Kathmandu, July 14 - Nepal is stepping up efforts to promote responsible business conduct (RBC) as part of its broader strategy to strengthen export competitiveness and ensure a smooth transition following its graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category.
During the first week of July 2026, the International Labour Organization (ILO), through its LDC Graduation Project, organized a two-day training workshop that brought together representatives from the Garment Association Nepal (GAN), the Nepal Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters Association (NCMEA), garment and carpet enterprises, workers' organizations, government agencies, and other key stakeholders.
The workshop focused on enhancing participants' understanding of Responsible Business Conduct (RBC), international labour standards, social compliance requirements, and the evolving expectations of global buyers, including emerging due diligence obligations that increasingly influence international trade.
A major outcome of the workshop was the initiation of the development of sector-specific Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct for Nepal's garment and carpet industries. Through collaborative discussions, participants identified practical measures to strengthen decent work, occupational safety and health, gender equality, social dialogue, responsible employment practices, and sustainable supply chains across both sectors.
The programme concluded with a collective commitment to prepare a roadmap and establish a multi-stakeholder coordination mechanism to finalize, validate, and promote the voluntary guidelines. These efforts are expected to improve the resilience of Nepalese enterprises, enhance compliance with international market requirements, and expand access to global export markets.
The workshop was facilitated by Ms. Bharti Birla, Enterprise Development Specialist at the ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team for South Asia, under the ILO-supported LDC Graduation Project.
As Nepal prepares for LDC graduation, strengthening responsible business practices is increasingly viewed as a strategic step toward building a more sustainable, inclusive, and globally competitive export sector while reinforcing the country's commitment to decent work and sustainable economic development.
#EcosphereNews #Nepal #ResponsibleBusinessConduct #LDCGraduation #ILO #DecentWork #SustainableSupplyChains #GarmentSector #CarpetSector #SocialCompliance #ExportCompetitiveness #LabourStandards #GenderEquality #OccupationalSafety #SustainableDevelopment
