The himalayan times

03/06/2023

New York, a hub for illicit art trafficking
Agence France Presse New York, June 2
From an ancient Middle Eastern limestone elephant to seventh century Chinese sculptures, New York prosecutors have seized hundreds of priceless artefacts looted from around the globe that have earned it the reputation as a key global hub for art trafficking.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is among major institutions and collectors who have been forced to hand over works that the city has returned to more than a dozen countries in Asia, Europe and Africa.

The scale of seizures and repatriations leaves no doubt, said Christos Tsirogiannis, a forensic archaeologist and art historian specializing in stolen art works.

“New York is one of the world’s hub cities for the illicit trafficking of antiquities,” he told AFP.

Tsirogiannis and David Gill, a professor at Britain’s Kent Law School, have been helping Manhattan district attorney’s campaign to return stolen art to their country of origin.

Since 2017, prosecutors have repatriated pieces that were looted from around 20 countries between the 1970s and 1990s. They have included works from ancient Greece, the Roman and Byzantine empires, Iraq, China, India and Southeast Asia. Under Alvin Bragg, the district attorney, more than 950 pieces worth $165 million have been returned to countries including Cambodia, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey and Italy.

At a ceremony at the Chinese consulate in New York last month, Bragg handed back to Beijing two 7th century stone sculptures valued at $3.5 million. The works had been sawn from tombs in the 1990s, exported and then sold illegally.

Well-known Manhattan-based collector Shelby White loaned them to the Met from 1998 until their seizure this year.

White, 85, is a billionaire philanthropist and Met trustee. Her home was subject to searches by Bragg’s team in June 2021 and April 2022. Bragg announced last that month 89 works with a total value of $69 million had been seized from White, who prosecutors do not accuse of wrongdoing.

He thanked her ‘for her cooperation.’ Art Newspaper reported in December that White had returned pieces to Italy and Turkey, with the businesswoman telling the website: “I really don’t have anything to say.”

Tsirogiannis and Gill believe White’s acquisitions made with her late husband Leon Levy ‘may have been unwise,’ especially those amassed after the 1970 UN- ESCO Convention to prevent the illicit trafficking of cultural property.

Tsirogiannis points out that White returned ten works to Italy and two to Greece prior to 2008.

“So she should definitely have at least (had) serious doubts on the origin and the status of the rest and should have checked them all these years before the recent confiscations that took place,” he said.

Gill cited White’s only known public statement on the issue in an interview she gave in 2007 when she said: “If you go to Sotheby’s or Christie’s and buy something at a public auction, you don’t think you are doing anything inappropriate.”

The most recent restitution took place on May 19, when prosecutors returned to Iraq a limestone elephant and an alabaster bull from the Sumerian civilisation ‘stolen during the Gulf War and smuggled into New York in the late 1990s.’ The bull was found in Shelby’s private collection and Bragg pledged he will not allow New York to be ‘safe harbor for stolen cultural artifacts.’ Other art dealers have been forced to return works. Collector Michael Steinhardt, who had a room named after him at the Met, handed back 180 antiquities worth $70 million following an out-ofcourt settlement in 2021.

Manhattan-based art dealer Subhash Kapoor was sentenced to ten years in prison in India in November following a decade-long international investigation.

In September, Bragg returned 16 pieces to Egypt, including five seized from the Met, as part of a twin investigation between New York and Paris authorities in which former president of the Louvre, Jean-Luc Martinez, was charged.

Martinez denies ignoring warnings about false certificates that faked the origin of the works.

Without commenting on the case, Louvre president Laurence des Cars told AFP during a visit to New York in May that ‘major museums should know the history of their collections’ and that ‘the history of the Met’s collections was not that of the Louvre.’ Last month the Met announced it would examine the provenance of ‘several hundred or more’ objects that were possibly stolen from their country of origin, and then return them where necessary.

29/05/2023

Lionel Messi helped Paris Saint-Germain clinch a record 11th French league title on Saturday, and broke another scoring record in the process.

