Regional Workshop on Comprehensive National Plan of Action on Disability - Towards the Mid-point Review of the Biwako Millennium Framework for Action towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific (BMF)
Bangkok, Thailand, 19-21 October 2005

Nepal - Country Report

By Sudha Neupane
Under Secretary
Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, Nepal

1) Vision:

Q: What is your Government's vision in planning disability related laws, policies and plans?

Ans : We have the constitution of the kingdom of Nepal, 1990; Disable protection and welfare Act, 1982; Disable Service National Policy; National Plan of Action on Disability 2003.

Q: What values and concepts do you think are important? (ex. equality, adherence to international instruments, BMF etc.,)

Ans: We have given importance to equality, participation, equal opportunity and dignified rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.

Q: Does your Government think that it is important to have both disability-specific and disability-inclusive laws, policies and plans (twin-track approach)?

Ans: Our Govt. of the kingdom of Nepal is thinking that disability specific and disability inclusive laws, policies and plans are important. We have disability specific Act, Policy and plans such as: Disable Protection and Welfare Act 1982, Disable service national policy 1996. Similarly, we have disability inclusive laws, policies and plans such as Tenth year plan of actions for children, Education for All (EFA) programmes, Education Act, 1971, Children's Act, 1992, Labour Act 1992, Social Welfare Act 1992, Health Act, etc.

2) Issues in application of twin track approaches.

Q; Please discuss your assessment of your country's specific advantages and disadvantages in applying twin-track approach.

*Twin-track approach in this context means that you aim at both implementing disability-specific laws, policies and plans and mainstreaming disability perspectives in disability-non-specific laws, policies and plans. Another way of saying the latter would be disability-inclusive laws, policies and plans. Examples of disability-specific be something like "a law for disabled persons." Example of disability-inclusive would be something like "economic and social plan that integrates disability perspective in every chapter" or "MDG implementation that has disability perspectives."

Q: Please discuss any other relevant issues.

Ans: As I already have mentioned that we have both types of laws, policies and plans. So disability specific laws and policies are being implemented from concern Ministry. In our context Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare along with concern organizations are implementing disable specific laws, policies and programs. Women, Children and disables persons are gender, child rights and disability issues are cross cutting. So, such type of laws can not mandatory for all agencies. It is difficult to fulfill the objective of the laws and policies. Inclusive laws policies without the coordination of implementation among the concern agencies, plans and programmes are easy for collective implementation. Because every agency feels that the issue their compulsory accountability.

3) Analysis, planning and programming from the disability perspective

Q: How does your Government do situation analysis of persons with disabilities?

Ans: In the National level we have National planning commission. And under this commission there is a Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).CBS conduct survey, census, research and study. A part from this other concerned projects and agencies collects data and conduct survey and research.

Q: How does your Government gather disability-aggregated data and socioeconomic indicator?

Ans: As it is mentioned already on the above question that CBS and concern agencies gather disability aggregated data and socioeconomic indicator. Regular census also gives the primary data for disability disaggregated specific data and socio-economic indicators.

Q: What if your Government's policy framework/structure for disability issues (constitution, laws, policies, plan of action)

Ans: We have 'Constitution of the kingdom of Nepal, Disable Protection and Welfare Act, National Plan of Action on disability.

4) Participation and institutional arrangements

Q: Please describe how your Governments include participation of stakeholders ( persons with disabilities, their families, disability professionals, development professionals, ministries and agencies, government officials at different levels, donors)

Ans: We include persons with disabilities, disability professionals, other related concern agencies, NGOs, INGOs and civil society during the preparation implementation and evaluation of policies, plans and activities, advisory meetings, programmes and project. We conduct training and orientation programme to the disable persons to strengthening their capacity.

5) Resources mobilization

Q: How does your Government finance the implementation, monitoring/evaluation of policies, laws, and plans?

