OneWorld.net (U.S.)

KATHMANDU: United Nations resident coordinator Matthew Kahane, on behalf of major donors including residential embassies and UN agencies, has urged the government to withdraw the Code of Conduct for NGOs and INGOs and revisit the issue.

The UN official, in a letter to the Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare, Durga Shrestha, has said the donors believe the Code of Conduct was not conducive to improving NGO governance and fostering NGO endeavours. “It is inconsistent with Nepal’s commitments and obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and other international human rights instruments,” stated the letter written to the minister Shrestha yesterday.

The donor community believes the Code of Conduct clearly provides a means for undue political interference and it is also likely to hinder critical development activities, as the independence and impartiality of NGOs are essential to work in rural areas and to support the population affected by the conflict.

“We therefore, recommend that the current Code of Conduct be withdrawn and that this issue be revisited,” stated the letter.

It further stated that the Code of Conduct does not appear likely to contribute to the process of ensuring accountability and transparency and will be seen as another step to constrain the legitimate activities of civil society.

Meanwhile, the Asian Centre for Human Rights, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development and the South Asian Forum for Human Rights, in an open letter to the minister opposed the proposed code.

In a separate development today, the Supreme Court admitted a writ petition, challenging the constitutionality of the NGOs’ code of conduct.

Source: South Asia Media Net More