Annual Report 2020 Nepal Foreword Inside Results in Numbers SECTION 1 PROMOTING INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH 8 Feature: Sukmaya’s Dairy 17 SECTION 2 FOSTERING DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE 18 Feature: Merina’s Dream Comes True 31 SECTION 3 BUILDING RESILIENCE 32 Feature: Turning Fear into Confidence 45 SECTION 4 PROMOTING GENDER EQUALITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION 46 INNOVATION 58 SDG LOCALIZATION 62 RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS 64 HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2020 LAUNCH IN NEPAL 66 UNITED NATIONS VOLUNTEERS 68 UNDP NEPAL AND THE UN SYSTEM 70 FUNDING SOURCES AND PARTNERSHIPS 72 Contributing partners 74 UNDP Nepal: Where we work 75 Acronyms and Abbreviations 76 4 UNDP Nepal FOREWORD A year of crisis unlike any 2020 witnessed an unprecedented global people as they sought to recover their crisis and that affected and shaped a livelihoods. in living memory was also significant part of our work at UNDP in a year during which UNDP Nepal. COVID-19 hit the country in January In response to government requests, we was able to support the and it went on to take a huge toll on the reoriented a significant part of our available Government and people country. It disrupted the economy and the resources to COVID-19 health response lives and livelihoods of tens of thousands of and socio-economic recovery. That, among of Nepal as they coped people: daily wage earners, those working other things, led to establishment of with, and responded to, in tourism, migrant workers, entrepreneurs, over 12,000 green businesses and direct the needs of the unsettling women, elderly, the disabled and others. livelihood support to over 154,000 of the hour. Like many other countries, Nepal was most-affected people across the country. unprepared for such a crisis. Health And UNDP programmes that worked systems were overstretched, and existing with cooperatives and farmers supported social safety nets proved insufficiently another 19,000 farmers with tools and robust. From agriculture to hydropower, technology support. and education to industry, 2020 was by any measure a tough year. Tourist arrivals UNDP continued to help build strong dropped by over 80 percent. So deep was institutions at federal, provincial and local the impact and so damaging that GDP levels through the flagship Provincial and fell to a mere 0.6 percent from 7 percent Local Government Support Programme. the previous year. UNDP’s rapid socio- Building the capacities of local and economic assessment revealed that three provincial governments, those on the out of every five jobs in micro and small frontline of the battle against COVID-19, was businesses were lost. critical. We provided vital videoconferencing solutions in a context where professional Despite all the challenges, and with the discourse had become an unprecedented generous support of our longstanding challenge. That alone helped to lubricate partners, UNDP and the Government of the wheels of governance at a time Nepal were still able to join hands to help when effective, timely communication some of the hardest-hit people cope with was essential yet threatened to mutate the crisis. And as the pandemic’s collateral into posterity. It helped ensure that 753 damage became increasingly apparent, local governments, seven provincial UNDP was quick to respond with a governments and parliaments and comprehensive recovery programme that numerous other key institutions were able focused on supporting the most vulnerable to continue their work. At least 16 laws and Annual Report 2020 5 regulations and procedures related to crucial For all its shackles and predicaments, 2020 with much determination and not a little institutions responsible for the smooth running offered UNDP an unexpected opportunity to optimism. A great deal remains to be done of provincial and local government were innovate and explore new areas for support, as we move forward in the face of ever more drafted under this programme. The laws, once particularly in health systems. Crucial health complex challenges. These include effective endorsed, are intended to help implement the supplies, including PCR machines, RNA management of the COVID-19 pandemic, process of federalism and realize the visions of extractors, and ventilators, were provided to stepping in to shield all of us from the virus the Constitution. provincial laboratories and hospitals. Through and to recover from it, and hold our course in our Accelerator Lab, we partnered with local the effort to save lives, boost the capacities These efforts were carefully designed as part youth groups and innovators to explore and of provincial and local governments in of our longer-term crisis response, through adopt innovative solutions to urban waste service provision, and