Many people in Nepal see federalism as a way to empower communities and regions marginalised by the centralization of power, and to acknowledge and further promote the country’s religious, linguistic and ethnic diversity.

Understanding federalism and discussing its key issues and options are at the core of the current constitution making debate.

This Glossary builds on an earlier edition, published in 2009, and offers definitions for some 300 federal terms and their translation into Nepali. It has been created to help foster a common understanding of the key terms used in federal arrangements. It also serves as a tool to explain federal concepts to individuals and groups as they engage in the process of preparing submissions and proposals to the Constituent Assembly.

The Glossary is a joint publication produced by International IDEA, the United Nations Development Programme (through its Support to Participatory Constitution Building in Nepal project) and the Forum of Federations (Canada), and is part of an attempt to standardize Nepali constitutional terminology and contribute to the development of plain language drafting of legal and constitutional texts in the country.