New policy for foreign NGOs in Nepal over India, China concerns

Kathmandu: Nepal’s Social Welfare Council is drafting a policy “to discourage” foreign non-governmental organizations (NGO) from running programmes that can hamper the Himalayan nation’s relations with India and China, it was reported on Sunday.

“Nepal is a land-locked country and has two large countries with large populations in the north and south,” The Kathmandu Post said in a report citing a draft of the policy as saying.

“Based on Nepal’s foreign policy of keeping balanced relations, the projects that are opposed by either country will not be implemented.”

Council officials said the policy, however, was still in the draft stage and some of its provisions were expected to be addressed by a new law on the registration of NGOs.

Durga Prasad Bhattarai, an Information Officer at the Council, said the proposed policy was aimed at addressing the concerns of the two neighbouring countries regarding the activities of NGOs, particularly in the bordering regions.

“The objective of the proposed policy is to reassert that Nepal government is concerned about the strategic mobilization of international non-governmental organizations, particularly in the bordering regions, in the name of building madrasas and monasteries,” Bhattarai said. (IANS)

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