National Assembly Chairman Narayan Prasad Dahal met Tulia Ackson, president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Martin Chungong, secretary general of the IPU, in Geneva.

During the meeting, they discussed cooperation between Nepal’s federal parliament and the IPU, the exchange of support, and the parliamentary role in promoting democracy, according to chair Dahal’s secretariat.

Chair Dahal highlighted how various IPU meetings and programmes have supported democracy, human rights, gender equality, youth empowerment, and sustainable development. He emphasised that dialogue, cooperation, and the exchange of good practices have made parliamentary roles more effective.

He said Nepal is keen to strengthen cooperation with the IPU to further refine parliamentary practices and reinforce democratic institutions.

Dahal expressed Nepal’s interest in having a stronger engagement with the IPU and urged its leadership to consider including Nepal in the IPU secretariat for direct and continuous involvement.

He also highlighted that Nepal, through its constitution, has adopted an inclusive and proportional system to ensure the representation of women, minorities, and marginalised communities. He shared that the federal parliament has 33 per cent women, while 41 per cent of the representatives in provincial and local governments are women.

Ackson acknowledged Nepal’s active participation in the IPU and expressed her appreciation for its efforts in promoting inclusivity.

She remarked that having 33 percent women representation in Nepal’s federal parliament is commendable and that Nepal has made significant strides in this area. Ackson assured that she would work to ensure Nepal's representation in the IPU secretariat.

IPU Secretary General Chungong and members of the Nepali parliamentary delegation were also present during the meeting.