Messi scored the opening goal as PSG drew 1-1 at the Strasbourg to move four points clear of second-place Lens with one game left. Messi put PSG ahead from Kylian Mbappe’s pass in the 59th minute. Former PSG striker Kevin Gameiro equalised for Strasbourg in the 79th. It was Messi’s 496th career league goal in Europe, breaking Cristiano Ronaldo’s scoring record for Europe’s top five leagues. It could also be his last, as the Argentina star is widely expected to leave PSG at the end of the season and has been linked with a possible move to Saudi Arabia or MLS.

Lens secured second place and automatic entry into next season’s Champions League by beating relegated Ajaccio 3-0 at home, with Belgium forward Lois Openda reaching 20 league goals in his first season at the club. Defending champion PSG overtook former French powerhouse Saint-Etienne, who won their 10th title in 1981 but were relegated to the second divisionlast season.

PSG have won nine of their 11 titles since Qatari backers QSI took charge 12 years ago, with the first of those in 2013. PSG’s other titles were in 1986 and ’94.

“This is of course an historic moment for Paris Saint-Germain.

This 11th French league title is the reward for all the hard work we have put in over the last 12 years,” said PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi, who has been in control since 2011. “To make Ligue 1 history and overtake Saint-Etienne is a real source of pride.”

The title will be celebrated next Saturday at the Parc des Princes when PSG host Clermont in what could be Messi’s last game for PSG. He has not taken up the option for an extra year on the contract he signed two years ago. Messi has felt the ire of PSG fans at times this season after his form dipped following his return from Argentina’s victory at the World Cup, and he was suspended by the club this month after an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia.

But in the end it was his goal that allowed the fans to celebrate — and gave Messi a 43rd career major trophy for club and country.

It was a second league title for PSG coach Christophe Galtier, after he guided Lille to an against-the-odds success in 2021, when his side finished ahead of PSG. Marseille lost 2-1 at home to Brest but finished in third place and enter the Champions League qualifying rounds.

Marseille are the only French club to win Europe’s top competition and fans lit fireworks in the southern port city on Friday night to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their victory against AC Milan.

Fourth place secures entry into the Europa League and Lille moved into pole position after beating Nantes 2-1 at home thanks to two penalties from Canada striker Jonathan David as he reached 24 goals. Rennes remain only one point behind Lille following a 2-0 home win against Monaco, who dropped from fourth to sixth, with fifth earning a place in the Europa Conference League. Rennes and Monaco are level on points but Rennes have a far better goal difference.

Eight-time champion Nantes are close to being relegated after Auxerre drew 1-1 at at French Cup winner Toulouse to stay in 16th place and move two points ahead of Nantes. Four sides go down this season. Last-place Angers, Ajaccio and Troyes were already relegated.

25/05/2023

Volcano rumbles near Mexico City coating towns with ash
Associated Press Mexico City, May 24
Towering a few hours from one of the world’s largest cities, the Popocatepetl volcano has been coating nearby towns with ash and disrupting flights at Mexico City’s airport, the busiest in Latin America.

Hundreds of explosions have spit lava from the snowtipped peak of the 17,797-foot Popocatepetl (puh-puh-ka- TEH-pet-tl).

Approximately 25 million people live within 97 kilometres of the mountain. Volcanologists say that, while a massive eruption doesn’t appear imminent, eruptions are likely to continue, as they have for three decades.

Pre-Hispanic writings speak of intense activity at Popocatépetl at the beginning of the 16th century. Scientists at Mexico’s National Autonomous University have been tracking the volcano’s movements since a surge of activity began in 1994.

In Guatemala, the Volcano of Fire claimed the lives of hundreds of people in a 2018 eruption. It has recently prompted evacuations for heightened activity as well.The Mexican volcano known as ‘Popo’ has had periods of intense activity between 2000 and 2003, and again between 2012 and 2016. In 2000, that activity triggered a red alert and evacuations before the volcano calmed down again.

In past weeks, the volcano entered another one of those periods. Spewing ash, gas and lava, authorities have increased the alert to the yellow, second level on a stoplight-style scale, but not yet to red.

Scientists and Mexican authorities say there’s no sign that the current waves of small eruptions will turn into anything more destructive, said Servando de la Cruz Reyna, a senior geophysics researcher at the UNAM in Mexico City, adding that is there ‘nothing new or surprising’ about recent movements.

“The probability that this continues as it has previously is far higher than the probability that this grows to much higher levels,” he said.

Popocatépetl has been active for a half-million years. Its last major eruption happened more than a thousand years ago.

