The Sixth Global Non-Resident Nepali (NRN) Conference concluded with a declaration to establish a relief fund to support migrant workers in need.

The NRN Association (NRNA) has decided to establish a relief fund that will help wounded or stranded migrant workers in foreign countries and their family members.

For safe and dignified foreign employment, NRNA has asked the government to ink bilateral labour agreements with destination countries to ensure the human rights of Nepali workers in foreign lands.

NRNA has also expressed its commitment towards bringing investment in Nepal — both collective and personal — in its 14-point declaration announced today.

The declaration has also urged the government to include citizenship and voting rights for non-resident Nepalis in the constitution that will be drafted.

Chairman of Interim Election Government Khil Raj Regmi also stressed on the importance of NRN investment in Nepal’s prioritised sectors so that the nation could graduate to a developing country by 2022. “Nepal needs investment in infrastructure, hydropower, health, education, agriculture and has potential for NRN investment,” he informed during the concluding ceremony.

Minister of home and foreign affairs Madhav Prasad Ghimire pointed out that the government will provide a 10-year NRN visa to non-resident Nepalis and their family members and also establish embassies and consulates in countries with NRN presence.

“Moreover, we expect the NRN community to work closely with foreign embassies and business communities in those countries to establish bilateral chambers of commerce,” he informed.

Pointing out the contribution of such a non-resident population of India and China towards the prosperity of their respective countries, Ghimire also urged the NRN population to be a facilitator of Nepal’s economic diplomacy.

During the concluding ceremony, the newly elected president of NRNA Shesh Ghale also emphasised that the association under his leadership will also be dedicated towards transferring NRN skills, capital and experience to the motherland.

The NRNA International Convention and Sixth Global Conference took place in Kathmandu from October 19 to 22.

The International Convention was conducted in the first two days that saw a revision of the NRNA Charter and elected a new executive committee.

It revised the NRNA Charter to consider only those Nepalis who have been living abroad for more than two years as NRNs from the earlier provision of six months.

Likewise, in the last two days of the Global NRN Conference, NRNA was registered formally and different issues were discussed.

MoFA mulls economic diplomacy

Ministry of Foreign Affairs is drafting a country-specific economic diplomacy strategy to attract investment in Nepal, informed minister of home and foreign affairs Madhav Prasad Ghimire during the concluding ceremony of the Sixth Global Non-Resident Nepali Conference today. “We want NRNs residing in particular countries to help us prepare and implement strategies,” he said. In addition, MoFA will also establish a body in each embassy for economic diplomacy under the leadership of the ambassador with the active involvement of NRNs.

Published on: 23 October 2013 | The Himalayan Times