Current affairs

A bilateral development cooperation project between Finland and Nepal has ended, having achieved excellent results. In the countryside of Western Nepal, availability of clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene have improved considerably in ten years. At the same time, women’s opportunities to make a difference in village communities have also increased.

Ambassador Pertti Anttinen met Honourable Minister Tham Maya Thapa, Minister for Women Children and Senior Citizens, on Monday 22 July at the Minister’s office at the Ministry.

World Summit of Students for Climate brought participants from 60 countries to Finland, also from Nepal. There were about 130 students with their teachers from all continents.

On 21st May 2019, H.E Ambassador Pertti Anttinen inaugurated Thotneri drinking water and sanitation scheme and declared Jaljala municipality-6, Parbat a ‘Total Sanitation Ward’.

H.E. Mr. Pertti Anttinen Ambassador of Finland to Nepal and Dr. Chudamani Joshi Special Advisor visited WWF Nepal and Rural Village Water Resource Management Project in Province No. 5 and 7 between 3rd to 9th March 2019. The objective of the visit was to comprehend the programme and get first hand understanding and monitoring of the project activities.

In a very close election, the Social Democratic Party won the most seats in Parliament – but only just.

The bilateral country consultations between the Government of Nepal (GoN) and the Republic of Finland (GoF) were held in Kathmandu on 19 February 2019. The representative of Nepal was Shreekrishna Nepal, Joint Secretary, International Economic Cooperation Coordination Division, Ministry of Finance and on the Finnish side Kimmo Lähdevirta, Director General, Department for the America and Asia, Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Gorkha is the most hard hit area during the 2015 earthquake, the epicenter (Barpak) falls on the Northern part of the district. With a lot of infrastructure damage, nearly 9000 death cases came forward. Humanitarian aid and International agencies generously approached for building back process. After the Post Disaster Needs Assessment report, Finland also pledged € 2 million during the International Conference on Nepal’s Reconstruction. The support was channeled through UNICEF Nepal in 2016.

Finland is number one in the newest Good Country Index, which seeks to measure “what each country on earth contributes to the good of humanity.” We talk to the index’s creator, Simon Anholt, about what it means to be “goodest.”

Finland will support the work of the United Nations equality organisation, UN Women, in Nepal by EUR 4 million in 2018–2021. The funding will be used to enhance women’s economic empowerment and political participation and to support poverty eradication in Nepal.