Second Regional NRN Conference on June 3
Bonn (Germany) May 30: The Second Regional Non-Resident Nepali Conference is scheduled to be held in Bonn, Germany on June 3.
According to the press statement issued by Jugal Bhurtel spokesperson of International Coordination Council (ICC) of NRN Association on Monday, the meeting of the ICC will be held on the following day in Bonn.
Being organized jointly by the ICC and NRN National Coordination Council (NCC) of Germany, the conference aims ‘to strengthen NRN Association’s networking efforts in Europe and raise awareness of NRN objectives among Nepalis residing in the region’.
The regional conference will discuss on educational and employment opportunities as well as integration of Nepalis in European countries, transfer of skill and knowledge, bringing remittances to formal channel, address the issues of British Gurkha soldiers, dual citizenship and other legal issues of NRNs in Europe, the statement reads.
The conference is also expected to explore possibilities of utilizing NRN resources in the reconstruction Nepal in changed political context.
“The ICC meeting will mainly focus on the progress made in fulfilling commitment of the Kathmandu Declaration issued in the Second Global NRN Conference in October 2005,” the release states.
The meeting will make a final selection of the country where the ‘100-million NRN Nepal Investment Fund’ will be established. The concept of fund was floated in October with an aim to provide NRNs from all over the world to support development process in Nepal. “50 percent of the fund will be invested in Nepal, while the remaining fund will seek global investment opportunities,” Bhurtel said in the statement.
In the October Global Conference, the NRNA pledged to mobilize overseas Nepali communities and organize district-wise committees to help operate at least one project related to education or health in cooperation with local communities in their respective districts in Nepal. An inventory of projects already in operation or under consideration and fund collected so far will be created in the ICC meeting in Bonn. The NRNA had expressed its commitment to operate such projects in all 75 districts of the country.
With its new chapter recently launched in Spain, the NRN Association now has a total of 23 NCCs around the world. The Bonn Conference will be attended some 200 NRNs and friends of Nepal from all over Europe and other parts of the world. The Minister of Finance Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat has been invited to attend the conference as the Chief Guest.
The First Regional NRN Conference was held in Doha, Qatar in 2005. Bhutan News Service