Introduction of Organization

The Global Organization Against Corruption (GOPAC), founded in 2002 at a global conference hosted by the Parliament of Canada, is an international network of parliamentarians dedicated to good governance and combating corruption throughout the world, and has been incorporated as a not-for-profit organization under the Canadian Law in September 2003. The organization is comprised of self-governing regional and country chapters of parliamentarians committed to reducing corruption by improving the effectiveness of parliaments as institutions of democratic oversight and accountability. The regional and national chapters work within a local and regional context to strengthen the capacity of parliamentarians to address issues of corruption and promote good governance at regional and national levels respectively. During its second international conference eight goal-orientated task forces to advance global anti-corruption initiatives in key areas were formed; which are as follows:

	Code of Conduct for Parliamentarians
	Parliamentary Immunity
	Parliamentary Oversight
	Access to Information and Media
	International Convention Against Corruption
	Anti Money Laundering (AML)/ Combating Terrorist Financing (CFT)/ Repatriation of Assets
	Resource Revenue Transparency
	Development Assistance Loans and Grants

In April 2007, Pro Public have had first informal consultations with a group of relatively young, yet very enthusiastic, Parliamentarians of the Interim Legislature-Parliament about inducting the Interim Legislature-Parliament into the Canada-based ‘Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption’ (GOPAC) www.gopacnetwork.org/main_en.htm with a view to reassert the role of Legislature-Parliament not only as a Legislative Body but also as a Sovereign Supreme Body of democratic oversight in the country with the authority extending over all three branches of the State. Pro Public, as an organization dedicated to the promotion of good governance and curbing corruption, had at first discussed informally the prevailing situation with some selected, and interested in the issues of good governance and anti-corruption, Legislators-Parliamentarians and floated the idea to get inducted into GOPAC International, with a view to establishing GOPAC – Nepal Chapter and also becoming the part of yet-to-be-formed GOPAC South-Asia Regional Chapter. The response was encouraging and initially some fifteen Legislators-Parliamentarians belonging to various parties in the Legislature-Parliament filled-in the GOPAC membership form.

Later on, it was agreed to form an ‘Interim Steering National Chapter Board’ comprising six members under the Chairpersonship of Hon’ble Mr. Jagannath Khatiwada and to designate Pro Public as its Secretariat and its Good Governance and Anti-corruption Department as the coordinating agency. It was also decided to inform the GOPAC International of the same and of the intention of the Legislators-Parliamentarians from Nepal to join the global network of Parliamentarians.

The participation of the Legislators-Parliamentarians from Nepal was a success since a formal decision was made to establish the Secretariat of the proposed GOPAC South-Asia Chapter in Kathmandu, Nepal and also to entrust Nepal to organize a Regional Conference in February, 2008 with a view to formally establish the South-Asia Regional Chapter of GOPAC. Upon return, the Interim Legislature-Parliament formally designated Pro Public as the Secretariat for the proposed regional conference as well as the Secretariat for GOPAC-Nepal Chapter and soon-to-be-established GOPAC South-Asia Regional Chapter until other alternative arrangements were made.