IOM Nepal

Overview

A decade-long armed conflict in Nepal officially ended on 21 November 2006 with the signing of a Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) between the seven-party alliance the Government of Nepal and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). The interim constitution was promulgated and a new legislature parliament formed on 15 January 2007 which was successful in staging the Constituent Assembly (CA) election on 10 April 2008. The country was declared Secular Republic on 28 May 2008 by the first session of the CA. Since then, there has been a series of change in the government. Drafting a new constitution and the initiative towards peace process has been apparently slow.

Office Establishment and Projects.  Nepal became an IOM member state in 2006.  During that same year, IOM opened a small office in Kathmandu.  In 2007, the Government of Nepal and IOM signed a memorandum of understanding, and since then the organization has increased rapidly in size (27 international officials and 380 national staff) and scope as identified by the below projects.

Bhutanese Refugee Resettlement.  In cooperation with the Government of Nepal, the UN Refugee Agency and numerous implementing partners, IOM organizes all post-selection activities related to the resettlement of Bhutanese refugees from Nepal to the eight countries of resettlement. 

Migration Health Department (MHD).  In addition to refugee health assessment activities for Bhutanese refugees the Migration Health Department operates a Migration Health Assessment Clinic (MHAC) in Kathmandu for Nepali nationals seeking immigration to the United States.

Assisted Voluntary Returns.  IOM assists failed Nepali asylum seekers in Switzerland, Norway, Belgium, the UK and Australia to return and reintegrate to Nepal.

Labour Migration.  IOM provides technical assistance to the Government of Nepal in three ways:  1) capacity-building for Government of Nepal officials, 2) services to labour migrants, including the establishment of a Migrant Resource Center in Kathmandu which provides potential labour migrants with information on destination countries and 3) review and recommendation of policies and legislation related to labour migration.

Counter-Trafficking.  In cooperation with the Government of Nepal and private sector businesses, IOM provides economic rehabilitation to returned victims of trafficking through the business models or setup with franchise from private sector where in GoN assist in the legal aspects, local NGOs support with coaching and mentoring to the survivors while enterprise is owned by the survivors.

In addition, IOM is engaged in a research project in collaboration with New Castle University in the UK and Shakti Samuha, an NGO comprised of returned victims of trafficking aimed at investigating livelihood opportunities for victims of trafficking.

Reparations.  Supported by the UN Peace Fund for Nepal, and in cooperation with the Government of Nepal and Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, IOM is working closely with the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction in the design and implementation of a transparent reparation system to provide assistance to victims who suffered human rights violations during the ten-year armed conflict.