Public administration must act as enabler of progress: FM Khanal

Kathmandu, Nov. 6

Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said that public administration must be equipped to govern effectively amid a changing global environment and growing challenges.

Addressing the International Conference on Public Administration and Governance in South Asia in Lalitpur on Friday, he said public administration must learn to govern amid uncertainty as artificial intelligence (AI), climate change and geopolitical tensions rapidly reshape the global order.

“Public administration, which was built for stability, must now learn to govern amid uncertainty,” he said.

FM Khanal stressed that public administration should not be confined to safeguarding rules but should be developed as an enabler of progress that brings positive changes to people's lives. He said public servants should act as facilitators of progress.

Noting that laws and policy frameworks were necessary for good governance but were not sufficient on their own, he said the character, integrity and accountability of those holding public office were equally important.

The foreign minister also outlined five priorities for reforming public administration - strengthening democratic legitimacy and public trust, placing ethics and sensitivity at the centre of public service, building institutions capable of innovation and adaptation, promoting inclusion through meaningful participation, and enhancing state capacity to respond to an uncertain global environment.

Likewise, FM Khanal said digital transformation could make public service delivery simpler, more transparent and more effective. He noted that Nepal was working to integrate government services through the Nagarik App. He also said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was promoting the ‘MOFA Mitra’ app to make consular information and services more readily accessible to millions of Nepalis living abroad.

Highlighting the need for South Asian countries to exchange experiences, research and knowledge on public administration, he said efforts should be made to explore the possibility of establishing a network to promote cooperation and the exchange of experiences among civil service training institutions in the region.

The three-day conference, jointly organised by the Nepal Administrative Staff College (NASC), the Public Administration Association of Nepal (PAAN) and the South Asian Network for Public Administration (SANPA), concluded on Friday.

It was attended more than 300 delegates and researchers from around 15 countries participated and contributed to the academic discussions.

"Over the three days, the conference featured around 145 research contributions, 33 parallel technical sessions and four thematic panels, covering contemporary issues in public administration, public policy and governance," the organisers informed in a statement.

The conference sought to encourage critical reflection on contemporary governance challenges, participatory learning and collective policy analysis, while strengthening the link between research and public policy practice.

The conference identified climate change, digital transformation, migration, social security and growing inequality as shared challenges facing South Asian countries. It also highlighted the need to expand regional cooperation, comparative studies and the exchange of experiences to address these issues.

The conference was the third international event in the SANPA conference series. The first was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 2024, while the second took place in Lahore, Pakistan, in 2025.

Published in The Rising Nepal on 7 November 2026.