KATHMANDU, November 1- Representatives of four major political parties from Nepal are set to participate in the 13th General Assembly of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), scheduled to take place in Seoul, South Korea, from November 4 to 7.
The gathering is expected to bring together around 90 political parties from 36 countries, providing an international platform for political leaders to exchange views, strengthen inter-party relations and discuss common regional and global challenges.
Seven representatives from four Nepali political parties will attend the assembly. They include two representatives each from the CPN-UML, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and Janata Samajbadi Party, and one from the CPN (Unified Socialist).
From the CPN-UML, Secretary Sherdhan Rai and Dr. Gopal Khanal, a member of the party’s Department of Foreign Affairs, will participate. Rai is also the founding Chief Minister of Koshi Province.
The RSP will be represented by its General Secretary Bipin Kumar Acharya and Kripa Maharjan. Former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal will represent the CPN (Unified Socialist), while Janata Samajbadi Party President Upendra Yadav and Sailendra Mohan Jha will attend on behalf of their party.
Notably, there will be no representative from the Nepali Congress at this year’s General Assembly. The party has actively participated in previous ICAPP assemblies and meetings and is considered one of the organisation’s founding members. ICAPP Standing Committee Chairman Chung Eui-yong had also invited the Nepali Congress leadership to participate in the Seoul gathering.
Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal is scheduled to brief the Nepali delegation before its engagement in Korea, providing an opportunity to discuss Nepal’s foreign policy priorities and diplomatic perspectives in the context of the international gathering.
Established in Manila, the Philippines, in September 2000, ICAPP was created to bring together political parties across ideological and political differences and promote dialogue, mutual understanding and cooperation. Its first conference brought together 40 political parties from 21 Asian countries. The organisation’s secretariat is based in Seoul.
ICAPP provides a platform for ruling and opposition parties to engage directly with their counterparts beyond conventional government-to-government diplomatic channels. Its activities focus on regional peace, stability, economic cooperation, democratic development and people-to-people relations.
The 13th General Assembly is expected to deliberate on contemporary regional and international developments, with an emphasis on strengthening political dialogue and cooperation amid changing geopolitical and economic conditions.
Alongside the General Assembly, an ICAPP Media Forum meeting will also be held, bringing together media representatives and political stakeholders to discuss the role of media in promoting regional understanding, cooperation and public engagement.
The assembly is expected to conclude with the adoption of the Seoul Declaration, outlining the participating parties’ common positions, commitments and areas of cooperation on major regional and international issues.
Nepal’s participation through representatives of different political parties is expected to provide opportunities to establish international political contacts, exchange perspectives on contemporary geopolitical developments and explore avenues for strengthening bilateral party relations. It also reflects the role of party-to-party diplomacy as a complementary channel of Nepal’s international engagement.