Kathmandu – Nepal hosted a multi-stakeholder consultation in Kathmandu on Wednesday (6/9) to provide inputs for a Nepali national position paper on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).

The GCM, which was announced at the United Nations in September 2016 as part of the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, aims to establish an international cooperation framework on migration and human mobility.

The Compact, which will be closely linked to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is expected to be finalized and adopted by UN Member States at an intergovernmental conference in late 2018.

The Kathmandu meeting identified migration priorities and challenges facing Nepal, where the economy is heavily dependent on labour migration. Remittances sent home by migrant workers account for nearly 30 per cent of GDP.

The consultation was organized by Nepal’s Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) with support from the UN Migration Agency (IOM) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

Attendees included government officials, development partners, UN agencies, NGOs, CSOs, academia, private sector and media. It followed an earlier consultation held with government stakeholders from sectoral ministries, also supported by IOM and SDC.  

Nepal already plays an active role in regional labour migration processes to achieve a better deal for its migrant workers. It currently chairs the Colombo Process, also known as the Regional Consultative Process on the Management of Overseas Employment and Contractual Labour for Countries of Origins in Asia. It also plays a key role in the Abu Dhabi Dialogue – a ministerial level regional consultative process on migration between the Gulf States and the Colombo Process countries.

Speaking at the event, IOM Nepal Chief of Mission Paul I. Norton said that the consultation presented an historic opportunity for Nepalis to participate in a global effort to improve protection for migrants and extend the benefits of migration to everyone through a Global Compact. “Ultimately, migration should be of benefit to all and serve as a means of development that is shared within and across borders,” he said.

Ministry of Labour and Employment Secretary Laxman Mainali congratulated delegates for taking part in a historical process. “The invaluable inputs and recommendations agreed at this joint multi-stakeholder consultation will help Nepal to present its position strongly in various discussions at the regional and global forums,” he said.

For further information please contact Paul I. Norton at IOM Nepal, Tel: +977 1 4426250, Email: iomnepal@iom.int. Or Nepal’s Ministry of Labour and Employment, Tel: +977 1 4211963, Email: info@mole.gov.np