KATHMANDU, Sept 19 — Nepal is set to strongly raise the severe impacts of climate change on the Himalayan region and the daily lives of its people at the upcoming 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The Nepali delegation will place climate justice, loss and damage finance, adaptation, and the conservation of the Himalayas at the core of its global agenda.
Briefing the Parliamentary International Relations and Tourism Committee at Singha Durbar on Thursday, Foreign Ministry Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai stated that Nepal will draw the global community’s attention to the massive loss of life and property the country is enduring due to the climate crisis. Rai emphasized that the UNGA serves as a crucial platform for landlocked and least-developed countries like Nepal to voice their national interests on the world stage.
Push for Climate Finance and Technical Support
During the assembly, Nepal will strongly urge the international community to provide immediate and adequate financial assistance through mechanisms such as the ‘Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage’.
Secretary Rai informed the committee that Nepal will also appeal to developed nations for support in building climate-resilient infrastructure, promoting climate-smart agriculture, technology transfer, and capacity building to mitigate climate risks. The country aims to present its case for climate justice by linking scientific evidence with the harsh realities on the ground.
PM Balendra Shah to Address the General Debate
Prime Minister Balendra Shah is scheduled to address the General Debate during the high-level week of the UNGA. The Prime Minister’s itinerary also includes a bilateral meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
The Nepali delegation, led by PM Shah and including the Foreign Minister and Chief Advisor Kumar Byanjankar, will depart for New York on September 22 and return on September 26.
On the sidelines of the UNGA, the Foreign Minister will participate in ministerial-level meetings of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and the G77 and China. Additionally, the Foreign Minister will hold various bilateral talks with counterparts from neighboring and friendly nations.
‘Sagarmatha to the Sea’ High-Level Side Event
To highlight the country’s contribution to global environmental conservation—boasting an eco-friendly lifestyle, over 40 percent forest cover, the vast Himalayas, and an extensive river system—Nepal will host a special high-level side event titled ‘Sagarmatha to the Sea: A Call to Action for a Climate Resilient Future’.
The event will focus on the unprecedented changes occurring in the Himalayan ecosystem due to global warming. According to Secretary Rai, the primary objective of this side event is to alert the global community to the looming climate crisis in the region and seek international recognition and support for Nepal’s ongoing conservation efforts.
