MOLEG approves Nepal's accession to Council of Asian Legislative Institutions and...

Press Release

Release date

Upon distribution

Distribution

September 18, 2026(Fri.)

MOLEG approves Nepal's accession to Council of Asian Legislative Institutions and discusses ways to strengthen access to law

• Hosting the General Assembly of the Council of Asian Legislative Institutions(CALI) and 14th Asian Legislative Experts Symposium(ALES) -

The Ministry of Government Legislation(Minister Cho Won-cheol) held the "General Assembly of the Council of Asian Legislative Institutions(CALI)" and the "14th Asian Legislative Experts Symposium(ALES)" consecutively on September 17(Thu) and 18(Fri).

CALI is designed to discuss common legislative challenges among Asian countries, such as artificial intelligence(AI) and digital transformation, and to establish a permanent body for cooperation. It was launched last November with legislative institutions from four Asian countries — Korea, Mongolia, Thailand, and Uzbekistan — as members.

At this year's General Assembly, Nepal's participation as a new member of CALI was approved, and a memorandum of understanding(MOU) to formalize its accession was signed. Members also agreed to continue active exchange by conducting research on legislative issues and holding online and offline seminars in 2027 as well.

The following day, September 18, the 14th Asian Legislative Experts Symposium was held under the theme “Current Status of Legal and Policy Frameworks and Cooperation Strategies for Enhancing People-Centered Access to Law in the Asian Region." A total of seven countries participated, including Indonesia, Laos, and Malaysia, with officials from each country's legislative institutions giving presentations.

This year’s symposium is intended to help link the Asian Legislative Experts Symposium(ALES) with the Council of Asian Legislative Institutions(CALI). The symposium will come to an end this year. From now on, CALI seminars will take over the role of the Asian Legislative Experts Symposium(ALES) and serve as a platform for knowledge exchange.

The symposium covered cases and policies regarding how Asian countries have enhanced public access to law via legal information systems, as well as the process of translating such policies into law. Based on the presentations, participants broadly exchanged views on future direction for cooperation, including the exchange of legislative information among countries.

"The laws and systems we establish must stay close to the everyday lives of people," said Cho Won-cheol, Minister of Government Legislation. "We will continue to broaden the scope of cooperation among Asian countries and ensure that the tangible results of this cooperation are reflected in our laws and systems."

Attachment 1. Overview of the Council of Asian Legislative Institutions

Attachment 2. Program of the 14th Asian Legislative Experts Symposium

Division in charge

Planning and Coordination Bureau

Person responsible

Director

Seo

Hong-seok

(044-200-6825)

Legislative Exchange and Cooperation Division

Person in charge

Deputy Director

Hyun

So-hyung

(044-200-6827)

Attach- ment 1

Overview of the Council of Asian Legislative Institutions(CALI)

□ Overview of the Council of Asian Legislative Institutions(CALI)

ㅇ (Purpose) Strengthening legislative cooperation in Asia to effectively respond to future changes, such as climate change and advancements in artificial intelligence(AI)

ㅇ (Nature) A reciprocal multilateral consultative body established through voluntary memorandum of understanding(MOU) among Asian legislative institutions wishing to participate

ㅇ (Members) Korea, Mongolia, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Nepal

□ Conducting Research and Seminars in the Legislative Field

o(Research on Legislative Issues) Identifying common interests through a demand survey of Asian legislative institutions(year n-1) → General Assembly approval → Conducting research by each member countries and sharing outcomes through seminars(year n)

o(Seminars) Holding online and offline seminars to share experience in legislative administration — including legislative improvement, drafting, and interpretation related to global issues — and to discuss directions for legislative improvement

□ Holding the General Assembly and Coordination Committee

o Convening annual meetings of the General Assembly(heads of institutions) and the Coordination Committee(senior officials) to conduct research on common Asian issues and discuss international cooperation in the legislative sector

• The Legislative Exchange and Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Government Legislation is designated as the Secretariat to support the operation of CALI

** The Chair of the General Assembly and the Coordination Committee is elected in rotation among member countries for a one-year term → Chair of 2026: (General Assembly) Korea(Coordination Committee) Thailand

Attach- ment 2

Program of the 14th Asian Legislative Experts Symposium(ALES)

Time

Content

Speaker

09:00~09:30

Participant registration

09:30∼09:35

Opening

remarks

Woncheol Cho(Minister of Government Legislation)

09:35∼09:40

Welcoming

remarks

Kukwoon Lee(President of Korea Legislation Research Institute)

09:40~09:45

Congratulatory

remarks

Parashwor Dhungana(Secretary of Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs of Nepal)

09:45~09:55

Keynote

speech

Anne Juepner(Director of UNDP Seoul Policy Centre)

People-centred access to law: A pathway to trust and stronger institutions

09:55~10:05

Commemorative photo and break

Session 1

10:05∼10:20

Korea

Hyunggun Kim(Director General, Department of International Cooperation, Korea Legislation Research Institute)

Public Access to Law in the Republic of Korea: Current Status and Future Development Direction of the Online Legal Information Databases

10:20∼10:35

Indonesia

Agung Harish Bastoro(Legal Analyst, Ministry of Law)

Indonesia’s National Legal Documentation and Information Network(JDIHN): Current Status, Challenges, and Policy Directions

10:35∼10:50

Laos

Nalonglith Norasing(Director General, Department of Legislation, Ministry of Justice)

Lessons Learned on Translating Policy into Law in the Lao PDR

10:50∼11:05

Nepal

Aruna Joshi(Joint Secretary, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs)

Nepal’s Legislative Status and Cooperation

11:05∼11:15

Break

11:15∼11:35

Discussion

Moderator: Jaehong Lee(Professor, Ewha Womans University Law School)

11:35∼13:00

Luncheon

Session 2

13:00∼13:15

Malaysia

Siti Illyana Binti Mohd Nawi(Deputy Parliamentary Draftsman III, Attorney General's Chambers)

Bringing the Law Closer to the People: Malaysia’s Experience through the Federal Legislation Portal of Malaysia

13:15∼13:30

Thailand

Saveethika Leesurakarn(Senior Professional Level Legal Counsel, Office of the Council of State)

From National Reform to Government Digital Transformation: Thailand’s Journey toward People-Centered Access to Law and Public Services

13:30∼13:45

France

Martin Hirsch(Member, Conseil d’Etat)

Access to law, access to rights: the French experience in the European context

13:45∼14:00

Break

14:00∼14:20

Discussion

Moderator: Jiweon Seon(Professor, Hanyang University Law School)

14:20∼14:30

Wrap-up and closing