Kathmandu, July 25
The Government of
Nepal and the United Nations on Friday held the annual meeting of the Joint
Steering Committee of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation
Framework (UNSDCF), to review progress under the current framework and
launching preparations for the next five-year cooperation plan.
The meeting,
co-chaired by National Planning Commission Vice-Chair Dr. Gunakar Bhatta and UN
Resident Coordinator Lila Pieters Yahia, endorsed a roadmap for the 2028–2032
Cooperation Framework.
The new framework will
be developed jointly by the government and the UN Country Team and is scheduled
to be signed in July 2027. It will align with Nepal's Sixteenth Plan and the
country's transition from Least Developed Country (LDC) status, the United
Nations informed in a statement on Friday.
The committee reviewed
implementation of the current cooperation framework and identified priorities
for its remaining 18 months.
According to the UN, discussions
were focused on preparations for LDC graduation, implementation of the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), sustainable development financing,
climate action and institutional capacity.
The committee also
reviewed progress in climate resilience, disaster preparedness, school meal
programmes linked to local agriculture, skills development, access to finance
and enterprise opportunities for women and young people, employment generation,
and measures addressing child marriage, gender-based violence, legal identity
reforms and electoral support.
"With fewer than
five years remaining to meet the 2030 SDG deadline and Nepal's graduation from
LDC status approaching, discussions centred on increasing women's participation
in the economy, expanding skills development and employment opportunities for young
people, supporting entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized enterprises, and
promoting climate-resilient and digital economic growth," read the
statement.
The meeting also
discussed the impact of declining global Official Development Assistance and
explored measures to improve the use of existing resources, strengthen capital
expenditure, accelerate project implementation and mobilise innovative sources
of development finance.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 26 July 2026.
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