Authorities have closed schools in dozens of municipalities across three states, put troops on alert, prepared shelters and carried out evacuation drills. Other than that, they are encouraging people to remain calm.

On Monday, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said in his morning briefing that ‘the movements of the volcano are being monitored 24 hours a day.’ Popocatepetl’s recent activity is not necessarily a bad thing, said Robin Campion, a volcanologist at the Institute of Geophysics. The scientist explained that small explosions alleviate pressure from magma inside the mountain, and likely mean that it won’t lead to a buildup and larger eruption.

“The good thing is that … it’s constantly releasing energy,”Campion said. “Hopefully, it’ll continue being as constant and moderate as it is, so it doesn’t all erupt at once, like it did in prehistoric times.”

As it continues puffing, ash could eventually become a problem in surrounding areas, particularly in the 12 kilometres surrounding the volcano, but also in Mexico City.

While the ash is not toxic, Valdés, head of UNAM’s National Seismological Service, said it could affect breathing and air quality, and also continue to affect flights to and from Mexico City’s international airport.

While the ash continues to billow toward southern Mexico, he and other scientists monitoring the volcano expect winds to shift and blow ash into the capital in June.

Already on Saturday, volcanic ash carried in by shifting winds forced the city’s airport to temporarily shut down.

Others expressed worries that the weight of ash building up could collapse precariously constructed homes in poorer areas of Mexico.

He and other scientists recommended residents wash their eyes and wear face masks.

“It has had important consequences.
The only danger we’re really entertaining right now is the ash,” he said.

25/05/2023

Nobel peace laureate transferred to brutal Belarus prison
Associated Press Tallinn, May 24
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski has been transferred to a notoriously brutal prison in Belarus and hasn’t been heard from in a month, his wife said today.

Natalia Pinchuk told The Associated Press that Bialiatski, who is serving a 10-year sentence, has been kept in an information blackout since his transfer to the N9 colony for repeat offenders in the city of Gorki, where inmates are beaten and subject to hard labour.

“The authorities create unbearable conditions for Ales and keep him in strict informational isolation. There is not a single letter from him for a month, nor does he receive my letters,” Pinchuk said by telephone.

In March, a court convicted 60-year-old Bialiatski — Belarus’ top human rights advocate and one of the winners of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize — and three of his colleagues on charges of financing actions violating public order and smuggling.

It was the latest move in a years-long crackdown on dissent that has engulfed the country since 2020.
Bialiatski has spent 20 months behind bars since his arrest in 2021, and Pinchuk is concerned his health is deteriorating.

“In the most recent letters I see how his penmanship has changed and I see how the situation is worsening for him, both in terms of his health and his eyesight, and I am very, very worried about it,” she said. She urged the United Nations to intervene.

The harsh punishment of Bialiatski and three of his colleagues was a response to massive protests over a 2020 election that gave authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko a further term in office.

Lukashenko, a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who backed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has ruled the country with an iron fist since 1994. During the protests in 2020, the largest ever in Belarus, more than 35,000 people were arrested, and thousands were beaten by police.

All four activists have maintained their innocence, according to the Human Rights Centre Viasna, which was founded by Bialiatski. He shared the 2022 peace prize with Memorial, a prominent Russian human rights group, and the Ukrainian Centre for Civil Liberties.

Viasna has counted 1,516 political prisoners in Belarus to date. Human rights advocates say authorities deliberately create unbearable conditions for many of them.

For 28 days, there has been no information about the fate of the imprisoned former presidential hopeful Viktar Babaryka, who was reportedly beaten up in his cell and transferred to a hospital. No one has heard from Nikolai Statkevich, a prominent opposition figure serving a 14- year sentence, for 100 days.

25/05/2023

Street traders offer a better bargain than stores in Zimbabwe
Associated Press Harare, May 23
Festus Nyoni picked out a few items in a supermarket in Zimbabwe’s capital, looked at the prices and knew she was in the wrong place.

She abandoned her shopping cart and headed for a nearby street jammed with traders offering bargains in US dollars. From the trunk of a car, she picked toiletries, rice and soups. For her two children, a young street vendor dodged traffic to offer her a box of candy.

