International Labour Organization (ILO)

This global project seeks to contribute to the promotion of fair recruitment initiatives across migration corridors in North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. The corresponding project strategy is based on a three-pronged approach: 1) establishing fair recruitment corridors to prevent abuses and exploitation of migrant workers; 2) providing migrant workers with access to reliable information and improved services and 3) conducting innovative research and disseminating knowledge on ethical recruitment. These components will be implemented through several pilot initiatives at the global and country level. Target countries for pilot projects proposed in this concept note include Tunisia, Jordan, Nepal and the Philippines. The strategy will apply a multi-stakeholder approach in conjunction with governments, trade unions, employers’ organisations and the media. This integrated project has been developed jointly by the ILO’s Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour (FPRW/SAP-FL) and the Labour Migration Branch (MIGRANT).

From Protocol to Practice: A Bridge to Global Action on Forced Labor (The Bridge project) The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), has provided funding to the International Labour Organization (ILO) for a project to support global and national efforts aimed at combating forced labor under the 2014 ILO Protocol and Recommendation on Forced Labor. The project will: (1) promote the ratification and implementation of the Protocol and implementation of the Recommendation by countries by providing technical assistance to governments and other key stakeholders, (2) support interventions at the global and country level to advance the campaign to eradicate forced labor, including addressing gaps in legislation, awareness raising campaigns, supply chain monitoring, law enforcement training, best practices on compensation and other remedies, research studies and surveys, and (3) develop and implement direct action measures to prevent forced labor, to protect victims, and to provide them with access to remediation, including compensation for material and physical harm.

Project Development Objective The overall project development objective is to enhance the availability and reliability of transport connectivity for rural communities in the 3 additional highly earthquake affected districts with 33 SNRTP participating districts. SNRTP – Project Components Component A (institutional strengthening and technical assistance): Component A of SNRTP will fund three categories of activities, including: ¿ Institutional strengthening and technical assistance; ¿ Third party monitoring of physical works under Component B of the project; and ¿ An impact study of selected project interventions. Target districts will receive technical assistance from Component A for: ¿ Updating District Transport Master Plans (DTMPs) and Multi-Year Rolling Maintenance Plans (MYRMP); There will be an opportunity for any district in Nepal to receive limited support from Component A in the following specific areas: (i) assistance to develop or update District Transport Master Plans (DTMPs); and (ii) introduction and operationalization of length-person or similar schemes to undertake routine maintenance on rural roads and bridges. 1.4.2 Component B (Civil Works): Component B will support districts to implement physical works needed for (i) upgrading or rehabilitating rural transport infrastructure; and (ii) maintaining rural transport infrastructure. There will be two funding windows within component B as follows: Window 1 will support routine and periodic maintenance of roads and crossing structures using a simplified output-based disbursement approach that ties a portion of payments to the completion of works. Window 1 will support maintenance of all season roads and crossing structures. Access to these funds will depend on a district’s ability to: ¿ Pass the Minimum Conditions; and ¿ Satisfy a basic set of project-specific criteria. Window 1 funding will disburse on the basis of verified physical outputs achieved. This will require compliance with all safeguards and procurement guidelines. SNRTP districts will co-fund a portion of maintenance costs from their own financial resources to complement Window 1 funding. Within Window 1, SNRTP will support districts to operationalize group-based routine length person schemes for routine maintenance with support from the International Labor Organization (ILO). Window 2 will support road upgrading and or rehabilitation) and new crossing structure construction as needed to provide all-weather connectivity. Roads upgrading and new crossing structure construction under Window 2 must be complementary such that access along the integrated road linkage becomes possible year-round. Investments in road upgrading and new crossing structures may occur in parallel. However, Window 2 will not support upgrading for road linkages without supporting crossing structures. Similarly, districts will not receive Window 2 funds for developing new crossing structures on roads that only provide seasonal access. Component C (Market Infrastructure): Component C will fund investments in market related infrastructure along roads that offer all season connectivity to project districts. A key aim of Component C will be to pilot an approach for linking infrastructure investments in rural transport infrastructure with infrastructure investments in locations that provide economic opportunity.

The project aims at strengthening policies, strategies and regulatory frameworks for the promotion of employment-rich and inclusive growth, in line with the vision of graduating Nepal from LDC category to a developing country status by 2022. The project has a strong focus on women and vulnerable groups and will benefit from the Danish-funded Inclusive Growth Programme which is providing tested tools and methodologies on evidence-based advocacy. The Korean-funded Labour Market Information project will strengthen the extension of basic employment services like registration of job seekers, vocational and career counselling, job search, LMI dissemination, with particular attention to women, youth and migrant workers. Technical assistance will be provided to the Ministry of Labour and Employment to work with line ministries (Ministries of Agriculture, Federal Affairs and Local Development, Cooperative, Tourism Development and Industry) towards integrating gender responsive employment generation programmes into their annual plans, including at selected district levels. An important dimension of the interventions will be the partnership with the Ministry of Industry in creating enabling environment for the growth of SMES and for improving quality and quantity of jobs in SMES, as well as collaboration with UNDP.