Call to foster collaboration between government, civil society organizations

KATHMANDU: The NGO Federation of Nepal (NFN) organized a meeting with government officials and representatives of civil society organizations on Thursday to foster stronger collaboration between the two sides.

According to a statement issued by the NFC, the meeting was chaired by NFN President Ram Prasad Subedi, with Kiran Kumar Shah, chairperson of the Committee on Women and Social Affairs of the House of Representatives attending as the chief guest.

The program featured presentations from social activist and human rights defender Gauri Pradhan, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Bimala Rai Paudyal, and Freedom Forum Executive Director Taranath Dahal. The meeting was facilitated by NFN Secretary General Arjun Bhattarai and was attended by central executive members of NFN, including Vice-chairperson Bhawana Bhatta, Treasurer Nanimaya Thapa, and others.

In his presentation, Gauri Pradhan said that the role and significance of civil society are not adequately recognized. He highlighted the importance of maintaining independence from political affiliations and called on the government to treat civil society organizations as allies rather than threats.

Similarly, former Foreign Minister Bimala Rai Paudyal reflected on the crucial role of civil society in ending the Panchayat regime and expressed concern over the shrinking civic space due to global trends, particularly in India and Bangladesh. She, however, noted that Nepal is in a relatively better position and called for a new law to support federalism.

Likewise, Dahal said a lack of clarity in federal and subnational laws has created several problems in governance and called for clear governance mechanisms for civil service organizations

In his remarks, Chief Guest Shah acknowledged the contributions of civil society organizations to Nepal’s development and stressed the importance of joint initiatives between civil society and the government for the nation’s prosperity. Likewise, NFN President Subedi expressed hope that the discussions had clarified the pressing issues faced by CSOs. Criticized the lack of transparency in lawmaking processes, he urged lawmakers to recognize the urgency of creating a supportive legal framework for civil society organizations.