StreetNet International is deeply concerned about the current situation in Nepal, where recent eruption of political violence and instability are having a devastating impact on ordinary people, particularly street vendors and other informal economy workers.

The right to work and the right to the free use of public space are fundamental human rights and are particularly crucial for street vendors, whose sustenance depends directly on their possibility to occupy public space in a safe manner. Today, vendors in Nepal are being deprived of both, as the turmoil and repression prevent them from earning a living and sustaining their families. The livelihoods of the most vulnerable should never be collateral damage.

We firmly condemn the repression of peaceful protestors by police and state forces. The right of people to raise their voices against corruption and injustice is inalienable, and violence against protestors is never justified.

StreetNet International, a global organisation representing street and marker vendors in over 60 countries around the world, stands in solidarity with the people of Nepal and with the members of our affiliate organisation in the country, the Nepal Street Vendors Union (NEST), in their struggle for justice and accountability. We support their right to peaceful protest and call on the authorities to protect—not punish—those who demand fairness and dignity and the end of corruption in public offices.

As a new government is installed in Nepal, we wish for a peaceful resolution that ensures that the rights of workers, particularly the most vulnerable, are safeguarded.

About StreetNet: We are a global organization of committed informal traders, with the goal to promote and leverage an autonomous and democratic alliance of street vendors, market vendors, hawkers, and cross-border traders. We are now present in more than 60 countries and represent over 800,000 members worldwide.