Over 340 participants – ministers, federal and provincial parliamentarians, mayors and chairs of municipalities of Province 2, experts, intellectuals, and government officials – attended the Vision Summit on Prosperous Province 2 by 2030, in Janakpur on 1-2 July 2018. Organized by the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development and Provincial Government with technical facilitation from the Centre for Prosperous Nepal, the Summit aimed to inform multi-stakeholders on the current status, potentials, issues and constraints related to Vision themes (social, economic, infrastructure and agriculture development, natural resource and environment conservation) to make Province 2 economically prosperous, and collect input on these themes and priority areas for action.

Signed by Chief Minister Lal Babu Raut, the Janakpur Declaration recalls and realises the need for updating data, information and knowledge on themes of Vision Summit to capitalize opportunities; conserving the Chure area; promoting participation, cooperation, and collaboration and applying 'common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities' approach, including public-private-academe-NGO partnership; and aligning development with global and regional initiatives such as sustainable development goals, disaster risk reduction, new urban agenda, green growth, renewable energy, and environment conservation. The Declaration also recalls the statements, ideas, concerns, perceptions, and interest of the key speakers, paper presenters, session chairs, commentators, and participants; and accords high attachment to the Province 2 campaign to 'educate girls, save girls' and make the Province 'clean and green'.

The Declaration calls, inter alia, for environment-friendly and employment-oriented agricultural and industrial development, and Chure conservation in order to develop the Province as an industrial, commercial, tourism and educational hub by developing and/or enhancing capacity of human resources, and promoting environment conservation, tourism, infrastructure, appropriate technology, and renewable energy, including women farmers-friendly agriculture development. It also calls for establishing agriculture, forests and mineral-based industries; conserving historical, cultural and religious tourist attraction places and promoting environment-friendly tourism through public-private partnership and fund flow. Furthermore, the Declaration calls for implementing multi-sectoral activities to have access to all rights included in the Constitution; ensuring governance for effective delivery of public services; using and sharing experiences and good practices; and also sharing financial and technical support received, utilized and effectiveness of such supported activities for socio-economic transformation.

Inaugurating the Summit and delivering thought-provoking and inspiring keynote speech, Former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal called for collaborative and collective actions to capitalize on the strengths and address the weaknesses of Province 2 to make it economically prosperous. Former PM Nepal emphasized the need for, inter alia, promoting sustainable development, ensuring food security and Chure conservation, advancing technical education, health facilities and cultural tourism with effective participation of the private sector, adopting 'green development' approach and discouraging the use of plastics.

Chief Minister Lal Babu Raut called for making short-term, medium-term, and long-term plans and stressed effective implementation of the outcome of the Summit through collaborative efforts, while calling attention to the unequal distribution of resources in federal, provincial and local levels. Minister Raut recalled Province-2 campaign to 'educate girls, and save girls' for social transformation and make the Province 'clean and green' to improve human health. Ministers and other speakers expected the Vision Document to be a blueprint of actions to guide social and economic development in Province 2 for the next 12 years.

At sessions under the chairmanship of ministers and dignitaries of Province 2, experts presented four thematic status papers on economic, agriculture natural resources and environment, infrastructure, and social dimensions and each paper was commented by experts and intellectuals. On day 2, participants assembled in 4 thematic groups and provided practical inputs on sub-sectors, issues and challenges, desired situation by 2030, potentials, and suggested interventions, including the lead role for the implementation of the Vision Document. Each group presented their suggestion in the plenary session which was chaired by Dr. Usha Jha, NPC Member and reflections on group presentations were made by Secretaries of the Province 2 Government and experts.

Dr. Hari Bansha Jha read the Janakpur Declaration and handed it over to the Chief Minister. Speakers in the closing session emphasized the importance of the 2030 Vision Document, the role of private sector investment, step-by-step development, need of peace for economic prosperity and change in mindset. Delivering the closing statement, Minister Jitendra Sonal emphasized the 'right to development' and called for solving the political issues for overall socio-economic development of the Province.

Inputs from the Summit participants will provide adequate guidance to prepare a practical, user-friendly and easy-to-implement Vision 2030 Document for Province 2. The Chief Minister appreciated the contribution of the participants in identifying issues, challenges and key activities as a guidance to make Province 2 prosperous. The Chief Minister has called for support and participation of the government at different levels, private sector, non-governmental organizations, and people at large for effective implementation of the 2030 Vision Document that will contribute to make the Province happy and prosperous. Opportunities exist to contribute to make the Vision Document realistic, and to support for its implementation.