“I can’t keep up with those Zim dollar prices in supermarket — it’s insane,” Nyoni said, referring to local currency.

“For the price of one in the supermarket, I am getting two soaps in the street.”

A years-long currency crisis that forced the 2009 adoption of the US dollar — one of the world’s most reliable assets — is changing shopper preferences in this southern African nation of 15 million.

Many people are shunning brick-and-mortar stores, where prices must be charged in local currency and rise frequently.

On the street, costs are more stable because shoppers pay exclusively in US dollars.

With greenbacks scarce at banks, many people and businesses get them on the black market, making the official exchange rate — 1,000 Zimbabwe dollars to one US dollar — that retailers are required to use artificially low.

It’s double that on the street, so to break even, stores are forced to make their products more expensive.

“Zimbabwe dollar inflation on the black market is on a rampage, so retailers have to constantly change their prices,” economist Prosper Chitambara said.

Other countries like Lebanon and Ecuador also have turned to using the US dollar to beat back inflation and other economic woes, with mixed success. Facing Lebanon’s worst financial crisis in modern history, many stores and restaurants there are demanding dollars.

Similarly, manufacturers and suppliers are now pushing for payment in US dollars from stores that are forced to sell same products using the free-falling Zimbabwe dollar, said Denford Mutashu, president of the Retailers Association of Zimbabwe.

“It’s currently impossible to purchase goods in US dol-lars and sell in local currency and recover the money spent,” said Mutashu, adding that manufacturers are increasingly preferring informal traders over formal retailers to avoid using local currency.

Zimbabwe’s economy is inching toward ‘full dollarisation’, with the local currency facing collapse, local investment firm Inter-Horizon Securities said. It slumped by 34 per cent in April alone.

Street traders in cars, on bicycles or on foot clog sidewalks, roads and parking spaces. They sell items ranging from groceries to cosmetics, brooms, dog chains, car parts and medicines.

Next to the entrance of a fashion shop, street traders displayed new and secondhand clothing at knockdown prices. Some landlords have divided large buildings into tiny rooms where groceries are sold.

Many young people, including college graduates, end up becoming street vendors, said Wadzai Mangoma, director of the lobbying group Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation.

“Our prices are not subject to the artificially low official exchange rate, so we have taken over the supply of basic commodities,” Mangoma said.

“However, competition is also very high because the majority are turning to informal trade for employment.”

To stand out, street traders are becoming creative and turning on the charm, a far cry from their usual brazen approach.

Street traders are part of the culture in much of Africa, with over two-thirds of people in Zimbabwe employed in the informal sector, the African Development Bank said.

25/05/2023

Watch owned by China’s last emperor sells for more than $5 million
Agence France Presse Hong Kong, May 23
A Patek Philippe wristwatch once owned by China’s last emperor sold for more than $5 million on the auction block in Hong Kong today.

The Ref 96 Quantieme Lune timepiece, which boasts a crown-like moon phase, originally belonged to Aisin-Gioro Puyi, the final monarch of the Chinese Qing dynasty.

Emperor at the age of two in 1908, Puyi was immortalised by Bernardo Bertolucci’s Oscar-winning film but left a mixed legacy.

More than 20 years later, he was installed as the puppet leader of Japanese-occupied Manchuria, before he was captured in 1945 after the fall of Japan and taken to a Soviet prison camp.

British auction house Phillips said it had documentation that showed Puyi had brought the watch with him to the camp.

It was expected to fetch about $3 million but, after about five minutes of bidding, it was sold for 40 million Hong Kong dollars ($5.1 million).

According to the memoir of Puyi’s nephew Ai-sin-Gioro Yuyuan, the watch was a ‘personal item’ of the deposed emperor, who passed it to his Russian interpreter for safekeeping when he left the prison camp.

While historically significant, Puyi’s watch is far from the most expensive timepiece sold on the auction block.

A Patek Philippe ‘Grandmaster Chime’ sold for $31 million in 2019. It is said to be the most complex timepiece the luxury watchmaker has ever created.

24/05/2023

Declining an already-accepted job offer
Are you having second thoughts about the job offer you just accepted? Whether you’ve received a better offer or your personal circumstances have changed, it’s not late to back out of a job you don’t want.

If you’ve already accepted a job offer, it can feel awkward to tell a hiring manager, “Sorry, I’m no longer interested.”

