Seoul, 11 March : In a major diplomatic milestone for Nepal, Hon. Ek Nath Dhakal, former minister and Member of Parliament, has been nominated as Secretary-General of the newly launched “Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference (ISC)—a global forum for parliamentary diplomacy and international cooperation.

The ISC held its Inaugural Assembly on April 11, 2025, in Seoul, South Korea, with participation from 150 delegates, including nearly 40 parliamentary speakers from across the world.

South Asia took center stage, with Pakistan’s Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, Chairman of the Senate and former Prime Minister, elected as the Founding Chairman of the ISC.

Dhakal’s appointment places Nepal at the heart of a growing global movement to address key challenges—such as climate change, peacebuilding, and sustainable development—through parliamentary diplomacy.

Lawmaker Sunita Baral represented Nepal at the conference and delivered a speech as well .

The inaugural assembly was attended by the former UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, South Korea’s Vice Speaker Hon. H.E. Lee Hackyoung, and Hon. Park Heong-joon, Mayor of Busan Metropolitan City among others . In addition, President of the United Nations General Assembly H.E. Philémon Yang and the Secretary General of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) H.E. Martin Chungong addressed the assembly virtually.

The ISC aims to foster international cooperation and plans to work with inter-governmental and inter-Parliamentary and financial institutions. The Seoul assembly marks the beginning of a new platform where Nepal will play a central leadership role in shaping global dialogue.