English - Support to Participatory Constitution Building in Nepal ...

Conceptual frameworkunderstanding on national security in Nepal. Mainstream politics stillincompletely perceives national security as a domain of military concern,beyond the engagement of public.It is absolutely essential to develop a common understanding of nationalsecurity based on the single official NSP document that containsclear vision, strategic national interests, objectives, procedures andmain responsibility of each security structure. The NSP must provide acomprehensive framework for analysis of potential and actual securityrisks, challenges and threats.Nepal is in the geo-politically strategic location between the two giantneighbours India and China, who are developing themselves as growingglobal power with competitive relation. Further, South Asia is a focus ofthe global terrorism and India is one of the prime targets. Though Nepalis so far not a direct target of the global terrorist networks, the spillover effects of terrorists' act in India could penetrate in Nepal becauseof its more than 1800 km of open border. Further, the competitive andsometimes adversarial relationship between India and China could havestrategic implications for Nepal. South Asia is also one of the highlymilitarised zones with accumulation of nuclear weapons and proliferationof SALW. In such a scenario, the political and security tension betweenIndia and Pakistan and their competition on military power will havesevere security threats to Nepal. The attic of the South Asia is also a centrefor poverty, inequality, injustice and discrimination. This has become afertile breeding ground for conflict and instability. Further, this reason isalso threatened by climate change effects, energy crisis, water crisis andfood insecurity. All these destabilising factors will pose security challengesfor Nepal. Therefore, new NSP must be able to address these challenges.The new NSP has to provide adequate legal framework, responsiveinstitutional arrangements and conducive security strategy. It has alsoto be integrated into the policies of economy and international relations.Similarly, it also has to provide basis for defining 'type of security forces',for e.g., military, armed police, civilian police, industrial, border securityforces, intelligence mechanism, provision of private security force,any other types of security forces such as fire brigades, forest guard orpatrolling of parks, etc. The next step is to agree on the size/strengths ofthem (total numbers of each type), institutional arrangements, defencestrategy and roles and responsibility of the actors like security forces,executive organisations such as home and defence ministries, parliament,judiciary, etc. Hence, any decision on democratisation of Nepal Army orintegration of Maoist ex-combatants without comprehensive NSP will be34