But there is a way to reject a job offer politely after accepting without any repercussions for your career.

Here’s how to decline a job offer you already accepted. reasons to decline Getting a job offer is always exciting. But sometimes we get ahead of ourselves and say “yes” too quickly. Other times circumstances change and make the new job less appealing.

These are some common reasons you might need to know how to decline a job offer after accepting it: • You didn’t take enough time to think a job offer through. Maybe the employer gave you a short deadline or asked you to give an an-swer. Maybe you’re new on the job market and acted impulsively, or maybe you missed a red flag in the contract.

• You received a better job offer. Whether it’s a higher salary, a shorter commute time, or more PTO, you might have received a more appealing job offer after you already accepted a different one.

• Your personal circumstances changed.

Maybe your ability to work on location changed or you have a family emergency.

• You heard negative things about the company after you signed with them. Ideally, you would read up on the company before you apply or interview, but the next best time to research recent company news or pour over company reviews is before your first day.

• Something in the onboarding process or HR policies bothered you. Perhaps the company asked for your social media passwords or required you to sign a non-compete agreement that was too restrictive.

These are all valid reasons to turn down a job offer.

How to decline

Here are the steps you should take when declining a job offer after accepting it: • Familiarise yourself with your employment contract and employment laws in your country to make sure you’re following the law.

• Make sure your new plan is solid before you back out. For example, if you’ve received another job offer, make sure you’ve signed the contract and have a start date, so the new job opportunity doesn’t fall through.

• Think about whether you should deliver the news by email or over the phone. It’s often a good idea to pick up the phone to make a better and more professional impression. But if your contract have restrictions on backing out of a job, put the details in writing as well to leave a paper trail.

• If your reason for rejecting a job offer is another (better) offer, it’s possible that the employer will give you a new offer. Decide if there are any changes that would make you accept the job beforehand.

• Have your explanation ready, such as a family emergency or another job offer, but don’t go into too much detail.

• Don’t complain. If you heard negative things about the company or realised the salary is too low, keep those thoughts to yourself. End the interaction on a positive note.

• Express your gratitude for the offer and the employer’s time and consideration. —

Monster is your source for jobs and career opportunities. Search for jobs, read career advice from Monster's job experts, and find hiring and recruiting advice.

24/05/2023

Russia extends detention of US journalist
Associated Press Moscow, May 23
A Russian court today extended the arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich by three months, Russian news agencies reported.

Gershkovich, a 31-yearold American citizen, was ordered held until August 30. He had been arrested in March on espionage charges on a reporting trip in Russia. He, his employer and the US government have denied the charges.

Tuesday’s pre-trial hearing wasn’t announced in advance, and the entire case has been wrapped in secrecy.

Russian authorities haven’t detailed what — if any — evidence they have gathered to support the espionage charges.

Various legal proceedings have been closed to the media. No details immediately emerged about whether Gershkovich or US Embassy representatives attended today’s hearing or what was said. Tass said the session was closed because the reporter was accused of possession of ‘secret materials.’

One Russian news agency, Interfax, quoted a court official as saying Gershkovich’s parents — themselves Soviet emigres living in New Jersey — were visiting Moscow and had been admitted to the court building but not into today’s hearing. Gershkovich is the first US correspondent since the Cold War to be detained in Russia on spying charges.

The US government has declared Gershkovich to be ‘wrongfully detained’ and demanded his immediate release. He’s being held in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison. US Embassy officials were allowed at least one prison visit to Gershkovich since his arrest in Yekaterinburg on March 29, but Russian authorities have denied permission for other visits.

24/05/2023

• The world over
Priest killed in Mexico

MEXICO CITY: A Roman Catholic priest has been killed in the western Mexican state of Michoacan, the ninth killed during the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The church’s Catholic Multimedia Centre identified the priest as Reverend Javier García Villafaña, who had been assigned to the Capacho parish in Huandacareo just one month earlier. The killing came one day after the Mexican Episcopal Conference expressed its solidarity and condemnation of an attack against Monsignor Faustino Armendáriz Jiménez, archbishop of the northern state of Durango. On Sunday, an elderly man tried to stab Armendáriz in Durango’s cathedral. The archbishop escaped uninjured. The conference confirmed García’s murder and said it was preparing to release a statement.

