'EU organises round table on women rights'

Nepal has made immense progress in terms of gender equality, according to ambassador, Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Nepal Veronica Cody.
Addressing a half-day discussion on 'Women in Nepal: the Journey To Prosperity' organised – as part of the global 16-day campaign against Gender Based Violence, being implemented in collaboration with the United Nations (UN) –in Kathmandu on Wednesday, Cody lauded the significant steps taken by Nepal in terms of developing inclusive political and economic policies. However, at the same time, she pointed the need to implement the laws and policies in place as there are cases of violence and discrimination against women being reported time and again. She presented the initiative being taken by the EU to advocate for gender equality with the introduction of the 'Gender Champion'. She herself will be taking up the role from January 1, 2019.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Krishna Bahadur Mahara, speaking on the occasion, highlighted that 41 per cent of elected officials at the local level and 32 per cent at provincial and federal levels are women. He also reiterated that the constitution recognises women’s rights as a fundamental right and National Women Commission as a constitutional body. However, he stated that there is still a lot to do to achieve an 'equality-based society'.
Presenting his paper on 'Women for inclusive laws and policies', chairperson of the Committee on Law Krishna Bhakta Pokharel said that the present constitutional and legal frameworks are the most progressive in terms of gender equality till date. The constitution guarantees women’s property rights, reproductive rights and various other social rights. For the first time, Chhaupadi has been criminalised, dowry carries a sentence of 3 to 5 years and rape is now punishable by up to life in prison, he said. However, he accepted that gender bias still prevails when it comes to granting citizenship in the name of the mother. Overall, he expressed optimism that with equal laws now in place, Nepal may be able to achieve an equal society in the next 8 to 10 years.
Likewise, member at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Mohna Ansari Mohna Ansari, speaking on 'Women for effective implementation of the laws and policies' stated that although Nepal's laws have been improved but they still are not enough. "And as long as 51 per cent of Nepali population (women) is not included in mainstream development, the nation cannot achieve prosperity," she said.
Chairperson of Women, Entrepreneurs and Development Committee at the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Kamala Shrestha, on the occasion, presenting an innovative concept of utilising Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to empower women, especially in the field of e-commerce, said that true empowerment can only come from financial independence and hence, women entrepreneurs must be encouraged, most prominently in the field of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). She also shed light on the problem that women are often not trusted to take up leadership roles and so, the society must be convinced of a woman’s leadership potentials.
Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) expert Bharati Silwal Giri, on the occasion, presenting a paper on 'Women in the lead in Nepal: Issues, Challenges and Way forward' challenged the notion of women officials elected at various levels. Women have found a place in public sphere but mostly as token positions. Among the mayor and deputy mayor, women have mostly been elected as deputy mayors. And while Nepal does have a woman president, the position is without power and prerogatives. She expressed that woman must be allowed to do constructive work and not merely given posts. She opined that the major hurdle for women empowerment lies in the institutionalised form of patriarchy.
The roundtable discussion was moderated by Rajesh Hamal, who began by commemorating the relevancy of this discussion on the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Head of Political, Press and Public Diplomacy Section at the EU Delegation to Nepal Zane Petre thanking all the participants reaffirmed gender equality as a core value of EU and EU’s commitment in gender as a cross cutting issue in its development cooperation with Nepal. She also highlighted EU’s role in both advocacy and practice of gender equality, not just in Nepal but all around the world.

NOC slashes fuel prices

The continuous fall in the prices of fuel in the international market has pushed the fuel price in the domestic market down too. Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has – effective from tonight – revised the fuel prices downwards by Rs 2 per litre. "The NOC has reduced the retail prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene by Rs 2 per litre," informed spokesperson of the state utility Birendra Goit. "After the revision, a litre of petrol will now cost Rs 112 while diesel and kerosene will cost Rs 99 per litre," he said, adding that the petrol and diesel are in profit, even after decreasing the price. "However, the NOC still incurs Rs 288 loss in a cylinder of LPG – popularly known as cooking gas – though the corporation is profiting in other petroleum products including petrol, diesel and kerosene.
The NOC revises the price of fuel, according to the price list sent by its sole supplier Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) that sends the price list, twice a month on the first and 15th of the Gregorian calendar.
However, this is the first time, the NOC has reduced the fuel price after the incumbent government led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli came to power months ago.

