Nepal Invites Application from Citizens | Major Shift in Nepal's Diplomatic Practice | WION NEWS

Added: 2026-05-31

[00:00:00]First of its kind move. Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has invited applications from eligible citizens for ambassadorial and permanent representative posts. A step that can be described as a shift toward a more open selection process for the country's top diplomatic appointments. Government has published a seven-page terms of reference outlining the process. Under the terms, the ambassador Doddorial post is equivalent to a gazated specialass position with a 4-year tenure. Eligible applicants must hold a post-graduate degree in fields such as international relations, political science, law, economics, or public administration along with specialized training in diplomacy, international trade or multilateral negotiations. Candidates are also expected to have significant leadership experience in senior roles across government, diplomatic, corporate, NGO or public service sectors with a strong record in bilateral or multilateral negotiations, treatym or international legal frameworks.

[00:01:04]Applicants must not be listed on any government of Nepal or international blacklist. Applicants must also be Nepali citizens aged at least 35 years.

[00:01:14]And the deadline for the application is June 5th. And the move also comes amid an ongoing debate over whether ambassadorial appointments should be made through open competition or reserved for experts and experienced individuals.

[00:01:35]For more on this, our correspondent Saloni Murka has sent us this report from Kathmandu, Nepal.

[00:01:44]Nepal is attempting to change the way it appoints its ambassadors. For the first time in Nepal's history, the government has opened ambassadorial application process to public and has also imposed stricter rules for who can qualify for the post. This comes at a time when over 15 embassies and missions abroad are running without an ambassador and many more are going to fall vacant in the coming months. Many supporters from the former diplomatic community and experts have welcomed this decision saying that this process could bring some transparency and professionalism.

[00:02:23]However, there is skepticism as well.

[00:02:25]Many of the critiques say that traditionally the ambassadorial appointments have been influenced by party connections or party loyalty and despite this new rules the final decision still falls in the hands of the government. So there are concerns however this new framework looks good on the paper but there are concerns that if the government will follow the merit-based standards. I'm Saloni Muraka reporting for Von from Kathmandu Nepal.