The Catholic Multimedia Centre said in the statement that García was shot while driving near Capacho on the shores of Cuitzeo lake. — AP

Stray bullet hits child

SALT LAKE CITY: A 2-year-old was shot in the head by a stray bullet while playing outside at day care in Utah, authorities said on Tuesday. Spanish Fork police believe the bullet came from a pellet or air gun shot from a farming field across the street west of the facility, Lt. Clay Slaymaker said.

There are currently no suspects. Slaymaker said police believe nobody on site knew about a shooting or reported hearing any shots. Day care employees contacted the toddler’s parents after seeing the child stumble, bleeding from the face, while playing in a fenced-in area outdoors on Monday afternoon. When doctors saw a small caliber bullet lodged in the toddler’s head on brain scans later in the evening, they called authorities and transported the child to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, 84 kilometers north of Spanish Fork. Authorities said the child was in stable condition. “Detectives are continuing to investigate where the bullet may have been shot from and why. It appears this was a tragic accident. Open fields are directly west of the day care and it is believed the round may have come from that area,” police said in a statement. — AP

24/05/2023

Chinese Envoy Song meets Minister Rijal
Rastriya Samachar Samiti Kathmandu, May 23
Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song paid a courtesy call on Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supply Ramesh Rijal yesterday.

During the meeting held at the ministry, they discussed bilateral relations, development assistance, and opening of border points.

Minister Rijal praised Chinese Ambassador Song, saying he had played active role in strengthening bilateral relations between Nepal and China.

He believed that bilateral relations would be further strengthened in the days ahead. The two-country relations are special, Minister Rijal said, reiterating that Nepal was committed to not letting anyone misuse Nepali territory against China.

He informed that of the total foreign trade, trade with China comprises 14 per cent. China is Nepal’s second largest trade partner, according to Minister Rijal. However, Nepal was incurring huge loss in trade with China.

Minister Rijal also reminded various mechanisms to facilitate Nepal-China trade. Even the meeting of joint consultation mechanism established for implementing transit and transport agreement was not held, he said, urging the ambassador for immediate meeting between the concerned mechanisms in Kathmandu and Beijing.

The minister, however, expressed happiness over the resumption of operation of Tatopani, Rasuwa and Hilsa border points. He requested the Chinese ambassador to open more border points soon.

Chinese Ambassador Song’s attention was drawn towards opening Nechung-Liji, Kimathanka, Olangchunggola and other border points.

Rijal thanked China for its assistance and collaboration in Nepal’s development. He hoped China would extend further assistance and provide foreign direct investment.

On the occasion, Ambassador Song thanked Nepal for supporting One China policy.

He believed bilateral relations would be further strengthened between China and Nepal.

The ambassador also said China was positive about extending development assistance and foreign direct investment.

24/05/2023

Conference on comprehensive sexual education today
Rastriya Samachar Samiti Kathmandu, May 23
The First National Conference on comprehensive sexual education is going to be held in the federal capital, Kathmandu, on May 24 and 25 on the theme, ‘Proceeding ahead extensive sexual education to attain SDG 2030’.

It is expected that the national conference will contribute towards the effective implementation of the various national and international policies and commitments such as the International Conference on Population and Development held in 1994, the Sustainable Development Goals of 2015, the UN resolution 2250 related to youth, peace and security, the UN resolution 1325 related to women, peace and security, the Constitution of Nepal, the National Youth Policy, Youth Vision 2025, the School Education Sector Plan 2022-23 and 2031-32.

The conference will bring together around 300 national and international participants.

The conclave will see the presentation of working papers on various topics related to extensive sexuality education in several sessions.

There will also be a poster show.

The conference will wrap up by issuing the Kathmandu Declaration. It will be jointly organised by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health and Population with the financial and technical support of UNFPA, Family Planning Association of Nepal and the non-governmental organisations working in the comprehensive sexual education sector.

FPAN said discussions would be held in the conference on access of youth to age-appropriate, scientific and rights-based comprehensive sexual education, gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, ensuring the rights of minority groups, superstitious beliefs and practices, violence, child marriage, youth’s exodus to foreign countries, teenager and youth-friendly services and environment, and various youth-targeted national policies and their effective implementation