On July 31, 2024, the National Indigenous Women Forum (NIWF) hosted a reception dinner with Q’apaj Conde, Associate Programme Management Officer at UN Biodiversity and Co-chair of the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus. The event celebrated the visit of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Secretariat Team and the High Ambition Coalition (HAC) Team to Nepal, who were in the country for a regional capacity-building workshop titled "Achieving Target 3: Beyond Boundaries." The workshop was held over two and a half days at ICIMOD, Khumaltar.

Distinguished guests at the reception dinner included Hon. Chair Ram Bahadur Thapa of the Indigenous Nationalities Commission, Hon. Chair Bishnu Prasad Chaudhary of the Tharu Commission, Vijay Singh, Assistant Country Director of UNDP, Ghana Shyam Gurung, Country Representative of WWF, Gelje Sherpa, Chair of the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN), Diwas Rai, Buddha Ghartee Vice Chair of NEFIN, General Secretary of NEFIN, Sangeeta Lama, Chair of Sankalpa, Ek Raj Sigdel of WWF, Barsha Lekhi, I.E Specialist of UNESCO, Bijendra Basnyat of UNDP, Vivek Sharma of GEF-SGP, Kumar Yatru, Producer of Indigenous Television, Dhani Ram Tharu of Tharu Aayog, Kamal Sampang Rai of NIFB, Bishwas Chepang, Program Coordinator of CIPRED.

The reception dinner was facilitated by NIWF's Program Officer, Ms. Saraswati Sherpa. During the event, Mr. Kamal Sampang Rai presented on the development of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) in Nepal. Hon. Chair Ram Bahadur Thapa discussed the role of Nepali Indigenous Nationalities in biodiversity conservation. Hon. Bishnu Prasad Chaudhary also provided insights on the relationship between Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and biodiversity. Mr. Ghana Shyam Gurung shared his perspectives on biodiversity, and Mr. Vijay Kumar Singh offered additional insights. Our special guest speaker, Q’apaj Conde, shared valuable insights on Indigenous Peoples and Biodiversity from a global perspective.

The dinner reception provided an opportunity for key stakeholders, including government officials, representatives from international organizations, and Indigenous leaders, to network and discuss the role of Indigenous Communities in biodiversity conservation. It also served as a platform for sharing knowledge and experiences related to biodiversity and Indigenous issues on both a national and global scale.