Fourth NRN Global Conference concludes on high note

The three-day fourth global conference of Non-Resident Nepalis (NRNs) concluded here this evening with a firm commitment. The delegates pledged to form a joint commission, which will have representatives from the government, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and NRN Association within the next three months.
Foreign employment sector holds the key since remittance is the life-line for the nation's economy. “The NRNs can not only bring in capital but can also provide the much-needed skill and knowledge," said Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal during the closing ceremony of the conference.
He urged the NRNs to explore overseas markets for a dual purpose: Help the migrant workers to find suitable employment and demand for Nepali products.
“The NRNs can help us a lot to realise our cherished dream of a prosperous new Nepal. We can learn a lot from their skill sets and exposure to technology,” he added.
The NRN Association issued an 18-point Kathmandu Declaration on the occasion, which pledged to help both the private sector and government. The declaration is committed to further the government’s aim to expand economic diplomacy, which has been an integral part of the foreign policy exercise in recent times.
Nepal assured to look into the NRNs’ plea for dual citizenship. “We look into the issue in all seriousness at the earliest,” he added. However, the government has found a middle ground to alleviate their bureaucratic woes. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to issue People of Nepali Origin (PNO) card to all NRNs by January. The initiative was hailed in the Declaration.
Dr Upendra Mahato, founder and outgoing president, NRNA, called upon his community to extend unstinted support to the nation.
The Declaration, in turn, pleaded with the government to hasten the pace of implementation of the NRN Act and Regulation.
It also plans to support social and economical activities in conflict-hit and rural areas, vocational training schools and One-Village-One Product programme. The NRNA promises to throw its lot to make Nepal Tourism Year 2011 a grand success. The body has taken keen interest in developing physical infrastructure projects like fast track, hydropower by adopting the Public-Private Partnership model. The Declaration has also pledged to create a $100-million Fund within a year of the association's registration.
Also, it will try to sort out the ambiguity over the nomenclature of the NRNA — the only organised body of the diaspora across the globe — that was set up in 2002.
The 2.5-million-strong diaspora today also elected its new team, which will hold office for the next two years. Dev Man Hirachan will be the new NRNA president.
Around 600 participants from across 52 nations attended the biennial meet, which was jointly organized by the NRNA, government and FNCCI.