initiatives that seek to which UNDP focused on helping decision- management, COVID-19-related information reduce disaster risks and build resilience in makers look beyond recovery, towards 2030, management, unemployment and sustainable for instance, catalytic support in managing by supporting them in making choices urban mobility. In all these initiatives, our vulnerable watersheds and promoting people’s and managing complexity and uncertainty efforts sought to ensure that they ultimately access to affordable energy. A major focus in governance, social protection, digital promote gender equality and social inclusion, will remain on promoting inclusive economic transformation, and green recovery. key aspects that cut across all our programmes. growth and addressing unemployment by nurturing sustainable tourism and a green Importantly, the green recovery and This annual report captures some of these recovery, including through partnership with resilience agenda is a key policy concern results achieved in 2020, along with illustrative provincial governments, international financial for governments the world over. For Nepal, stories from those that benefited. The results institutions and the private sector. which stands on the cusp of graduation from would not have been possible without the LDC status, the message from COVID-19 was support of the federal and sub-national The pandemic serves to invigorate UNDP’s loud and clear: shock resilience should be governments, Ministry of Law, Justice resolve to continue supporting the people and built into the development model to ensure and Parliamentary Affairs, Parliament, law the Government of Nepal in their realization of that graduation is irreversible. To that end, in enforcement agencies, constitutional bodies the vision of Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali. 2020 we worked in 16 municipalities and all such as Election Commission, National Human It is our fervent hope and belief that together seven provinces to help local governments Rights Commission, Office of the Attorney we can and will ride out the storm and create understand and manage disaster risks and General, the private sector, media and CSOs a better, more prosperous, more just and more vulnerabilities. We supported them in and that of our international development sustainable society. designing and delivering policy and action partners, the UN Agencies and the UN Resident plans to reduce the risks of disaster, increasing Coordinator, to each of whom we extend our resources for disaster and climate risk appreciation and heartfelt gratitude. mitigation and response, and in piloting risk insurance schemes. As we review our efforts during this most AYSHANIE MEDAGANGODA-LABÉ extraordinary year, we also look to 2021 UNDP Resident Representative Supported 7 provinces and 16 municipalities 150+ implemented DRR Supported 20 vulnerable women to start policy and 11.4% local governments cloth mask enterprise strategic action to implement green to reduce virus transmis- plans 1.5 million unemployment livelihood recovery sion the virus & promote migrant workers rate stands projects green enterprises returned home Built a green park in Kathmandu accessible for all, including children, 4.4 million elderly & disabled people are engage populations in the informal Impact sector 2 million Supported more than jobs lost across Planted 1000 sectors poor and vulnerable 7,000+ households, in Building trees in and around constructing their quarantine facilities quake-resilient across the country CO ZERO homes 5.5 million 3 out of 5 Resilience 2 Nepalis already jobs lost in the The Ministry below the 2020 saw micro and small of Forests and poverty line businesses Enviroment prepared 80.78% e-NDC to make drop in tourist Nepal a zero- arrivals carbon economy by 2050 Launched practitioners guide for Judicial Committees during the crisis 2000+ 2020 IN NUMBERS vulnerable people provided with short-term jobs Governance through livelihoods recovery initiatives Over All 753 Launched a 500 local governments, “human rights app” COVID-19 livelihood prosecuters offices of 7 provincial to help reporting support provided to over (150 Women) govts & 3 assemblies & handling of cases trained equipped with Inclusvie 154,000 videoconferencing 8 bills underwent affected people 1800+ facilities public consultations farmers from 19 engagaging over Palikas provided with Growth seeds, saplings, plastic Donated 21 sheets and other agri 3000 pick up vehicles to input support people through help cooperatives VSF Over improve supply Connected over chain for 6000+ Launched an online 70 lawyers farmers course to train govt 3 million deployed to run online attorneys to tackle people with their local proactive psychosocial organized crime governments through counselling and legal live phone-in radio services programs 17 high-end