November 19, 2004 – The newest member of the Bank’s global Public Information Center (PIC) family has been inaugurated in Kathmandu. The center is the fruit of a partnership of the Bank, the Government of Nepal and supporting donors – and fits in with the country’s Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS). 

Dr. Shankar Sharma, Vice Chairman of Nepal's National Planning Commission: "The people of Nepal understand the value of communication."

“Information matters and people can make smart choices when they understand the stakes,” said Dale Lautenbach, South Asia External Affairs Department Manager.  “Our challenge is to share information in new and adventurous ways.”

Much of the credit for the Resource Center and the collaboration with the Bank’s PIC goes to Nepal’s National Planning Commission and the Ministry of Finance, along with  important agents for change in the government and civil society. The international development community—particularly Denmark, Norway, and the United Kingdom—also played a major role in making this initiative happen. Dr. Shankar Sharma, Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission, launched the PRS Resource Center/PIC with the lighting of a ceremonial Nepali lamp.

“The people of Nepal understand the value of communication,” said Sharma in welcoming this bright new space in central Kathmandu full of books and computers. “We would like to bring the politicians here to the center. And not just the politicians, but also other experts, civil society organizations, our development partners, so that we can share ideas and learn from each other.” He added that: “What matters with this new center is not what is physically here but what actually happens here.” Listen to his speech.

Sharma stressed the importance of finding ways to take this communications initiative outside of the capital and into the rural communities, reaching people at the grassroots level. Speakers representing Denmark, Norway, and the United Kingdom echoed this ambition, which is embedded in the PRS Communications plan drawn up by Rajib Upadhya, Senior External Affairs Officer for Nepal, and the driving force behind the center. 

“The center should become a platform for an exchange in dialogue,” said Veronique Danforth, global PIC coordinator for the Bank. “It should be a place where experts from within and outside the country can come to participate in roundtables, seminars, and discussions, and also a place where they can come to listen.” The new Nepal Country Web Portal was also unveiled during this ceremony.

Sharma launched the Resource Center/PIC with the lighting of a ceremonial Nepali lamp.

The idea of using communications for improving development effectiveness was first discussed at the Nepal Development Forum in Paris in 2000. Four years later, the brand new center is open and reflects the collaboration between the Government of Nepal and its development partners.

Nepal’s Poverty Reduction Strategy is now in its third year of implementation. It is based on four central pillars:

• Achieving sustainable and broad-based economic growth, especially in rural areas;
• Accelerating human development through delivery of basic social services;
• Including all people across socioeconomic and class lines; and
• Building good governance and accountability.

The PRS Resource Center/PIC is located a short distance from the Nepal Country Office. Admission is free, and no membership is required. Services offered include:

• free internet access for research purposes;
• print and on-line access to development-related publications of the Bank and other development agencies;
• CD-Roms and videotapes about development issues;

There are plans to eventually expand the centers and take their resources and activities to regions outside Kathmandu in collaboration with local partners. There are also plans to link to a proposed World Bank Global Development Learning Center.

The Center hosted its first event the following evening: the launch of the Nepal Development Marketplace 2005. Some 60 journalists from print and broadcast media learned about the marketplace’s theme of “Providing Basic Services in Conflict-affected Areas” and its program of providing seed funding for innovative development ideas in Nepal. The Bank, in partnership with the Nepal Poverty Alleviation Fund and other benefactors, will sponsor a national competition, with winners to be selected in May 2005.