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At a time when environmental movement faces greater demands and increasing challenges in mainstreaming environmental rights into the new constitution of Nepal, The World Conservation Union (IUCN) Nepal and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) renew their partnership agreement. IUCN Nepal signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UNEP today on "Mainstreaming Environmental Rights and Sustainable Development into the New Constitution of Nepal". The project—supported by UNEP—will be implemented by IUCN Nepal for a period of one year. "Democracy is linked to sustainable economy, which is further linked to the sustainability of environmental goods and services. These are the three building blocks of sustainable development. This initiative fills the missing link in providing a clear signal to advance the environmental concerns into the new constitution of Nepal, and helps in creating an enabling environment in making the constitution pro-poor, pro-people and environment-friendly," said Mr. Prabhu Budhathoki, Country Representative of IUCN Nepal. Mr. Budhathoki added it is urgent that we work closely together in helping to re-position the environmental agenda into the new constitution of Nepal as a key response to addressing for the right of Nepalese citizens to live in an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being. Says Mr. Surendra Shrestha, Regional Director of UNEP, "The challenges for sustainable development and sustained economic growth is in the forefront of the political leadership. The foundation for this challenge starts with the constitution and its directives. The Government, specifically the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, has prioritized this task and UNEP is pleased to be a partner in this challenging task." The project aims at mainstreaming environmental rights and sustainable development principles that represent the interests of all Nepali citizens, with particular attention to those of women, poor and marginalized people into the new constitution of Nepal. To meet its objective, IUCN jointly with National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), WWF Nepal and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), will conduct scoping visits, organise multi-stakeholder consultations to review the draft constitutional provisions, and finalize the constitutional provisions on environmental rights. In addition to IUCN, UNEP is also collaborating with ICIMOD, NTNC and WWF Nepal in priority areas such as post-conflict assessment and Bagmati river conservation. The agreement comes at a time when Nepal is gearing towards holding the elections to the Constituent Assembly in July 2007, which has been made possible through the promulgation on January 15 of the Interim Constitution of Nepal. As the premier global conservation organisation with a constituency that includes both governments and private parties, IUCN has taken initiatives in developing international legal instruments and assisted different countries in enshrining right to healthy environment in their constitution and also developing environmental legislation. Earlier, IUCN Nepal had assisted the Constitution Recommendation Committee in 1990 when the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal was being drafted. It was mainly because of IUCN’s proactive initiative environment related provisions were included in the Constitution of 1990, albeit in the Directive Principles and State Policies. It also provided valuable suggestions to the Interim Constitution Drafting Committee in late 2006. For more information, please contact:
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IUCN and UNEP join hands in greening the new Constitution of Nepal | Print |