The Asia Pacific regional meeting of Streetnet International, an international umbrella organization of self-employed street vendors from around the world, where the Nepal Street Vendors Trade Union (NEST) is affiliated, commenced on 30th January at Hotel Thamel Park in Kathmandu.

At the onset of the meeting, GEFONT President Cde. Binod Shrestha extended a warm welcome to all participants from various countries to Nepal. Trade union representatives from Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Philippines, Thailand, Belgium, Portugal, Cambodia, Ukraine, and other countries attended the meeting. Cde. Shrestha emphasized that the challenges faced by street vendors are identical across different countries. He advocated for the development of a common framework to address these issues.

Cde. Shrestha underscored that the primary concern is the dignity of work, regardless of its scale. He highlighted GEFONT's ongoing efforts towards promoting dignified work.

He mentioned that GEFONT and Nepal Street Vendors Trade Union (NEST) played a significant role in integrating street vendors into the contributory social security scheme. Additionally, he noted GEFONT's campaign aimed at enrolling 2 million workers into the contributory social security scheme.

Representatives from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Solidarity Center shared their perspectives during the meeting, which is scheduled to continue until 2nd February.