढ़े लेखेको युवाहरुले भ्रष्ट र यथास्थितिवादी नग्न नेतृत्व लाई न त कुरी कुरी गर्न सक्नुभयो, न त गोकर्ण बिष्टहरु हरुको होष्टेमा हैंसे मिलाउनु भयो,तपाईहरुमा जोश थियो,सोच थियो र अवसर पनि थियो तर बूढाहरुकै दौराको तुना बनेर बस्नु भयो।

आज देशमा पश्चगामीहरुले टाउको उठाउनुमा वर्तमान नेतृत्वको असफलता हो कि होईन?राजनैतिक र निजामति कर्मचारीहरुको भ्रष्ट प्रबृर्ति हो कि होईन? हो भने भ्रष्टाचारको बिरुद्दमा दह्रो कानुन नहुनाले आरोपीले सजिलै मुक्ति पाउने र जेलबाट छुट्दा उल्टै फूलमालाले स्वागत गर्ने परिपाटीलाई तपाईंहरुले बढावा दिएको नभए के हो? हैन भने डाक्टर गोबिन्द के.सी.ले शिक्षण अस्पत्ताल बचाउन आमरण अनसन गरिरहँदा तपाईहरुले भ्रष्टाचार र कालाबजारी र छाडातन्न्त्र बिरुद्द खोई आमरण अनसन बसेको?

केही बर्ष अघि दक्षिण एशियाको ग़रीब देश भुटानले बिकासमा गुणात्मक फड्को मारिरहँदा नेपालमा तुईनको जिन्दगी बाँच्नेहरु र कर्णालीमा सिटामोल नपाएर मर्नेहरुको समर्थनमा खोई तपाईंहरु सड़कमा उत्रेको? दिल्लीमा अरबिन्द केजरीवालले छोटो समयमा दिल्लीको अनुहार फेर्दा, बिहारमा नीतिस कुमारहरुले बिहारको अनुहार बदल्दा, तपाईहरु के गर्दै हुनुहुन्थ्यो कुन्नि?

हो ,बूढ़ों गोरुले सधै जोतिरहन सक्दैन,तिनीहरुलाई अब बिश्राम दिदै युवाहरुले काँध थाप्नुपर्छ तर तिनै बूढा गोरुहरुलाई पोस्न राज्यकोषबाट अरबौं रुपैया भार पर्नेगरि सुबिधा बाँड्दा किन तपाईंहरु बोल्नु हुन्न? किन भुकम्प पिडितहरु हिउँले पुरिएर मरिरहँदा सरकारले अरबौं रुपैयाँ भार पर्ने गरि मन्त्रालय थप्दा आन्दोलन गर्नुहुन्न? यसै गरि अब पनि गफ बाहेक केहि नगर्ने हो भने तरुण गोरुहरुले पनि केहि गर्न सक्ने छैनन।

हो,तपाईंहरुले कार्यकारी पद नपाएर काम गर्न नसकेको भन्नुहोला,एउटा साधारण मान्छेको लागि तपाईहरु देशको कार्यकारी सरह हो, तपाईंहरुको सत्तासीनहरु संग पहूंच छ, शक्तिकेन्द्रहरु संग पहूँच छ जनतालाई त दुई किलो चामलका लागि पनि सि.डि.ओ. को सिफ़ारिश लिनुपर्छ हाम्रै नेपालका दुर्गम क्षेत्रमा।

युवा नेताहरु हो! हार्नेको कुनै इतिहाँस लेखिदैन, आउनुहोस जीतको बिगुल फुकौं, लोकतन्त्र सर्बांग नांगो नहुदै यसको लाज बचाउन प्रण गरौं,यथास्थितिवादलाई सिर्जना र साधनाले जितौं ,जनताको मुटुमा बस्ने काम गरौं, तपाईहरुमा बिद्दता र नैतिकता छ, त्यसैले दलगत स्वार्थ त्यागेर सत्यको साथ र असत्यको पर्दाफ़ाश गरौं। देश बर्बाद हुन बाट बचाउन तपाईंहरुले नगरे कसले गर्ने? अब नगरे कहिले गर्ने?

हो नेपाली कांग्रेसमा बूढाहरुकै बोलवाला छ, एमालेमा पनि बूढाहरुकै चुरिफुरी छ, एमाओवादीमा पनि नेतृत्वमा बूढाहरुकै दवदवा छ, मधेशबादी दलहरुमा पनि बूढाहरुकै चलखेल छ, तर किन तपाई युवाहरुको ठोस कार्ययोजना छैन? किन जोश र होस भएका युवा नेताहरु संग बिद्दता र शुद्धता हुँदा हुँदा पनि प्रतिबद्धता छैन? किन शुसिल कोईरालाहरु हजुरबाको उमेरमा पनि दा बन्छन? किन के.पी.वली र झलनाथ अनि प्रचण्डहरु सदाबहार सभापति र अध्यक्ष हुन्छन? किन गगन थापा,गोकर्ण बिष्ट र लेखनाथ न्यौपानेहरु ओझेल पर्छन? किन उज्वल थापाहरु तपाईको फ्रेम भित्र अटाउदैनन?

त्यसैले युवा नेताहरु हो! संसारकै उत्तम ब्यवस्था लोकतन्त्रको चीरहरण नहुदै गगन थापाहरु सभापतिमा किन नलड्ने? गोकर्ण बिष्टहरु किन पार्टी अध्यक्ष नहुने र लेखनाथ न्यौपानेहरु किन महासचिव नहुने अनि समृद्ध राष्ट्र नेपाल बनाउन किन प्रण नगर्ने? युवा नेताहरु अझै पनि सभापति, अध्यक्ष बन्न पाईन भन्दै अलाप बिलाप गर्ने कि कृयाकलाप गर्ने?

