Kathmandu, October 9

Nepal Policy Institute has announced that it will unveil its strategic plan (2019-21) amidst a plenary session of the first global knowledge conference scheduled to be held in Kathmandu from October 12 to 14.

NPI Chair Kagendra Dhakal said, non-resident Nepalis would speak on the role of Nepali diaspora in development policies during the conference. NPI is a global initiative of Non-Resident Nepali Association.

“After 10 months of internal preparations, NPI is all set to unveil its strategic plan for 2019-21,” he added. Dhakal explained that NPI would not replace any think tank in Nepal but would  strengthen the

existing ones and public policy research, analysis and advocacy ecosystem in Nepal through collaboration, partnership and exchanges.

According to Dhakal, NPI’s comparative advantage is that it can provide swift and relevant wide-ranging and multi-angled perspectives and recommendations for determining, adapting or implementing suitable public policy in Nepal. What makes NPI unique is that it will bring world resources to Nepal and take the Nepali experience to the world by promoting Nepal in the global arena.

Dhakal elaborated that NPI would be a forum of Nepali origin public policy scholars, researchers, practitioners, experts and consultants across the globe in collaboration and partnership with people and institutions working in the interest of Nepal and Nepali people across the globe, including the Nepali diaspora.

This will be a borderless organisation working and connecting people all over the world.

While talking about areas of NPI’s focus and priorities, Dhakal said they had discussed with the National Planning Commission and other policy making agencies of Nepal the need to identify national needs and priorities. However, NPI’s current list of core activities include labour migration, use of remittance, social protection, revenue and expenditure management at the provincial and local levels, international investment, trade and tourism, and science-based education.

“Similarly, research and development for economic diversification and value addition in health, environment, agriculture and natural resources, and Sustainable Development Goals-2030 will be our core areas of focus,” he added.

During the fourth plenary of the first global knowledge conference, executive member of NPI Sharad Neupane will present NPI’s proposal where National Planning Commission’s Vice-chair Puspa Kadel, NRNA founder international coordinator Bhim Udash, Foreign Secretary Shankar Bairagi and Prof Krishna Adhikari from Oxford University will be speaking on the role of the Nepali diaspora in development policies.

In the panel discussion of the same session, NRNA President Bhaban Bhatta, economist Prof Madan Kumar Dahal and Nepal-based social leader  and NPI EC member Sharu Joshi Shrestha will be discussing NPI’s proposal.

Former foreign and finance minister Bhekh Bahadur Thapa will chair the conference and NPI Chair Dhakal will moderate the session. With inputs from the session, NPI will finalise its strategic plan, Dhakal said.

NPI was conceived as a result of the global expansion of NRNA network into different knowledge crops globally in its 15 years of journey. When NRNA reviewed its past 15 years to chart out its future direction, the need of a policy institute was identified as a major component of NRNA vision 2020 and beyond.