MDBs announce joint framework to combat climate change

Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) today announced a joint framework for aligning their activities with the goals of the Paris Agreement, reinforcing their commitment to combat climate change.
In a joint declaration, the MDBs committed to working together in six key areas considered central to meeting the goals of the agreement, which aims to limit the increase in global temperatures to well below 2°C, pursuing efforts for 1.5°C.
The declaration was issued at the start of the 24th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24) in Katowice, Poland.
"The global development agenda is at a pivotal point," the joint declaration reads. "There is international consensus on the urgent need to ensure that policy engagements and financial flows are consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development."
The MDBs and the International Development Finance Club (IDFC) had already pledged in December 2017 to align financial flows with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
"To realise this vision, we are working together to develop a dedicated approach," the joint MDB declaration adds.
The MDBs plan to break their joint approach down into practical work on six core Paris Alignment areas – the building blocks – including: aligning their operations against mitigation and climate-resilience goals; ramping up climate finance; capacity building support for countries and other clients; plus an emphasis on climate reporting.
This approach builds on the ongoing MDB contribution to climate finance, which, in 2017, amounted to $35 billion to tackle climate change in developing and emerging economies, while mobilising an additional $52 billion from private and public sector sources.
The MDBs will report back to next year’s COP25 gathering on their progress under the six building blocks.
The nine MDBs includes the African Development Bank Group, the Asian Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank Group, the Islamic Development Bank, the New Development Bank, and the World Bank Group (World Bank, IFC, MIGA).

World Bank Group announces $200 billion for climate action

The World Bank Group today announced a major new set of climate targets for 2021-2025, doubling its current 5-year investments to around $200 billion in support for countries to take ambitious climate action.
The new plan significantly boosts support for adaptation and resilience, recognising mounting climate change impacts on lives and livelihoods, especially in the world’s poorest countries. The plan also represents significantly ramped up ambition from the World Bank Group, sending an important signal to the wider global community to do the same.
“Climate change is an existential threat to the world’s poorest and most vulnerable," World Bank Group president Jim Yong Kim said, adding that these new targets demonstrate how seriously we take this issue, investing and mobilising $200 billion over five years to combat climate change. "We are pushing ourselves to do more and to go faster on climate and we call on the global community to do the same. This is about putting countries and communities in charge of building a safer, more climate-resilient future."
The $200 billion across the Group is made up of approximately $100 billion in direct finance from the World Bank and approximately $100 billion of combined direct finance from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) and private capital mobilised by the World Bank Group.
A key priority is boosting support for climate adaptation, recognising that millions of people across the world are already facing the severe consequences of more extreme weather events. By ramping up direct adaptation finance to reach around $50 billion over fiscal year 2021-2025, the World Bank will, for the first time, give this equal emphasis alongside investments that reduce emissions.
"People are losing their lives and livelihoods because of the disastrous effects of climate change," World Bank chief executive officer Kristalina Georgieva, said, adding that the Group must fight the causes, but also adapt to the consequences that are often most dramatic for the world’s poorest people. "This is why we at the World Bank commit to step up climate finance to $100 billion, half of which will go to build better adapted homes, schools and infrastructure, and invest in climate smart agriculture, sustainable water management and responsive social safety nets."
The new financing will ensure that adaptation is undertaken in a systematic fashion, and the World Bank will develop a new rating system to track and incentivise global progress. Actions will include supporting higher-quality forecasts, early warning systems and climate information services to better prepare 250 million people in 30 developing countries for climate risks. In addition, the expected investments will build more climate-responsive social protection systems in 40 countries, and finance climate smart agriculture investments in 20 countries.
“There are literally trillions of dollars of opportunities for the private sector to invest in projects that will help save the planet,” IFC CEO Philippe Le Houérou, said, "Our job is to go out and proactively find those opportunities, use our de-risking tools, and crowd in private sector investment. We will do much more in helping finance renewable energy, green buildings, climate-smart agribusiness, urban transportation, water, and urban waste management."
The new targets build on the World Bank Group’s 2016 Climate Change Action Plan. In 2018, the World Bank Group provided a record-breaking $20.5 billion in finance for climate action: doubling delivery from the year before the Paris Agreement and meeting its 2020 target two years ahead of schedule.
The World Bank Group will support the integration of climate considerations in policy planning, investment design, implementation and evaluation to increase system-wide impact for countries. It will also support at least 20 countries implement and update Nationally Determined Contributions and increase engagement with Ministries of Finance in the design and implementation of transformative low-carbon policies.
In key sectors, efforts will include:
• In Energy: Support the generation, integration, and enabling infrastructure for 36 GW of renewable energy and support 1.5 million GWh equivalent of energy savings through efficiency improvement;
• In Cities: Help 100 cities achieve low-carbon and resilient urban planning and transit-oriented development;
• In Food and Land-Use: Increase integrated landscape management in up to 50 countries, covering up to120 million hectares of forests.