Ans: We have National planning commission in the national level. Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare form the centre co-ordinates with the planning commission for the planning on disabilities. Ministry of Finance allocates the budget to the concern Ministry on program base. Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MWCSW) co-ordinates with the Ministry of the Finance and other organization such as concern GOs , NGOs, INGOs UN system for the budgetary support. MWCSW co-ordinates with concern organizations GOs, NGOs and INGOs for the implementation of the disability related plans and programmes. We have women development offices (WDOs) and district child welfare boards (DCWBS) in all seventy-five districts. WDOs are mandated as a district level focal point Disability Issues. They implement plans and policies through the district level. MWCSW co-ordinates with the chief district offices for the distribution of disable identity card to the disable persons. Similarly MWCSW co-ordinates with the concern Ministry and Govt. organizations, district development committee (DDC), Village development committee(VDC), municipalities, self help organizations or disable persons.

Q: How does your Government obtain ideas and knowledge and technology, necessary for the planning, implementation and monitoring/evaluation of policies, laws and plans?

Ans: We organize the meetings, workshop seminars, for different level for professional and implementers. Like this persons, with disability disable professionals concern Ministries agencies GOs, NGOs and INGOs. We obtain ideas knowledge, experience and technology from such meeting, workshop and seminars to make the necessary planning implementing monitoring and evaluation of policies, laws and plans. And continuously get the feedback for the policies reforms.

Q: How does your Government/ministry obtain political support for the planning, implementation and monitoring/evaluation of policies, laws and plans?

Ans: Ruling party support for the planning, implementation and monitoring evaluation of policies laws and plans. And other opposition party support indirectly for the fulfillment above activities.

Q: How does your Government mobilize necessary material and human resources?

Ans: We conduct different kinds of training programmes like this refreshment training, orientation programmes to the disable persons. Community Based Rehabilitation programmes are conducting in the tenth districts by the local people. They collect resources for the CBR programme. There are almost 38 various GOs and NGOs working on CBR approach 48 districts. Government supports such organizations those implement CBR activities in the very grass root level.

6) Setting timeframes, and issues in implementation management

Q: What is your timeframe for the or the planning, implementation and monitoring/evaluation of policies, laws and plans?

Ans: There are various plans of actions related disable persons. We prepare annual programme including budgetary system and indicator. There is a national Co-ordination Committee on Disability on the chairmanship of Minister. Other members are represented from the various Ministries, social organizations and DPOs. The committee has got mandate as an advisory, coordinating, monitoring and evaluation role.

Q: Please discuss any other management issues.

7) Monitoring and evaluation.

Q: What is your Government's system for monitoring and evaluation of policies, laws and plans?

Ans: National coordination committee on disability has mandatory role of coordination planning and monitoring on disability related issues. Ministry coordinates with National Planning Commission for the disability related plan and annual programs. Similarly we make annual plan in the Ministry level. We review the implementation level of annual plan regularly with the concern Ministries, National Planning Commission, related department and other stakeholders under the Ministries programs. The feedback from the various level is accepted for reform of national laws and policies.

8) Reporting and public information.

Q: How does your Government report on the monitoring and the evaluation?

Ans: On the base of Tenth Five Years Plan we make annual plan and programs implements regularly. So, Ministry prepares annual plan and programs. At the review period we include concern stake holders various suggestion, feedbacks are will taken for the reform on future planning.

Q: How does your Government raise awareness on disability-sensitive society?

Ans: We conduct workshop, seminars including disable persons, organizations. Similarly, through the Audio Video and Jingle, we raise awareness on disability and sensitive society. We conduct preventive measure like immunization programmes. We conduct that kind of workshop, seminars within the Ministry and outside the organizations for the continuous aware to people. Issue on gender, Child Rights, Ageing and Disability are crosscutting issue. So such programs and activity are implemented in a collective way through various GOs, NGOs and civil society. During preparation of disability concern plan, policy, legislation, concern stake holders and civil society are included.

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