Donors announce norms for implementing plans
Himalayan News Service
Pokhara, April 25:
Ten chief donor agencies, working in Nepal’s development works and social areas, today made public their basic guidelines for executing projects here. The Canadian International Development Mission, Danish International Development Assistance Mission (DANIDA), British Assistance Mission (Department for International Development, DFID), European Union, Finland Embassy, German assistance Mission (GTZ), Japan International Cooperation Association (JICA), Norwegian Mission for Development, Swiss Development Mission and Netherlands Development Association (SNV) jointly issued the guidelines. According to the donor agencies, the focal point of their work i n Nepal is to raise the lifestyle standards of the people here. The guidelines are aimed at alleviating poverty, meeting the basic necessities and making the Nepali community self-reliant.
The guidelines not only underlined the aim to work as per the wishes of the local community and maintain the people’s prestige, but also expressed commitment to honour religion, culture and customs. The 14-point guidelines stated that cooperation would be extended to everyone, irrespective of political leanings, race or religion. Priority will be given to local people while formulating assistance programme, its management and implementation. Transparency is guaranteed. Employment will not be given in an unnecessary manner, and politics and other reasons will not be allowed to influence selection of the employees. Also, violence, abduction, torture, and other threats are not acceptable, it is stated in the guidelines. Assistance should not be used for military, political and or communal purposes.
Donations will not be given under duress. Machinery and means will be used only for attaining
the goal while vehicles will not used for transporting the military or other wings of the security
forces, it is stated.
On the occasion, senior human rights activist Tek Nath Baral said the programme would not benefit the target group as donor agencies can’t become transparent and accountable to the people. “Donor agencies and journalists should be allowed to each and every part of the country,” said Baral. In the ceremony, jointly organized by the Human Resource Development Centre Nepal and civic society development council Kaski, the president of Pokhara Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Rajendra Kumar Lalchan along with World Helath Organisation representative Dr Chakra Rai, SAP-Nepal representative Shobha Shrestha, Binod Koirala of ILO, Liladhar Baral of the NGO Federation Nepal, chairperson of the civil society development council Meena Gurung, secretary of the human resource development centre Upendra Malla, expressed their views on the basic guidelines of the donor agencies.