GENEVA, Oct 15: National Assembly Chairman Narayan Prasad Dahal held a courtesy meeting with Dr Tulia Ackson, president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Martin Chungong, Secretary General of the IPU.
During his visit to Geneva, Dahal discussed enhancing cooperation between Nepal's Federal Parliament and the IPU. Topics included mutual support, the parliamentary role in promoting democracy, and other areas of shared interest.
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Dahal highlighted that IPU’s meetings and programs have contributed to strengthening parliamentary roles through dialogue, cooperation, and the exchange of best practices in areas such as democracy, human rights, gender equality, youth empowerment, and sustainable development. He also expressed Nepal's interest in fostering close collaboration with the IPU to further improve parliamentary practices and democratic institutions. Additionally, Dahal suggested Nepal’s direct participation in the IPU Secretariat to maintain closer communication.
Likewise, Dahal emphasized Nepal’s commitment to inclusivity, informing that 33 percent of representatives in the federal parliament and 41 percent at provincial and local levels are women, thanks to Nepal’s constitution, which ensures proportional representation for women, minorities, and marginalized communities.
In response, IPU President Dr Ackson praised Nepal’s active participation in the IPU and lauded the country’s efforts in promoting inclusion, particularly the representation of women in parliament. She also assured that efforts would be made to include Nepali representation in the IPU Secretariat, which is still in the process of being restructured.