Japan hands over newly reconstructed bridges

The government of Japan handed over five bridges which were newly constructed along the Barhakilo-Barpak road in Gorkha amidst a formal inauguration ceremony in Gorkha – near the epicenter of the 2015 Gorkha earthquake – today to the government of Nepal.
Ambassador of Japan Masamichi Saigo and the newly appointed chief representative of JICA Nepal Office Yumiko Asakuma were present in the event where minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Raghubir Mahaseth was the chief guest.
In December 2015, half a year after the devastating Gorkha earthquake, the two governments signed an agreement for Japanese grant assistance of to be provided for major infrastructure reconstruction and rehabilitation including the 3 bridges in Gorkha.  The Subproject of Bridge Construction along 'Barhakilo-Barpak Road' is one of the 3 sub-projects under the umbrella grant 'the Programme for Rehabilitation and Recovery from Nepal Earthquake.
This subproject amounting to JapaneseYen930 million was initiated to support speedy reconstruction and recovery in the earthquake affected areas by ensuring all-season reliable access to the northern part of the Gorkha district. The construction of the three PC (pre-stressed concrete) bridges by the grant subproject – Daraudi Khola Bridge, Ghatte Khola Bridge, and Rangrung Khola Bridge – was completed in July 2018.
In addition, two reinforced concrete bridges – Khahare Khola Bridge and Jhyalla Khola Bridge – were also constructed by another JICA technical cooperation project "the Project on Rehabilitation and Recovery from Nepal Earthquake."
On the occasion, ambassador Saigo expressed his hope that the 5 newly constructed bridges will enable the people to access other communities, major markets and cities conveniently and safely throughout the year, and this would contribute to enhance the accessibility to public services, and to improve the economic activities in the northern part of Gorkha. He also hoped the friendship between Japan and Nepal will be further strengthened through this project.
Chief Representative of JICA Nepal Asakuma, on the occasion, expressed JICA’s commitment to continuing its support to the post-earthquake recovery in Nepal based on the Build Back Better (BBB) concept. She also shared her hope that the new bridges will contribute to not just supporting speedy reconstruction and recovery in the surrounding areas, but also bringing in new energies, resources, and initiatives for longer-term sustainable development in the affected communities.
The local people around these areas have benefitted at large with this new development of extended accessibility and prefer calling the new bridges as 'Japanese bridges'. It is hoped that these bridges will help expedite recovery in the surrounding communities and also stands firm as a symbol of friendship between the two nations.