[भृकुटी न.पा.६ कपिलवस्तु हाल : शिकागो अमेरिका]

Nepal's Fewa Lake in tourist city Pokhara is at risk due to sedimentation

Nepal's precious Fewa Lake in tourist city Pokhara is at risk due to sedimentation

--> Ecosystem based Adaptation, a joint initiative of Government of Nepal, UNDP, UNEP and IUCN with support from German Government, has carried out a study on the solutions to stop this sedimentation in the fewa lake and also in overall conservation of Panchase (including the Phewa catchment area). One of the solutions proposed is construction of check dams in the upstream rivers and ecosystem based inervention such as slope stabilization, controlled constructions, plantation of amriso, bamboo and other trees that protect soil erosion. 


About Phewa Lake:
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_{Phewa Lake, Phewa Tal or Fewa Lake is a freshwater lake in Nepal located in the south of the Pokhara Valley that includes Pokhara city; parts of Sarangkot and Kaskikot. The lake is stream-fed but a dam regulates the water reserve, therefore, the lake is classified as semi-natural freshwater lake. It is the second largest lake in Nepal, the largest in Gandaki Zone followed by Begnas Lake. Phewa lake is located at an altitude of 742 m (2,434 ft) and covers an area of about 5.23 km2 (2.0 sq mi). It has an average depth of about 8.6 m (28 ft) and a maximum depth of 24 m (79 ft). Maximum water capacity of the lake is approximately 43,000,000 cubic metres (35,000 acre·ft). The Annapurna range on the north is only about 28 km (linear distance) away from the lake. The lake is also famous for the reflection of mount Machhapuchhre and other mountain peaks of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges on its surface. The Taal Barahi Temple is situated on an island in the lake}

Nepal Television Report on EBA Ecosystem-Based Adaptation UNDP on 08 01 2016

Nepal’s national economy and people’s livelihoods largely depend on natural resources and ecosystems services. These are increasingly negatively influenced by the effects of climate change, including increased variability on water availability, extreme weather events and natural disasters. Drought, flood, glacial lake outburst floods, avalanches, landslides and forest fires are some climate related disasters that Nepal experiences. In response to this, the Government of Nepal’s National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) and other national strategies and action plans have recognized that immediate actions are needed to minimize climate risks to society, economy and ecosystems. In line with NAPA and Government’s strategies, the Ecosystem based Adaptation Nepal (EbA) project aims to strengthen the resiliency of ecosystems within these countries and reduce the vulnerability of local communities with particular emphasis on mountain ecosystems. It also aims to demonstrate EbA measures for continued provision of ecosystem services, and support in strengthening the institutional capacity of key national Nepalese actors to build and better integrate ecosystem resilience options in national, sub-national and local level plans.

Ecosystem based Adaptation (EbA) project for mountain ecosystems is currently being implemented in Nepal, Peru and Uganda. Each country is working in close collaboration with their respective government partners and in case of Nepal, the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation (MoFSC)/Department of Forests (DoF) is one of the prominent implementing partners while the overall coordination role is carried out by Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (MoSTE). The pilot site for this project is the Panchase area, encompassing Kaski, Parbat and Syangja districts. This area was chosen due to its vulnerability to climate change impacts, including negative impacts on water resources, agriculture and biodiversity. The major climate risks in this area are from landslide hazards during the monsoon season.

Nepal component of the project is therefore designed on the premise that the social/human adaptation is best achieved by ensuring the continued provision of ecosystem services and enhancing human capacities to address current challenges and future uncertainties. This is especially true in the context of the mountain regions of Nepal where communities continue to be highly dependent on ecosystem services for their livelihoods. Hence EbA has implemented different programs at the ecosystem level in all seventeen districts of Panchase area to restore the ecosystem and to support vulnerable communities. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) through its International Climate Initiative and is jointly implemented by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The project has four major components: the development of methodologies and tools for EbA decision-making in mountain ecosystems; the application of EbA tools and methodologies at the ecosystem level; the implementation of EbA pilots at the ecosystem level; and the formulation of national policies and building an economic case for EbA at the national level.

Read more at: www.np.undp.org/eba 

Gurung dai of Chitre village shares secret of his happiness

LOOK & GAZE
CHITRE, PARBAT, JAN 2, 2016

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“I still don’t understand why people migrate to the cities when you have everything here,” says Mekh Bahadur Gurung, Chitre-2, Parbat.

The couple of Mekh Gurung and his wife Vhim Kumari is among the few families who have returned Chitre after few months’ “dreadful” experience in the cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara.

“I am going back to cities again even if I am given Rs. 100,000 a month,” Grung says.

Mekh and Vhim Gurung on the yard of their home

All of his sons and daughters have left the village home for jobs and other comforts in the cities. Gurung and his wife Vhim Kumari live a peaceful and healthy life in a beautiful stone house that faces a majestic Mt. Fishtail.

“My sons have left for wealth and comfort. But I am not going to go anywhere. I have everything there, there is no loadshedding, no shortage of water and fresh air,” says Gurung dai. Along with other members in his community, he runs a home stay service also in his home.

A group of 10 visitors, including five journalists form Nepal Television, OnlineKhabar, ABC news and UNDP, who stayed overnight in Gurung dai’s home left the next morning with some sort of inspiration that would always make them miss the life wise people of Chitre are living.