Designation of
Pro Public as the Organizing Committee for GOPAC
Regional Conference
Through a formal letter from
the Secretary of Legislature-Parliament (dated
18 October 2007) addressed to Mr. Kedar Khadka,
Director, Pro Public had designated Pro Public
as the Organizing Committee to hold the upcoming
South-Asian Regional Conference, of yet-to-be-formed
GOPAC Regional Chapter for its formal establishment,
in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Formation of an
GOPAC-Nepal Chapter Ad-hoc Committee
On
5 December 2007 the members of the erstwhile ‘Interim
Steering National Chapter Board’ formally
agreed to transform it into an ‘GOPAC-Nepal
Chapter Ad-hoc Committee’ with Hon’ble
Mr. Jagannath Khatiwada to continue as its Chairperson.
(Please click
here for the members of Executive Committee).
Above all, it was agreed that the top most priority
for GOPAL-Nepal Chapter Ad-hoc Committee was to
organize successfully the First South-Asia Regional
Conference of GOPAC in Nepal with a view to formally
launching GOPAC South-Asia Regional Chapter.
Registration of
GOPAC-Nepal Chapter
GOPAC-Nepal
Chapter was formally registered at the Office of
the District Development Committee, Kathmandu (reg.
no.: 662/064/065, dated: 10/12/07) and Kathmandu
District Administration Office (reg. no.: 589, dated:
10/12/07), and affiliated to Social Welfare Council
(no.: 23986, dated: 12/12/07). This process was
facilitated by the secretariat, Pro Public.
Establishment of
the Secretariat of GOPAC-Nepal Chapter and the Organizing
Committee
After
the designation of Pro Public as the Secretariat
of the Organization, a modest premise has been rented
not very far from the office of Pro Public in order
to ensure easy availability of the logistical support
from Pro Public. While selecting the space for the
Secretariat close to the main office of Pro Public
the sentiments of Hon’ble Members of Legislature-Parliament
not to be seen as being too closely aligned to,
or being driven by, Pro Public has been carefully
considered and respected.
Formation of GOPAC-Nepal
Chapter Management Committee
Since
it was considered not to be feasible to expect all
GOPAC-Nepal Chapter Ad-hoc Committee members to
be present in all its meetings, it was agreed to
form a ‘Management Committee’ comprising
members of the Ad-hoc Committee and selected personnel
from Pro Public. Click
here for the management committee members.
The Committee had discussed among its members and
also with Pro Public what needs to be done in first
two years – the tenure of the present Ad-hoc
Committee. Although many rather ambitious plans
were discussed like, the capacity building of the
Legislators-Parliamentarians, exchange visit to
the region and from the region, developing the Parliament
into a democratic oversight agency in the country
etc., it was, however, agreed that the organization
of the proposed South-Asia Regional Conference of
GOPAC should be the top most task of the management
committee and that all out efforts need to be made
immediately to mobilize resources to organize the
mega event.
Joint Program organized
on Anti-corruption day
GOPAC-Nepal
had joined CIAA, NCaC and Pro Public in organizing
an interaction program in Kathmandu to mark the
International Anti-Corruption Day on 9th December,
being celebrated every year. Hon'ble Chief Justice
of Supreme Court, Mr. Kedar Prasad Giri presided
over the function in which a strong plea was made
to the Legislature-Parliament members to press the
Government of Nepal to ratify the United Nations
Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) which Nepal
has already signed some years back and the Parliament
had already passed a resolution to that effect in
year 2063.
Highlighting the need to fight corruption through
parliament, GOPAC Nepal Chapter President Honorable
MP Jaganath Khatiwada said that GOPAC would now
deal with corruption issues and build global solidarity
through the parliament. Similarly, Member of Legislature-Parliament
Parshuram Meghi Gurung lamented over corruption
issue getting into shadow at present because of
other political agendas coming to the spotlight.
"We can't say that nothing has been done in
anti-corruption field but has not been up to the
mark," Gurung added.
Joint-Secretary of Ministry of Law, Justice and
Parliamentary Affairs Kedar Poudel discussed existing
legal frameworks and their amendments to implement
the UN Convention against Corruption. "A number
of laws have to be amended to bring athe UNCaC into
force in Nepal," he informed. To raise anti-corruption
awareness and to build solidarity against corruption
from all quarters, Pro Public printed 'zero denomination'
note and distributed among the participants to promote
zero tolerance against corruption.
The joint program was a big success because it was
for the first time that GOPAC-Nepal was formally
introduced to the audience present there and large
number of Legislators-Parliamentarians was also
present.
Specific activities
related to the ‘mega event’ already
carried out
Hon’ble
Speaker of the Legislature-Parliament, Mr. Subas
Chandra Nembang has already confirmed the dates
14-16 February 2008 for the regional conference,
which have been communicated to GOPAC International
accordingly.
Venue for the Conference and logistical arrangements
for the delegates have been tentatively finalized
with The Everest Hotel, New Baneswor, Kathmandu.
In total, 31 delegates are to be invited: 5 Parliamentarians
each from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka;
2 Parliamentarians each from Afghanistan, Bhutan,
Maldives and Kuwait; and 3 delegates from GOPAC
International Secretariat, Ottawa, Canada.
Although no resources have been mobilized as yet,
the ‘management committee’ is very hopeful
that the Organizing Committee will be able to arrange
sponsorships for delegates from different countries
from different sources. The Asia Foundation &
National Democratic Institute (NDI) has already
been approached for arranging sponsorships for delegates
from some of the countries and there is every reason
to believe that it will sponsor delegates from at
least three countries (Afghanistan, Pakistan and
Sri Lanka). Similarly, the secretariat has also
approached some potential donor agencies for the
possible funding for the Mega Event and also for
its two years grand activities in Nepal.
