Inter-Parliamentary Forum Concludes with Nine-Point Declaration

Tikapur. The eleventh conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Forum held in Tikapur, Sudurpashchim Province, has concluded by issuing a nine-point declaration. The conference was organized with the objective of effectively implementing the legislative and law-making processes of the federal, provincial, and local levels in accordance with the constitutional principles of cooperation, coordination, and coexistence, embracing the spirit of the federal democratic republican governance system envisioned by the country's constitution. Nine-Point Declaration Issued by the Forum: 1. Federal Parliament and all Provincial Assemblies will establish a digital parliament system to make law-making and parliamentary activities of all three tiers faster, more efficient, and transparent, ensure citizen participation in parliamentary activities through information technology, and make inter-tier cooperation and interlinking IT-enabled. 2. All Provincial Assemblies will establish federal-provincial coordination branches/units to coordinate with federal MPs for effective cooperation and interlinking between the parliaments/assemblies of different tiers. Furthermore, the Federal Parliament Secretariat's Provincial Assembly Liaison and Coordination Branch will serve as the secretariat for the Inter-Parliamentary Forum. 3. To make the law-making and legislative activities of all three tiers based on research, development, and innovation, and to conduct capacity-building programs for the representatives and employees of the federal parliament, provincial assemblies, and local levels, special initiatives will be taken to establish a legislative institute under the federal parliament. 4. To make the government's policy and program, pre-budget discussions, and parliamentary budget-making process effective and result-oriented, the work of establishing a parliamentary budget office with necessary legal provisions by the federal parliament and provincial assemblies will be advanced within the next fiscal year. 5. To enhance the working efficiency of the members of the federal parliament and provincial assemblies and to make law-making and parliamentary activities qualitative and effective, efforts will be made to the relevant bodies for the provision of essential support staff for the members of the federal parliament and provincial assemblies. 6. To exchange exemplary legislative practices and legislative work efficiency of the federal, provincial, and local levels, interaction, discussion, and review programs will be organized as needed among the officials and employees of the federal, provincial, and local levels. 7. In the context of problems in staff management in the provincial assemblies directly affecting assembly operations and law-making, the government of Nepal will be requested to enact necessary laws regarding the formation of a common service for the staff of the federal parliament and provincial assemblies, in accordance with the provisions of Article 231 (3) of Part 20 of the Constitution of Nepal concerning the interrelationship between the federal, provincial, and local levels. 8. To make the activities and roles of the Deputy Speaker of the Federal Parliament, House of Representatives, Vice-Chairperson of the National Assembly, and Deputy Speakers of the Provincial Assemblies more active and fruitful, a study committee will be formed under the convenorship of Tul Bahadur Kandel, Secretary of the National Assembly, with Sudarshan Khadka, Secretary of the Koshi Provincial Assembly, and Durlabh Kumar Pun Magar, Secretary of the Lumbini Provincial Assembly, as members, to study what improvements can be made, considering the Constitution of Nepal and prevailing laws, and submit a report with suggestions within three months. After the committee submits its report, the Inter-Parliamentary Forum meeting will be held to make necessary decisions. 9. The twelfth conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Forum will be held in Karnali Province.