Acknowledging that the rehabilitation of ex-combatants is critical to sustainable peace in Nepal, which is in turn crucial for long-term economic development, a recent workshop of private sector leaders in Kathmandu resulted in a display of willingness and openness towards providing support to ex-combatants, when and as required by the government and political parties.
In this workshop, organised by National Business Initiative and International Alert, the private sector came together with representatives of the Technical Committee for Supervision, Integration and Rehabilitation of Maoist Army Combatants, the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction, the UCPN-Maoist, civil society and the international community working on rehabilitation, to learn more about the topic and discuss ideas on how the private sector may be able to support the rehabilitation process in Nepal.
Private sector leaders, including representatives from various Nepali organisations*, District Chambers and prominent business companies then discussed more specifically how the private sector might support rehabilitation efforts. Some of the potential steps identified included:
- Providing Training and employment opportunities to ex-combatants in sectors such as construction, handicrafts and vehicle maintenance, which currently face severe shortages of skilled labour;
- Providing financial and mentoring support to ex-combatants wishing to start their own businesses. Established businesses can also help in this respect by bringing new producers into their supply chains (such as in the agro-business sector);
- Supporting the education of ex-combatants wishing to complete their studies, and/or their dependents, through providing scholarships and school placements;
- Supporting the Government of Nepal and international agencies to collect relevant data regarding existing job opportunities and market opportunities for new businesses.
All stakeholders involved in the workshop were clear that private sector support to rehabilitation is essential to its success, and that the private sector needs to be involved in rehabilitation efforts from the very beginning.
Despite the general enthusiasm, private sector representatives did share concerns about employing ex-combatants, due to their experiences with politicised trade unions. There was also a consensus that business people should not attempt to engage in the politics of such issues. The development of a clear and mutually beneficial labour law was another concern.
Private sector leaders also pointed out that if the overall investment and business climate of the country improved, then the private sector would have little problem in absorbing not only ex-combatants, but also other conflict-affected people and the 300,000 young Nepalis who join the labour force each year. Improving the investment climate would involve strengthening the rule of law, particularly the physical security of businesses and business people and prioritising economic development.
Next steps for the process are to further develop some of the ideas generated during this initial workshop. This will be done by NBI and International Alert working in coordination with national and international agencies. It is hoped that the outcome will be a more effective model for private sector – government – international community cooperation for income- and employment-generation, which can be used not only for ex-combatants but also for other vulnerable and marginalised groups.
*The organisations involved in the workshop included: the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC), Federation of Contractors Associations Nepal (FCAN), Federation of Nepalese Cottage and Small Industries (FNCSI), Federation of Women Entrepreneurs’ Associations Nepal (FWEAN), Private and Boarding Schools Association of Nepal (PABSON), Handicrafts Association Nepal (HAN), Trekking Agents Association Nepal (TAAN), Nepal Young Entrepreneurs Forum (NYEF), and Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA).