National consultation workshop on promoting sustainable and responsible business practices in Nepal

On 17 June 2022, the ILO facilitated - at the request of the newly appointed national focal point for the promotion of the MNE Declaration in Nepal - a national consultation workshop on promoting sustainable and responsible business practices in line with the MNE Declaration bringing together various national stakeholders.

News | 28 July 2022
Contact(s): saloman@ilo.org
Following the appointment of a national focal point for the promotion of the MNE Declaration, Nepal held with ILO support a first tripartite consultation workshop bringing together various ministries and governmental agencies, employers’ and workers’ organisations, the UN Resident Coordinator Office and the ILO. The workshop allowed for an exchange among the participants on the guidance provided by the MNE Declaration and the relevance of its application in the current context of Nepal. The workshop also validated the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the national focal point as well as discussed key elements of a national plan of action with priority actions to enhance the positive contribution of business to decent work and mitigate and resolve potential negative impacts in Nepal.

The workshop started with a welcome address and opening remarks from Mr Richard Howard, Director, ILO Country Office for Nepal and Mr Dipak Kafle, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security (MOLESS), Government of Nepal/National focal point for the MNE Declaration.

This was followed by a technical session chaired by Mr Dipak Kafle, which aimed at discussing and endorsing the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the national focal point in supporting and promoting businesses and decent work-related efforts and presenting key elements of the plan of action and ILO support for its implementation. The presentation on the MNE Declaration by Ms Emily Sims, Helpdesk Coordinator, Multinational Enterprises and Enterprises Engagement (MULTI) Unit, ILO aimed at ensuring a better understanding of its provisions by tripartite constituents in view of further promotion and application of the principles of the MNE Declaration in Nepal. Participants also had the opportunity to discuss how to support greater coherence among various ministries in order to promote labour standards and responsible business practices in the country.

The closing and remarks session included an intervention summarizing key elements of the plan of action at the plenary by Mr Dipak Kafle. Other speakers included Mr D.B. Basnet, Chair, SME Committee, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI); Mr Jagat Simkhada, President, All Nepal Federation of Trade Unions (ANTUF); Mr Binod Shrestha, President, General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT); Mr Nabaraj Dahal, General Secretary, Joint Trade Union Coordination Centre (JTUCC); Mr Pushkar Acharya, President, Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC); and an address by Mr Eknarayan Aryal, Secretary, MOLESS, Government of Nepal.

The ILO confirmed its continued support for the initiatives taken by the national constituents on the application of the MNE Declaration in Nepal, based on the national priorities identified.