June 10, 2002
Remarks by HE Mr. Zenji KAMINAGA,
Ambassador of Japan to Nepal, on the occasion of the
Launching of Report on Millennium Development Goals
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Honorable Dr. Narayan Khadka, Vice Chairman of National Planning Commission
Honorable Dr. Shankar Sharma, Member of National Planning Commission
Dr. Bimal Koirala, Finance Secretary
Dr. Henning Karcher, Resident Representative of UNDP
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is indeed my pleasure to be able to take part in this launching ceremony of the report on Millennium Development Goals and I would like to congratulate the Nepalese Government for making Nepal one of the first countries in the world to have prepared such a progress report.
Going through the eight Goals at the global level and bringing them to the national level in Nepal, one can realize that this country also has a role to play in achieving them.
In Nepal, there has been noticeable improvement in many aspects all across the society during the period of 1990~2000. Among them, the infant mortality, the life expectancy and the literacy rate recorded improvement. In view of the difficult geographic and socio-economic constraints the country is facing, those achievements are remarkable.
However, Nepal needs to exert more effort to promote its own socio-economic development. Although some improvements are evident, poverty is still widespread especially in the rural areas. Steady improvement in the social indicators is hoped for. For this objective, this country has to accelerate self-help efforts based on ownership and good governance. Equally important are the awareness and participation of the people and the communities in the development efforts.
The importance of appropriate public policy as well as political will and stronger institutions are crucial to attaining the Millennium Development Goals. Awareness of both the size and scope of challenges we face in meeting the goals is also necessary as are the policy and resources to address them. The example of East Asia deserves special mention here as it is the only region in the world that has succeeded in halving the poverty in the past ten years through appropriate policies and strong institutions that enabled effective and efficient utilization of the development fund. In Nepal's case, I believe that the problem is not that of the volume of aid, as it is not the panacea to every problem. Rather, human and institutional capacities and willingness which need to be made stronger in order to strengthen the country's ability to use resources effectively.
I would like to mention here about the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) which the country has prepared through wide consultation process, including the NDF-2002, and which is going to be the nation's 10th Five Year Plan. All the development partners of Nepal have been supportive of this document. In the PRSP, clearly defined action plans are mentioned for reducing poverty in such important policy areas as macro-economic stability, private sector development, good governance and decentralization, as well as in sectors like tourism, agriculture, education, health, water resources, industry, roads, etc. We strongly hope that the strategies mentioned in the document will be translated into real actions in a resolute manner, once they are finalized.
As for Japan, the existing priority sectors of Japan's ODA essentially correspond to the priority areas identified in the PRSP, with additional emphasis on environmental preservation and disaster mitigation. There should also be additional emphasis on technical cooperation and human resource development for strengthening institutions. I strongly believe that Japanese assistance will greatly facilitate the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in Nepal with other donors.
I find it equally relevant to emphasize here that peace and development go hand in hand. Whatever convincing a project conception may be, the outcomes are difficult to achieve unless it is effectively implemented in the peaceful atmosphere. Therefore, I should also like to reemphasize on the importance of restoring peace in order to continue the development activities without any hindrance.
Finally, I hope that the report launched today will be effective in raising public awareness about the goals and in understanding where the country stands with regard to the goals. This in turn should be helpful in shaping appropriate policy reforms, institutional change and resource allocation for achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Nepal.
Thank you.
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