We the three donors - Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Denmark – have a history of supporting efforts to enhance governance in Nepal. In many respects the Governance Facility we are launching will build on work carried out through these agencies but in a more coordinated, harmonized and focused way. We will be building on the successes of past programs, and we will learn from past mistakes. With the new Facility we have come together to demonstrate our strong and continuous commitment to democratic governance by pooling our resources in order to make coordinated support available for supporting the process of bringing meaningful and accountable change.
Human Rights and Good Governance are about rights – transparency and accountability. In close collaboration with you - government institutions and civil society -we will work hard to deliver results.
We want to foster a positive change in the areas covered by the Governance Facility through the strengthening of Nepali public institutions and civil society organizations, enabling them to improve their capacity and to implement the projects they submit for financial support. We will support the nurturing of every good idea, and work to build strong partnerships with national organizations, that deliver results. We will also support the building of capacities of our partners to ensure that when we go away we leave behind strong, sustainable and professional Nepali institutions. Human rights and Good governance have many faces.
To the poor single mother who does not have to pay a bribe to obtain services from the State - transparency and accountability will mean a greater sense of security and belonging. To the Dalit - who will no longer feel marginalized and voiceless - good governance is about providing an equal and fair opportunity to compete and participate and to be heard.
To someone proud of his or her unique identity, human rights and good governance is about being respected for what he or she is irrespective of class, caste, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation.
Simply, the big word, ‘governance’, is all about doing the right things and doing these things right. The “how” can in many cases be as important and relevant as the “what” from a governance perspective. We want to start with the right things no matter how small, and make incremental changes paving the way for bigger and more substantial impact.
Looking to our countries United Kingdom, Switzerland and Denmark – different in size and with different history - but united in our aim to strengthen and improve our human rights and governance record. We did not get to where we are overnight and we still have to improve. In some respects our strength has been that we have managed to address the tyranny of neglect of problems paving the way for changes not least because state institutions, CSOs and the private sector decided to work in unison to attain the shared goal of bringing about change – transparency and accountability.
A strong, inclusive, peaceful and democratic Nepal is the aspiration of every Nepali citizen – young or old – men and women. We now invite you to become innovative and committed actors of this initiative, contributing with your good ideas to the realization of these aspirations.
