Nepal

Pro Public is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting public interests.

It was established in 1991 by a consortium of environmental lawyers, economists, journalists, engineers, consumers and women’s rights activists.

It focuses on the most pressing public interest issues: environmental justice, pollution prevention and control, good governance, protection of natural and cultural heritage, gender discrimination and consumer protection.

Through letter-writing, media campaigns, advocacy, negotiation and litigation, Pro Public succeeded in creating government accountability to some extent and assisted in educating the public of its rights and obligations pursuant to the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal, 1990.

Pro Public identifies areas where public interest has been severely jeapardised and provides zealous advocacy in support of these issues and makes concrete efforts to mitigate present and potential problems in the legal and institutional arena. Pro Public also works to enhance public participation in the decision making process and to increase the capabilities of the affected groups.

Primary Objectives:

• Help Nepalese people seek and obtain environmental, social, economic and political justice;
• Act as a watchdog in the areas of environmental conservation, cultural heritage, consumer rights, women’s rights and child welfare;
• Increase government and private sector accountability through education, negotiation, litigation and alternative dispute resolution methods;
• Conduct research aimed at solving contemporary public interest issues;
• Organise and conduct seminars to disseminate research on relevant issues

Pro Public is one of the founder members of South Asia Watch on Trade Economics and Environment (SAWTEE). The Forum has been able to establish institutional or membership linkages with such international organisations as Consumer International (CI), and Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (E-Law)