The Prime Minister’s Office has formed a cross-ministerial panel to prepare a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for appointment of ambassadors, consulars, attachés and other diplomatic officials.

Mahendra Man Gurung, secretary at the PMO, is leading the panel whose members are secretaries from the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Home, Law and Justice and Commerce.

Nepal does not have a clear SOP on the appointment of envoys, functions allotted to the various agencies

while appointing envoys, consular general, defence

and labour attachés and ambassadorial appointments made by the other countries.

“We will come up with a clear SOP of various government agencies before and after the diplomatic appointments,” said Gurung, who heads the panel.

“Once we  come up with a report within 45 days, it will make the government working procedure more transparent and well-coordinated.”

Having already held a meeting on documentation and appointment process, the SOP is set to come up with suggestions for immediate implementation on responsibilities of the concerned offices prior to making such appointments.

“As the highest administrative body, it will be led by PMO for ease of coordination and facilitation process,” said Gurung.

He, however, clarified that the SOP will not prepare any criteria for ambassadorial appointment.