India trains Nepali officials on AML-CFT

On the request of Nepal government, a customised six-day training course on ‘Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism' (AML/CFT) for Nepali officers has commenced from today at the National Academy of Customs-Indirect Taxes and Narcotics (NACIN) in Faridabad of India.
According to a press note issued by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, the training is fully supported by the Indian government under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme. “It is yet another example of the Indian government’s commitment to supporting the capacity development of Nepali officers.”
The 20 Nepali officers from various departments and ministries are taking part in the training, it reads, adding that a total of 60 officers from various regulatory agencies in Nepal will be trained under this latest initiative.
The next two batches of 20 officers each will be trained at NACIN in October and December 2019, the note reads, adding that the initiative is likely to enhance the capacities of agencies of Nepal on the matters of Anti Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism.
NACIN is the apex training institution of the Government of India in the field of financial investigations and anti money laundering matters. It is an accredited Regional Training Centre of World Customs Organisation for Asia/Pacific Region and also works in collaboration with other international organisations including UNEP, UNODC and SASEC.

Role of trade key in achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Trade will play a key role in achieving the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and both governments and the private sector need to be more active in ensuring trade’s full potential in contributing to these goals, speakers at the WTO’s annual Public Forum said.
The SDGs were the focus of discussion during a number of sessions at the three-day Public Forum from September 26 to 28, the WTO’s flagship outreach event. The Forum provided a unique platform for senior officials, leading global businesspeople, academics and civil society representatives to come together and discuss some of the major trade and development issues of the day.
The SDGs put significant emphasis on the role that trade can play in promoting sustainable development. There are direct references to WTO activities in many of the SDGs, ranging from ensuring food security and sustainable agriculture to conserving marine resources and promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
Agriculture's role in meeting the SDGs was the centre of discussion at a Public Forum session on September 27 organised by the Geneva Office of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). Speakers noted that several of the SDGs directly relate to agriculture and that modernising agricultural production will be key to achieving this. WTO members have already agreed to eliminate export subsidies for agriculture, one of the SDG targets, at their 2015 Nairobi Ministerial Conference.
Director of the FAO's UN Liaison Office in Geneva Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett said that agriculture is changing in 'unprecedented ways', with growing demand for reliable and consistent food products and corresponding attention paid to sustainable development issues related to this production.
However, greater partnering between governments, international institutions, the private sector and civil society is needed to deliver further results that contribute to effectively achieving the SDGs.

UNIDO assures Nepal of full technical support for industrial development

United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has committed to support Nepal in its drive for inclusive and sustainable industrial development and assured to engage with Nepal on fullest possible scale through various projects to be worked out jointly through a programme mission to be fielded soon by UNIDO.

Speaking with trade secretary Krishna Gyawali, today morning, director general of UNIDO Li Yong – at the sidelines of the general conference of UNIDO, promised to continue the UNIDO support for Nepal.

Gyawali had asked him to 'reactivate UNIDO’s support to Nepal which has gone slack for some time'.

Gyawali has particularly requested for UNIDO support in four areas enhancing industrial energy efficiency in manufacturing industries that largely consume fossil fuel, installing online industries registration system  in order for moving them eventually to ‘single registration system’, statistical improvement in industry census and developing Integrated Industrial Information Management System (IIIMS) in the ministry and departments, and supporting trade facilitation and capacity development measures through developing well-equipped, quality labs for product testing and certification and creating accreditation body for accrediting those labs as per the accepted international standard.

Li – a high-level Chinese technocrat, who recently took over from Kandeh Yumkella of Sierra Leone – also thanked the secretary for his active participation in the conference.

Gyawali also met with the chief of the Technical Programme Development and Technical Cooperation Division and acting managing director Philippe Scholtes and discussed in detail about how and in which areas Nepal and UNIDO should restart working together.

Meanwhile, Nepal took part in the 15^th general session of UNIDO in the Peruvian capital of Lima on December 2-6.

Gyawali, who headed the Nepali delegation, addressing the plenary session of the conference, praised the current theme of the conference that focuses ‘sustainable and inclusive industrial development’.