Toastmaster’s conference concludes

The first ever division conference of Toastmaster’s of Nepal concluded in Kathmandu today.
More than 250 members attended the conference from 14 different clubs in Nepal.
A distinguished toastmaster from Bangalore in India Dr Rajdeep Manwani delivered his keynote address and conducted a talk session in the conference. Dr Manwani is an academician, trainer, motivational speaker, life coach, counselor and quizmaster par excellence both by training and by choice. He is a triple postgraduate and a PhD having completed his MCom, MBA and MPhil and also a doctorate in commerce on the topic Strategic evaluation of training in commercial banks.
Nepal Toastmasters, on the occasion, also recognised and awarded a media personality 'Communication Award 2018' to Dr Swarnim Wagle, who was chosen by an eminent panel of jury members on the very day. This is the first of its kind award, which is awarded to a non-toastmaster member by the fraternity. Nepal Tournaments has announced to hand over the award every year.
On this special occasion Toastmaster also launched official website of Nepal.
"We are proud to have organised the first ever all Nepal Toastmaster Conference today," the division director of Nepal distinguished Toastmaster Ranjit Acharya said, "Almost 50% members participated and benefitted today. Learn, lead and leverage was our theme and we are hopeful that we could deliver the same to our members.”
Toastmasters International is a world leader in communication and leadership development.

Govt urges World Bank to revise ‘Doing Business’ methodology

The government has again expressed strong concerns regarding the ‘Doing Business’ report, which was published by the World Bank (WB) on October 31.
At a programme organised by the Society of Economic Journalists-Nepal (Sejon) to mark the 21st Sejon Day in the Valley, finance minister Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada, said that the report had reflected a negative picture of the country’s economic condition and investment environment.
“We had expressed our concern to the World Bank over the report," he said, adding that the World Bank mission officials have already arrived in Nepal and have started reviewing the report.
Minister Khatiwada rued the fact that the World Bank had been using six months old data to prepare report. "The World Bank must use the latest data as much as possible if it wants to provide a relevant report,” he emphasised, adding that it should include data till at least October. However, the World Bank (WB) prepares the report according to its annual schedule despite the change in governments in any of the countries. It also uses the data according to its annual calendar, not according to each of the country. But Khatiwada claimed that the World Bank collects data till May only and it is the major reason for a gloomy investment picture of the country.
Nepal ranked 105th in the ‘Doing Business’ ranking in 2017 but this year the country has dropped to the 110th position, hinting at a weakening state of trade and investment climate as it has failed to simplify the tax payment process. But Khatiwada claimed that the tax regime in Nepal is more progressive and simplified against what the World Bank reported. He also reiterated that the incumbent government has created an investment friendly environment by taking the initiative to strengthen existing policies and the system of the government but the report does not reflect that.
“World Bank needs to change the methodology of its research," the finance minister added, though the World Bank doesnot change the methodology for any one country.
Khatiwada, on the occasion, also defended the whopping trade deficit. "We recently acquired two wide-body aircraft for Nepal Airlines Corporation,” he said, adding that Nepal needs to import the equipments for development works like hydropower, which will in long run pay off. "We are planning to generate 10,000 megawatts of electricity in the next decade and for that we have to import machinery and equipment, so import in itself should not be taken as a negative development."
On the occasion, Sejon presented Rudra Khadka of Nagarik Daily and Subash Yonjan of Capitalnepal with the annual Sejon Award.
Khadka has awarded under the print media category. He was recognised for his series of in-depth stories on Sikta Irrigation Project. Khadka has been honoured with a cash prize of Rs 50,000 and a certificate of appreciation.
Similarly, in the online category, Subash Yonjan from CapitalNepal.com was honoured with the Sejon award for writing in-depth stories on fake rescue scams in the mountaineering and trekking sectors. Likewise, Bhagwan Khanal from Karobar National Economic Daily was awarded Late Sanjay Neupane Research Grant, while Amar Baduwal and Arun Sapkota were given Hydro Solution Fellowship grants.
Likewise, editor of Karobar National Economic Daily Kuber Chalise, chief editor of Abhiyan Daily Madan Lamsal, Hridaya Gautam from Ajako Artha and news chief of Kantipur TV Prashant Aryal were honoured by the Sejon for their long contributions in economic journalism.