NEPAL NUTRITION AND FOOD SECURITY PORTAL
The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration organised a two-day orientation program at Dhulikhel Municipality, Kavrepalanchok district, between 8th to 9th March 2024. The program aimed to to orient Mayor/Chairperson, Vice-Mayor/Vice-Chairperson and Chief Administrative Officers of 35 different local levels across three different districts, namely Sindhuli, Dolakha and Sindhupalchok on MSNP-III, Nutrition Friendly Local Governance and Monitoring and Evaluation System. In addition, Chief of District Coordination Committee from these districts also attended the program. Mr. Suman Dahal, Chief of Federal Affairs Division, MoFAGA chaired the event. Moreover, Honorable Minister of Federal Affairs and General Administration, Mr. Bhanubhakta Joshi, and the Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Binod Prakash Singh, were the chief guests.
The program was facilitated by Mr. Resham Kandel, Under Secretary of MoFAGA. Three different presentations were made during the event. Mr. Phulgendra Prasad Singh, Nutrition Specialist of UNICEF Nepal has facilitated the session on Basic Nutrition while Mr. Resham Kandel facilitated the session on Nutrition Friendly Local Governance. Mr. Baburam Gyanwali, Joint Secretary of the National Planning Commission facilitated the session on Multi-Sector Nutrition Plan-III (2023-2030).The discussions focused on Nepal's nutrition situation, the crucial roles and responsibilities of local governments in improving nutrition, prerequisites and indicators for nutrition-friendly governance to facilitate effective implementation of MSNP-III.
The program's chief guest, the Honorable Minister, emphasized the responsibility of each level of government to ensure the delivery of people-oriented services. To this end, he underscored the importance of local leaders and bureaucratic leaders complying with good governance principles. He further informed that the constitution has well-defined the authority of federal, provincial, and local governments, and thus requested to prioritize programs and allocate resources to implement them as per their jurisdiction. In his remarks, he emphasized the significance of commitment from multiple sectors, including agriculture and livestock sectors, for the promotion of nutrition-friendly local governance. In his closing remarks, the Honorable Minister expressed his unwavering commitment to improving the nutrition status of citizens and ensuring their good health and well-being.
The chairperson of the program, Mr. Dahal, expressed his deep gratitude for the gracious presence of local-level leaders and government officials from various local levels of three different districts and for their active participation in the program. He urged all participants to apply their learnings back to their respective local levels and support the federal government in realizing the goals of MSNP-III.