Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on CSOs

GoGo Foundation‘s, Civil Society: Mutual Accountability Project  organized a multi-stakeholder dialogue on CSOs: Challenges and Opportunities on 25 May, 2017 in Kathmandu (supported by FHI/USAID).

Mr Mahendra K. Thapa, Joint-Secretary, Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare was a Chief Guest. Similarly, member of the Social Welfare Council Siddhinarayan Maharjan along with Dr Mahendra Bista, President, Federation of Nepalese Journalists, Dayasagar Shrestha, Executive Director, NGO Federation Subodh Pyakurel, President, INSEC including representatives from government agency, lawyer communities, media, civil society, Association of INGO including development partners and private sector had actively participated in the program. Altogether there were 55 participants.

The participants actively discussed issues on CSO legal enabling environment,  self-regulation and challenges faced by the CSOs in Nepal.

Member of the SWC said that “he would take up the issues in the board meeting and discuss further on this”.  Similarly, representative from the government also assured that he will take the issues and discuss with the high level officers in the Ministry.

Possible avenues for way forward for strengthening enabling environment for CSOs were discussed in the dialogue. Multiple perspectives from media, lawyer’s community, government agencies, CSOs, and development partners critically provided their feedback and suggestions on improving CSO’s self-regulation, enhancing policy reforms to make existing laws CSOs friendly and charted out for way forward for future course of action.