The Citizenship Affected People's Network (CAPN) initiated the Accountability Forum, a coalition of 12 civil society organizations, to strengthen democratic accountability and create a collective platform for policy dialogue ahead of Nepal's 2026 House of Representatives election. Bringing together organizations working on governance, human rights, media, civic engagement, and social justice, the Forum was established to encourage issue-based political discourse, promote transparency, and hold political parties accountable to their manifesto commitments. Through this initiative, CAPN reaffirmed its leadership in convening diverse stakeholders to advance rights-based advocacy and inclusive governance.
As the first major initiative of the Accountability Forum, CAPN successfully organized the Manifesto Dialogue 2026 on 28 February 2026 in Kathmandu, bringing together representatives from major political parties, civil society organizations, media, and other key stakeholders. The event provided a structured, policy-oriented platform for pre-election engagement, focusing on party manifestos as instruments of public accountability. Through moderated discussions on governance, inclusion, civic space, access to justice, and citizenship rights, the dialogue encouraged political parties to publicly articulate their policy commitments while fostering informed public discourse through a live television and digital broadcast.
A central focus of the dialogue was gender-equal citizenship, with discussions highlighting the urgent need to reform Nepal's discriminatory citizenship laws. While political parties broadly acknowledged the issue and expressed support for reform, the dialogue also revealed a gap between broad commitments and concrete implementation plans. By initiating the Accountability Forum and leading the Manifesto Dialogue, CAPN strengthened collaboration among civil society organizations, elevated citizenship rights within the national political agenda, and reinforced its role as a leading advocate for equal citizenship and accountable governance in Nepal.
