8th February 2026, Kathmandu.
A discussion program on ensuring commitments through political party manifestos for the promotion of civic space was held under the initiative of the Civic Space Promotion Alliance, supported by CWIN Nepal and Save the Children International. The event brought together representatives from the various Parliamentary Committees, members of various political parties, and civil society representatives, including National Adolescents Networks.

Delivering the welcome remarks, Mr. Kumar Bhattarai, Executive Director of CWIN-Nepal, emphasized the need for clear commitments from political parties toward strengthening civic participation. He highlighted the importance of clarifying political parties’ perspectives toward civil society and stressed the need to update and reform existing laws governing social organizations in a timely manner. He further underscored that civil society organizations should be recognized as important development partners and that meaningful participation must be ensured through appropriate legal and policy frameworks. Issues related to children, including concerns of statelessness and broader child rights challenges, were also raised during the discussion.

Dr. Rojnath Pandey, Secretary of the Federal Parliamentary Secretariat, presented a paper on promoting civic space to be incorporated into the manifestos of political parties for the upcoming Federal Parliament election. His recommendations included ensuring freedom of expression, the right to peaceful assembly, protection of human rights, inclusion, meaningful participation of citizens in policymaking, the right to recall, the right to reject, and proactive disclosure of public information.

Following Dr. Pandey’s presentation, the participants engaged with the political party representatives, raising their concerns, questions, and suggestions regarding the incorporation of these recommendations into party manifestos. The discussion provided an opportunity for dialogue and feedback, ensuring that the voices of civil society and citizens are considered in shaping political commitments.

Representatives from all participating political parties expressed their commitment to addressing the raised demands. While there were differing views on certain points among the parties, there was a shared understanding that the proposed recommendations are constructive and important for strengthening democratic practices.