Kathmandu –  With 2.2 million Nepalese living abroad, mostly for employment, labour migration is a key aspect of Nepal’s socioeconomic landscape and crucial for its development. However, as outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), the full potential of migration can only be realized if the labour and human rights of migrants are respected. Unfortunately, Nepalese migrant workers often face exploitative recruitment practices, abuses and irregular migration, putting them at risk of forced labour or human trafficking.

The Government of Nepal (GoN) has recently launched the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAP+BHR) 2024 –2028, coinciding with the International Organization for Migration (IOM)’s Migration, Business and Human Rights Programme in Asia (MBHR Asia), funded by the European Union (EU) and the Government of Sweden. This flagship regional initiative aims to promote corporate responsibility and full respect of migrant workers’ rights in global supply chains, focusing on key labour migration corridors in Asia, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam.  The programme will support the implementation of the NAP+BHR.

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