Non-Resident Nepali Association Approves Budget, Appoints Patrons

Kathmandu. The 115th International Coordination Council (ICC) meeting of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) has approved the budget for the upcoming term and appointed 5 individuals to the Patronage Council.

The meeting, held virtually on June 13 and 14, made 14 decisions aimed at improving the association's internal management, financial transparency, and organizational unity, according to a press release issued on Thursday. The meeting, chaired by President Hemraj Sharma, was broadcast live on Facebook for the first time in NRNA's history, informed spokesperson Somnath Sapkota. 

The meeting unanimously approved a budget plan of Rs 5 crore 37 lakh 63 thousand 6 hundred 68 for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/84. This budget will primarily be spent on the operation of the association's secretariat, administrative tasks, and the implementation of projects by various departments. 

To strictly enforce financial good governance, the meeting gave office bearers and ICC members a two-week deadline to pay their levies and nomination fees. It was decided that the names of individuals who fail to pay the fees within this period will be removed from the association's official website. Furthermore, the treasurer and financial team have been instructed to publish financial reports every three months.

Another significant decision of the meeting was the formation of the Patronage Council. To provide guardianship to the association, founding president Upendra Mahato, former presidents Jiva Lamichhane and Badri KC, immediate past president Mahesh Shrestha, and founding general secretary Bhim Udash have been appointed as patrons. Similarly, Professor and Social Anthropologist David Gellner from Oxford University and members of the steering committee formed for the organization of the 12th general convention have been nominated to the association's advisory committee. Hikmat Thapa has been given the responsibility of coordinator for the statute interpretation committee, and Ratan Jha has been appointed as the coordinator of the disciplinary committee.

Regarding organizational expansion and conferences, NRNA has set the schedule for the upcoming year. The 17th Europe Regional Meeting will be held in Dublin, Ireland, on August 10-11. Likewise, the 11th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference has been decided to be organized in Guangzhou, China, on August 15-16. The Middle East Regional Conference in November, the Oceania Regional Conference in December in New Zealand, and the Americas Regional Conference in March-April 2027 in Canada have been approved. A World Knowledge Conference, Women's Conference, and Second Generation Youth Conference will also be organized by January 2027.

The meeting has taken concrete steps to manage national coordination councils (NCCs) that are in dispute. The unification of parallel NCCs in the Netherlands and Denmark has been approved, while the two groups in Qatar, France, Belgium, Malta, Malaysia, and Thailand have been brought into the unification process on the condition of paying fees. NCCs in the USA, Portugal, UAE, Kuwait, and South Korea have been instructed to complete their unification general convention by July 31. Roshan Thapa, Dinesh Ghimire, Anuja Pradhan, Rajendra Aryal, Parasmani Pokharel, and Mohammad Muktada Musalman have been assigned special responsibilities to coordinate in these countries.

A technical committee comprising 7 experts has been formed to make the election system reliable and technology-friendly. This committee must study the problems in the election system and submit a report within 45 days. The meeting also approved the process of appointing two new IT officers to strengthen the secretariat's IT department. Similarly, the process of registering the NRNA Foundation in the Netherlands has been advanced to make it more dynamic internationally, with the responsibility given to Phanindra Pant and Shashi Poudel.

The association has set new criteria for nominations to vacant ICC positions. Appointees must not have any legal or financial irregularities and must have fulfilled all their obligations to the organization. The association has set a strategic goal of allocating 70 percent of its structure to women, youth, and experts. A decision has also been made to prioritize candidates who could not be appointed due to special circumstances in the 12th general convention and to give appropriate positions to NCC presidents who resigned for unity.

The meeting also decided to continue cooperation with international organizations. Agreements with the Red Cross, Chamber of Commerce, and 'We Will Rise' Foundation have been approved by the meeting.