KATHMANDU, Dec 11: The European Union in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is launching a project on Mainstreaming Migration into International Cooperation and Development (MMICD) this week. This initiative is part of a follow-up of the previous assessment that found there was a need for improved coherence between migration, sustainable development, education and rural development.
Under this project, which is also being implemented in Ecuador and Madagascar, IOM will work with partners in Nepal to integrate migration into development planning, with a focus on education and rural development.
Assessments and trainings to identify links between different policy areas will be conducted in consultation with stakeholders to develop a roadmap for further action, reads a press statement issued by the IOM Office in Nepal on Tuesday.
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Piloting the project in Nepal is timely as the 'decade of action' to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 is approaching. Nepal is also preparing for its Voluntary National Review in July 2020, which will examine progress made toward the SDGs at the national and sub-national levels, according to the statement.
The EU-financed assessment earlier recommended that Nepal upgrade its data on internal and international migration, strengthen coordination between existing migration measures and new policies in different sectors, and update its migration policies to reflect the complex relationship between migration and sustainable development.
Deputy head of the European Union Delegation to Nepal Eloisa Astudillo Fernandez highlighted the value of integrating migration into development sectors.
“It's a two-way relationship between sustainable development and migration as it can both benefit migrants and transit communities, but at the same time it brings many risks. Therefore, it is important to manage the whole process of migration in a way that gives as many benefits as possible while also mitigating the risks,” a press statement issued by the IOM on Tuesday quoted Fernandez as saying.
“For this project, we have identified nine sectors that are impacted by migration. In Nepal, we have chosen to focus on the rural development and education sectors. The idea is to integrate the concept of migration within those sectors, as they have a strong impact on the outflow of migrants from Nepal,” the statement quoted Fernandez as saying.
