The Government of Japan exchanged Note Verbales with the Government of Nepal to confirm Technical Cooperation Projects to be implemented by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in the current Japanese Fiscal Year from April 2013 to March 2014. Under the Note Verbale, JICA is implementing 11 Technical Cooperation Projects, including 3 new projects; 8 Japanese Experts including 2 new; 16 Senior JICA Volunteers; 3 Technical Cooperation for Development Planning including 1 new project; 49 Group and Region Focused Training Programs to Nepali officials; 2 Country-Focused Training Program; 1 Long-Term Training Program; and 1 Training Program for Young Leaders as listed in the attachment.

One of the soon-to-be launched projects is “Project for Establishment of a Spare Parts Management Center of Tribhuvan International Airport.” Under this project, a spare parts management center will be established and air traffic radar control services will be improved. The Government of Japan, through JICA, has been supporting for the improvement of Tribhuvan International Airport for the past more than 20 years. The cooperation started from a Master Plan Study followed by a Grant Aid Project to provide a building and equipment for radar and communication systems. Now, a Grant Aid Project namely “Tribhuvan International Airport Modernization Project (Surveillance System)” is under tendering process to improve the radar system in Tribhuvan International Airport. The Government of Japan has also dispatched Senior Volunteers and provides trainings in related areas. The government of Japan, through JICA, will continue to enhance the capacity for secure and reliable air services in Nepal through its cooperation to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

According to Embassy of Japan, another new project is “Project for Strengthening the Capacity of Court for Expeditious and Reliable Dispute Settlement”.  The Supreme Court of Nepal (SC) and JICA will jointly implement this project to improve court functions for promoting expeditious and reliable dispute settlement. According to the survey conducted by JICA in 2012, the delay in case management is one of the main challenges faced by the judicial system. For instance, the percentage of case clearance is about 40%, and the percentage of cases which take over 3 years to conclude is also about 40%.

In order to tackle the existing challenges, the SC and JICA will improve the court management system through this project. In addition to that, the project will try to improve the court-related mediation system. So far the court-related mediation has not been fully utilized at any court. However, if court-related mediation is operated more efficiently, it can reduce the court burden. Through these activities, the project will contribute to protecting the rights of people in Nepal.