Monday, November 12, 2018

Nepal to host Colombo Process meeting

Nepal – as a chair of the Colombo Process – is hosting ministerial consultation meeting of the Colombo Process. 
"The government has finalised the preparations to hold the fifth senior officials meeting and sixth ministerial consultation meeting of the Colombo Process," according to the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security.
The ministerial consultation meeting is scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, labour secretary Mahesh Dahal said, adding that the meeting will be held on November 15-16 in Kathmandu. "The meeting will discuss on ‘How to make the foreign employment sector well-managed and addressing the present issues'."
It is also a forum to facilitate dialogue and cooperation on issues of common interest and concern relating to labour mobility. The Colombo Process – established in 2003 – is a regional consultative process on the management of overseas employment and contractual labour for countries of origins in Asia. The Colombo Process has 12 member states – including Nepal, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam – and eight observer countries. "Of the 12 countries, eight have already confirmed their participation," he added. Dahal also informed that the meetings will also unveil the Kathmandu Declaration on labour issues.
The meeting – being organised by the government under technical support of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) – will also be attended by representatives from Abu Dhabi Dialogue, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), and Association of Southeast Asian Nations as observers. The Abu Dhabi Dialogue is a labour hosting countries whereas the Colombo Process is the labour sending countries.
During the ministerial meeting, Nepal will present a country report including its work and achievements over the past year as the chair of the Colombo Process.
Nepal had succeeded Sri Lanka as the chair of the Colombo Process on March 29, 2017 and the last meeting had formed five thematic area working groups to conduct studies on concerned priorities of various labour issues.

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