"The organisation should support Least Developed Countries (LDCs) like Nepal through 'sufficient technical and knowledge intervention'," he said, stressing that Nepal needs to undertake a two-prong strategy of industrial development that appropriately focuses developing large-scale, growth-contributing manufacturing industries to jump start the economy as well as Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) for poverty alleviation. "While the government needs to work as promoter and facilitator for achieving the first task, it needs to primarily invest its resources for meeting the other."

Gyawali, on the occasion, also highlighted the importance of private sector development through creating a common platform like Nepal Business Forum (NBF) that is being successfully launched in Nepal.

Seeking the organisation’s assistance in developing renewable energy resources for what he termed 'greening the brown sector', meaning industries in modern times must be clean, green and climate-smart, he suggested the need for developing and disseminating the green technology that is affordable, cost-effective and reliable.

The general conference is the apex body of UNIDO and it convenes in every two years. The conference this year also adopted Lima Declaration highlighting the agenda of industrial development linking it with sustainable development goals beyond 2015.

Partnership launched to promote green economy

The new partnership launched today by four United Nations (UN) agencies aims to support 30 countries including Nepal over the next seven years in building national green economy strategies that will generate new jobs and skills, promote clean technologies, and reduce environmental risks and poverty.

The new Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) is a response to the outcome document of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), 'The Future We Want', which recognises green economy as a vehicle for sustainable development and poverty eradication.

Governments at Rio+20 called on UN agencies to support countries interested in accelerating their transition to an inclusive green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication.

The four UN agencies — United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), International Labour Organisation (ILO), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), and United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) — will provide a comprehensive suite of green economy services that will enable countries to transform their national economic structures to meet the growing demands and challenges of the 21st century.

"It is yet another example of how UNEP, with partners, is implementing the outcomes of Rio+20," said UN under secretary-general and UNEP executive director Achim Steiner. "The Partnership for Action on Green Economy will work with countries to catalyse change at the national level, assisting them with targeted economic and policy instruments and training that will accelerate their green economy transition across sectors ranging from clean energy to sustainable agriculture," he said, adding that developing countries in particular — with the support of PAGE — can put in place policies needed to reap the economic and environmental benefits of an inclusive, resource-efficient, low-carbon pathway, and avoid the risks and shocks of carbon-intensive infrastructure.

From Barbados to Mexico and Nepal to South Africa, many countries are already advancing green initiatives that will contribute to a more equitable and sustainable future.

Germany, Kenya and South Korea, among other states, have set out radical changes in their energy policies to harness the power of renewables, and reinvest in their natural capital. Lebanon and Madagascar are working to rebuild their agro-industries, while other countries — like Peru and Senegal — are focused on developing more capacity and green jobs.

As 'The Future We Want' recommends, PAGE will encourage 'the implementation of green economy policies by countries that seek to apply them for the transition towards sustainable development as a common undertaking.'

More specifically, PAGE will build enabling conditions in participating countries by shifting investment and policies towards the creation of a new generation of assets, such as clean technologies, resource efficient infrastructure, well-functioning ecosystems, green skilled labour, and good governance.

"ILO estimated that at least half of the global workforce — or 1.5 billion people — could be affected in some way by the transition to a green economy," said ILO director-general Guy Ryder. "PAGE aims at embedding the right policies and opportunities at the national level as countries move forward with their inclusive green economy plans, and thus ensure that the transition creates more and better jobs and benefits all of society."

"Promoting green and clean new industries, and helping existing industries become more resource-efficient, will be a key focus of the partnership," said director general of UNIDO Kandeh K Yumkella. "While business and industry should be aligned with national green economy efforts, governments need to set the parameters in order for business to thrive."

"Advancing green economies in the context of poverty eradication creates unprecedented needs and opportunities for learning and skills development," said director ad interim of UNITAR Sally Fegan-Wyles. "PAGE addresses the challenge, by offering a suite of learning programmes and by strengthening capacities of national research and training institutions to ensure sustainability."

The four agencies have previously undertaken joint green initiatives. However, this is the first time that all four have come together to coordinate their support, expertise and resources at the national level. During the first two years of the partnership, PAGE will focus on seven pilot countries, yet to be named, and scale up this support to a total of 30 countries by 2020.