Kathmandu, 23 July: The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and Enhancing Access to Justice through Institutional Reform (A2J) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate in organizing a Province Level Dialogue on Business and Human Rights in all 7 provinces.
The A2J Project is a project being implemented under the leadership of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (MoLJPA) with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This project has been partnering with different key stakeholders that includes business organizations, civil society and academia to raise awareness on business and human rights issues in Nepal with particular emphasis on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, said the FNCCI in a statement.
Bhawani Rana, President of FNCCI, and Phanindra Gautam, National Project Director and Joint Secretary of the MoLJPA signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organizations.
As per the MoU, the FNCCI will lead overall management of organizing province level dialogue on Business and Human Rights in all 7 provinces while the A2J will provide all needful technical supports to the FNCCI.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Rana expressed her happiness on the partnership between the Government and private sector to work together in addressing various issues in the field of business and human rights. She also expressed her commitment for effective implementation of the program in coordination with the FNCCI’s province chapters and its network.
Similarly, Gautam highlighted the importance of the agreement and said this initiative will be a milestone in coordination and cooperation between both the organizations in the days to come.
Ayshanie Medagangoda-Labe, UNDP Nepal Resident Representative, highlighted importance of this collaboration among the UNDP, government and private sector in the area of business and human rights and also shared her conviction that this initiative would really support in implementing Global Compact principles.
