Good Governance and Human Rights

After ten years of violent conflict replaced by a democracy process, local democracies are facing many challenges. Among the problems some important factors are that local community leaders have been displaced or ignored due to the conflict. The Government's effort to delegate power to local communities has been hard to implement, and the districts have a lack of resources giving them problems completing their duties. Acknowledging this situation Norway supports the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Nepal , which aims to strengthen the local governments in development and planning issues, and to support social mobilisation locally.


As a consequence of the conflict, the people, in many cases women and ethnic minorities, have been subjected to countless breaks of human rights. There has been a positive development after the declaration of the ceasefire in April 2006, but still, cases of abuse, abduction, and harassment are reported throughout the country. As a result of the difficult political situation in 2005, Norway ended its support to the national human rights commission. Instead, Norway chose to assist the establishment of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal, and gave support to non-governmental organisations for monitoring the human rights situation in the country. Furthermore, Norway supports activists and organisations that enforce dialogue across the conflict lines.
 
Together with Great Britain, Finland, Denmark and Switzerland, Norway supports the Nepal Peace Trust Fund. The fund is administered by the Ministry of Finance in Nepal. This is said to be the first peace fund in a post conflict situation that is administered by the recipient country itself. The Norwegian support has mainly been allocated to the camps of former Maoist soldiers and preparations for the elections. Norway also supports the peace process through the UN peace fund and the UNMIN operation in Nepal.


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The tables below show the majority of Norway's current project agreements within the area of good governance (The tables do not present a complete list). 

 

 

Name

Project

Agreement partner

Implementing Institution

Period

Total Grant (NOK)

Disbursed 2007 (NOK)

Nepal Peace Trust Fund

NPL-07/006

NPL-07/017

Nepal Ministry of Finance

Nepal Ministry of Finance

 

2007

33,5 mill

33,5 mill

Decentralised Local Governance Pgm (DLGSP) (NPL-01/811)

NPL-2943 Good Governance

UNDP - UN Development Programme

Nepal Ministry of Local Development

2004-2007

45.5 mill

15,2 mill

Quality education, protection and empowerment for women and children (NPL-06/043)

NPL-2943 Good Governance

Save the Children

Save the Children

2007 – 2009

30 mill

10 mill

Decentralised Action for Women and Children (DACAW) III

NPL- 3001 Decentralised Action for the Children and Women (DACAW)

UNICEF

UNICEF

2004-2007

30 mill

8 mill

 


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