“Many development issues that are in the peace agreement seem to be always put off for another day. They are somehow second class citizen of the political agenda in Nepal at the moment,” said UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Robert Piper, at a press conference at the UN House in Pulchowk.[break]
Though the parties have expressed their commitments to development issues like social inclusion, state restructuring, rule of law, security sector transformation, land reform, good governance, equality and inclusive growth and employment acceleration in the historic CPA, the issue of integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants have shadowed them.
The strategy prepared by national and international experts have identified where development partners may be called upon to provide support in the short term, including ongoing rehabilitation of the discharged, constitution formulation, support to the conflict-affected, implementation of the National Plan of Action for implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and 1820 on women, peace and security and support to the next national elections.
Piper said the development issues are equally important to the peace process as the integration and rehabilitation of Maoist cantonments and power sharing, said Piper.
“They [the development issues] are not at the center of political discussion,” said Piper adding that these issues should go to the heart of the peace process.
Swiss Ambassador Thomas Grass said the donors want to push certain priorities on the government. “This is an offer to support, manual where donors are ready to engage in a number of issues,” Gass told the press conference.
Sarah Sanyahumbe, head of the British aid agency DFID, said that the donors are ready to support the peace process, constitution writing and other agendas of the peace process if the parties come up with agreements to implement their commitments expressed in the CPA.
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