Colombo Process – ministerial meet discusses on four thematic issues
Kathmandu, Nov 16 : Today’s session of the ministerial meeting of the Colombo Process discussed on four thematic issues– consular support; implementation of the sustainable development goals relating to migration; health issues of migrant workers and equity issues concerning women migrant workers.
The meeting kicked off here from Thursday is attended by delegates from Colombo Process member countries Nepal, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Thailand, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
Thematic committees are considered important in view of envisaging visions of Colombo Process and implementing of its commitments. In the past, the committees had already held their 18 meetings successfully.
The meeting will discuss about issues relating to opportunities and challenges for safe migration, proposing to give a substantive form to the Colombo Process and will conclude issuing a Kathmandu Declaration.
Inaugurating the event, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Ishwor Pokhrel, said the government’s policies and programmes had been focused on the government main agenda for “prosperous Nepal; happy Nepal’.
Stating that Nepal had been moving towards a way for political stability by concluding the three-tier elections, he said the government was committed to improving the living standard of the Nepalese people.
According to him, Nepal has concentrated its attention on achieving the sustainable development goal relating to labour and migration. He underlined the need of combined efforts to address existing challenges in regard with migration.”
Experiences, resources information and human resources of the member states play an important role to further systematise and labour and employment and make it more disciplined. He took the moment to share the information that remittance had a 26 percent stake in Nepal’s GDP.
Similarly, also addressing the meeting, Foreign Affairs Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali expressed his hope that the Colombo Process remaining as a forum for holding dialogues on transnational cooperation and issues of migrant workers.
Stating that the safety of migrant workers was the issue of common concern for all, he stressed that the labourers going for abroad employment should get the right information regarding their work and their destination country.
He pointed out the need for the CP member nations to pay attention to enhancing the CP’s capacity and decision implementation. (RSS)