In a recent conference on "Nepal: Looking beyond Kathmandu – Challenges and Opportunities for Peace-Building from Below" held in Brussels, Belgium, participants examined how the lot of Nepal's poorest can be improved as part of efforts to ensure the peace agreement does not break down and the regained democracy last April is sustained.

The conference, which was held on April 20, was well attended by members from the European Commission (EC), the Council, the European Parliament (EP), various interest groups and I/NGOs as well as three prominent civil society members from the field of human rights in Nepal, namely; Bijay Raj Gautam, Director of Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC); Gauri Pradhan, President of the Human Rights Alliance (HRA) and Renu Raj Bhandari, Chair of the Women's Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC).

"The most burning issues in Nepal of reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation (RRR); strengthening of democracy, peace and human rights and optimizing European development programmes were the key areas of deliberations," states a press release issued by the organisers.

British Socialist MEP Neena Gill, former Head of the EP's delegation to South Asia and SAARC, emphasized that the eight parties must work constructively, share power equally and learn their lessons well from past experience.

Sahana Pradhan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal, via a video message, acknowledged and thanked the EU for constantly supporting democracy and peace in Nepal.

Daniele Smadja, Director for Multilateral Relations and Human Rights in the EC, said the EU should not be writing the reform agenda for Nepal , but that it should be using its development aid to give the Nepalese a capacity "to articulate their own human rights agenda".

Simon Stocker, director of Eurostep, a network of organisations focused on EU-financed development cooperation, with the South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE) as its leading Southern partner questioned whether the EU's actions are actually matching its rhetoric. He opined that the draft Country Strategy Papers (CSPs) should be available to the civil society and consultations should be held to achieve ownership.

Rensje Teerink, Deputy Head of Unit for India, Nepal and Bhutan in the EC said that about €120 million will be allocated to Nepal under the Nepal CSP for 2007-13.

James Moran, the Commission's Director for Asia, recognised that the challenges ahead are vast. He, however, stated that Nepal is showing a good example as it is the only South Asian country attempting a reconstruction, where the project "seems to be holding".

The conference was jointly organized by ICCO, Kerk in Actie, Plan Netherlands and SAAPE.

nepalnews.com sd Apr 26 07