NEPAL: Nepal Continues to Strive for Gender Equality in Post-Conflict Period: Minister Rawal

Date: 
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Source: 
Nepal News
Countries: 
Asia
Southern Asia
Nepal
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Reconstruction and Peacebuilding

Bhim Bahadur Rawal, Minister for Home Affairs and the leader of the Nepali delegation to the 65th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday addressed the Ministerial-level event “A 1325 Call to Action” co-hosted by the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Austria, Canada, Bangladesh, Chile, Liberia, Namibia, Sierra Leone and United Kingdom in the UN headquarters in New York.

While making commitment to early finalisation and adoption of Nepal's ‘National Action Plan' on the implementation of the Security Council Resolution 1325 and 1820, Minister Rawal reiterated Nepal's commitment to continue to set aside 33 percent seat in parliament for women with a view to ensuring women's participation in the highest legislative body of the nation.

He also committed that the government will continue targeting women participants and beneficiaries in local development, employment creation and frontline service-delivery programs in post-conflict situations with increased financing to gender equality and women's and girl's empowerment in post-conflict situations.

Minister Rawal had on Friday addressed the 9th Annual Ministerial Meeting of the Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) in New York.

Addressing the meeting, the Home Minister highlighted the challenges being faced by LLDCs and called for increased, predictable, and sustainable financial support from the international community to help enhance their transit capabilities and develop better infrastructures in these countries.

He also brought to light Nepal's vulnerabilities as well as the difficulties in fulfilling the Millennium Development Goals, especially reducing poverty and hunger.

He also asked for international support to implement fully the Almaty Program of Action adopted in 2003 as a global framework for transit transport cooperation for LLDCs.

Similarly, Minister Rawal underscored the need of strengthening effective and close cooperation and collaboration between LLDCs and the respective transit neighbours, at regional, sub-regional and bilateral levels with a view to promote better infrastructure, reduce transit formalities to the minimum and transit time for goods from and to LLDCs.