Prime Minister of Nepal, KP Sharma Oli, met with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres at the UN Headquarters in New York today. The leaders discussed various aspects of cooperation between Nepal and the United Nations, with a particular focus on climate change, international development, and peacekeeping.
During the meeting, Secretary-General Guterres commended Nepal for its commitment to the principles of the UN Charter. He emphasized the UN’s priority on climate change, highlighting the need to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address the vulnerabilities of mountain countries like Nepal. Guterres also stressed the importance of adequate climate finance for developing nations, including Least Developed Countries (LDCs), to support both mitigation and adaptation efforts. He advocated for reforms in the international financial system to ensure enhanced financial support for developing countries and simplified access to development finance.
Prime Minister Oli thanked Secretary-General Guterres for his warm welcome and appreciation. Recalling Guterres’ recent visit to Nepal, Oli expressed satisfaction with the progress in Nepal’s transitional justice system, emphasizing the enactment of a victim-centric transitional justice law based on guidance from the Supreme Court and international norms. He assured Guterres of Nepal’s commitment to fully implementing the law to address longstanding issues related to transitional justice.
On the issue of climate change, Prime Minister Oli highlighted the severe impacts in Nepal, including the recent thawing of permafrost in the Thame region. He thanked the Secretary-General for raising global awareness of climate change’s effects on Nepal and for advocating for support. The Prime Minister also announced Nepal’s plans to host the Sagarmatha Sambad, an international dialogue focused on the mountain ecosystem, and invited Guterres to attend.
The Prime Minister also spoke about Nepal’s focus on economic transformation under the vision of “Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali.” He reaffirmed Nepal’s commitment to graduating from the LDC category by 2026 and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Oli called on the international community and development partners to enhance development assistance to support Nepal’s economic goals.
In addition, Prime Minister Oli expressed his appreciation for the contributions of Nepali peacekeepers in UN peacekeeping missions. As one of the largest contributors of troops and police to UN missions, he emphasized Nepal’s commitment to international peace and security. Oli also urged the Secretary-General to consider providing more high-level positions to Nepalese personnel both at UN headquarters and in the field.
Secretary-General Guterres, reflecting on his visit to Nepal, thanked the government and people for their hospitality. He expressed concern about the accelerated melting of glaciers and its impact on Nepal. Guterres assured that he would work to enhance resources for the Loss and Damage Fund to address these challenges.
The meeting was attended by several high-level officials, including Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba, Chief Advisor Bishnu Prasad Rimal, Foreign Secretary Sewa Lamsal, and Permanent Representative of Nepal to the UN Lok Bahadur Thapa.
Susan Shrestha
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