Kathmandu, March 23:

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Municipal Association of Nepal (MuAN), Kathmandu Metropolitan City, the United Nations Millennium Campaign (UNMC) and the Regional Network of Local Authorities for the Management of Human Settlement - CITYNET today to establish a joint office of CITYNET - UNMC in Kathmandu.

They signed the pact during a workshop on Localising MDGs in Asian Cities Through Innovative Leadership and Community Empowerment, organised today.

The office will be based in MuAN, the secretariat of CITYNET Nepal Chapter, and work with the municipal associations to assist the local governments to provide inputs to National Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) reports, producing MDGs brochures and database including examples of best activities in the South Asia.

It will also promote cooperation among members of CITYNET including promotion of exchange among the communities to share the learning about MDGs’ achievements in South Asia and develop three MDGs pilot projects in South Asia.

According to Doramani Paudel, president of MuAN, the joint office will work with the objective of developing the MDGs-oriented local government and campaigners in South Asia that will subsequently speed the realisation of the MDGs in the South Asian nations. He added it would also insist on local governments to produce their own mid-term and annual MDGs review reports.