Kathmandu, Dec. 14
Director-General of the
International Labour Organization (ILO) Guy Ryder Wednesday urged the
government to accelerate the country’s efforts to promote domestic employment.
Addressing a programme
organised to celebrate the 50 years of the ILO' development cooperation in
Nepal, Ryder said that Nepal passed a comprehensive employment policy in 2014
that calls for a focused multi-sectoral efforts to project jobs.
“To make sure that this policy
has maximum effect, leadership and regular monitoring are essential. I am
confident that PM Prachanda will steer this policy to ensure its broadest and
effective implementation,” he said.
He said that the labour
policies should recognize the needs of all groups to access skills and decent
work opportunities, and the stakeholders should understand what was going on in
the world of work, renew their commitment to social justice and draw
conclusions about future action.
“It is time that we place
inclusive growth at the heart of all of our efforts to promote job growth and
decent work. With decent work, there is a noting of self-realization,
establishing purpose in life, caring for the family and for the greater good of
society,” he said.
He urged the employers to
revisit investment and hiring practices to ensure that job opportunities cover
those in greatest need from disadvantaged castes, classes, ethnic and
indigenous groups, women, migrants, youth and others.
He said that the government of
Nepal and ILO had worked together over the last 50 years to build and
strengthen the institution for promoting decent work in Nepal including
creation of strong and impressive organization of employers and a group of
highly committed and well-coordinated worker’s organizations.
“We have made progress in
promoting equality and non-discrimination for all workers, and we have paid
special attention to the challenges faced by women, people from rural and
highland areas, those from so-called lower castes and ethnic and indigenous
peoples,” he said.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda
said that the government recognized the role of labour force as a key factor of
production and critical human element that has capacity to drive social and
economic agenda of the country.
He expressed his satisfaction
over the coordination among the stakeholders of work – government, employers
and workers – to find solutions through constructive social dialogue process in
Nepal.
Appreciating the role of the
ILO and its partnership in Nepal, PM Prachanda said that Nepal had ratified
seven of the eight core ILO Conventions on international labour standards and
labour rights.
"Safeguarding the values
of work is our common responsibility. Therefore, we are fully committed to
internalize the principles enshrined in those instruments," said the PM.
He said that the constitution
of Nepal promulgated last year had ensured the right to employment and right to
choose employment.
According to the PM, agenda of
inclusive development had been promoted with full commitment to civil
liberties, values and norms of fundamental human rights, gender equality, right
to form trade unions and engage in collective bargaining.
Director of ILO Country Office
for Nepal Richard Howard expressed his happiness that the fourteenth plan of
Nepal had recognized employment as the central priority.
On the occasion, secretary of
Ministry of Labour and Employment Laxman Mainali, president of Joint Trade
Union Coordination Centre Khila Nath Dahal and officiating president of the
Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Bhawani Rana signed
the commitment statement for the decent jobs.
PM Dahal and Ryder unveiled a
photo book of ILO activities in Nepal.
This the first visit of any ILO
DG to Nepal in the last 35 years.
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