USAID Hamro Samman – Quarterly Progress Report No. 4 FY18 Q3

The program, implemented by Winrock International, focuses on three objectives: strengthening national and local GON efforts to combat TIP, improving civil society organization (CSO) advocacy and engagement to address TIP, and increasing private sector partnerships (PSPs) to service TIP survivors and at-risk populations. During the quarter from April 1 to June 30, 2018, the GON took crucial steps to combat TIP, including the decentralization of the endorsement of the Legal Defense Directive. This directive provides legal counsel to Nepali migrant workers facing trial at courts abroad. The GON also initiated a process to support Nepali workers facing trials abroad by mobilizing lawyers of a particular country in defense of the workers and bearing the responsibility of paying them. The GON further strengthened its efforts to protect Nepalis working abroad by making it mandatory for recruiting agencies and foreign companies to receive approval for their job demand letters by the Nepali mission in the destination country. The ministry increased the amount charged for the verification of workers' demand letters submitted by foreign employers for hiring Nepali workers in line with the Foreign Employment Related Demand Letter Enquiry Directive-2018. The report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants in Nepal highlights Nepal's progress in ensuring that the rights of its citizens who migrate for foreign employment are protected. However, the report also points out important gaps regarding protection under the law and challenges remaining in enforcement, implementation, and monitoring. The report recommends that the government ratify the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, enhance the regulation and monitoring of the recruitment industry, and put in place a comprehensive recruitment policy. The USAID Hamro Samman program has made significant progress in achieving its objectives. The program has strengthened national and local GON efforts to combat TIP, improved CSO advocacy and engagement to address TIP, and increased PSPs to service TIP survivors and at-risk populations. The program has also supported the GON in its efforts to protect Nepalis working abroad and has contributed to the development of policies and regulations to combat TIP. The program's activities have included training and capacity-building programs for GON officials, CSOs, and PSPs. The program has also supported the establishment of a national hotline for reporting TIP cases and has provided assistance to TIP survivors and at-risk populations. The program's achievements include the establishment of a network of CSOs and PSPs working together to combat TIP and the development of a comprehensive recruitment policy. The program has faced some challenges, including the lack of coordination among GON agencies and the limited capacity of CSOs and PSPs to combat TIP. However, the program has taken steps to address these challenges, including the establishment of a project advisory group to provide guidance and support to the program. The program's financial performance is satisfactory, with expenditures totaling $1.2 million during the quarter. The program's monitoring and evaluation system is in place, and the program is tracking its progress against its objectives. The program's gender equality and social inclusion efforts are also satisfactory, with a focus on empowering women and marginalized communities to combat TIP. The program's priority activities for the next quarter include continuing to strengthen national and local GON efforts to combat TIP, improving CSO advocacy and engagement to address TIP, and increasing PSPs to service TIP survivors and at-risk populations. The program will also continue to support the GON in its efforts to protect Nepalis working abroad and will contribute to the development of policies and regulations to combat TIP.