KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 17 A stakeholder consultation programme was held in Kathmandu on Monday to gather feedback on institutionalising Media and Information Literacy (MIL) within youth-focused organizations across Nepal. The consultation workshop, titled 'Media and Information Literacy Promotion Program Operational Framework: Stakeholder Consultation Workshop,' was jointly organised by the National Youth Council, UNESCO and Youth Innovation Lab. The event brought together 60 participants, including officials from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the National Youth Council, and representatives of 40 youth-focused organisations from different parts of the country. Addressing the opening session as chief guest, Vice Chairperson of the National Youth Council Surendra Basnet underscored the Council's responsibility to implement priorities outlined in the National Youth Policy 2082, particularly in areas such as digital literacy, cyber safety and meaningful youth participation. He reaffirmed the Council's commitment to institutionalising MIL in collaboration with youth organisations and strategic partners. The programme was chaired by National Youth Council Administrative Chief Gehanath Gautam and attended by UNESCO Representative to Nepal Jaco du Toit and Youth Innovation Lab Interim Programme Director Goma Karki. Speaking at the event, du Toit highlighted UNESCO's commitment to promoting Media and Information Literacy as a core competency for building inclusive, resilient and democratic societies. He said integrating MIL into the operational structure of the National Youth Council would help ensure sustainability, national ownership and consistent implementation nationwide. During the workshop, participants reviewed the draft operational framework and provided recommendations to strengthen and refine the document. Presenting the next steps, technical expert Ujjwal Acharya said the feedback would inform the final version of the framework. Concluding the programme, Gautam said the inputs received would be incorporated into the final draft, which the National Youth Council plans to approve and move forward for implementation.