KATHMANDU – Minister for Foreign Affairs Shisir Khanal has said prejudice and exclusion are major hindrances to human potential, warning that such problems are being further exacerbated by algorithmic bias.
Addressing the high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action in New York today, Foreign Minister Khanal urged the international community to fulfil the commitments made 25 years ago in Durban.
The Foreign Minister, who is currently in New York to participate in the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, said true human progress rests upon the inviolable dignity of every individual. “Let us translate Durban’s promise into living justice,” he urged.
“Twenty-five years ago in Durban, the international community united with a solemn resolve: to confront racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and the enduring legacies of colonialism, apartheid, and systemic injustice. Today, that promise remains an urgent moral imperative,” Khanal said.
The meeting was held under the theme ‘Mobilizing global public support for the full and effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action’.
Quoting Nelson Mandela, Khanal said, “Hatred is learned—meaning our societies can intentionally cultivate dignity, empathy and mutual respect.”
Durban principles in constitutional ethos
Khanal said the Durban principles resonate deeply with Nepal’s national conscience and constitutional ethos.
“Guided by a decisive mandate for good governance and social equity, Nepal government, led by the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), is fully committed to dismantling entrenched discrimination and advancing substantive social justice,” he said, adding that the pursuit of justice begins with institutional humility and moral accountability.
Khanal reminded the global community about the heartfelt apology made to Nepal’s Dalit community, acknowledging centuries of institutional humiliation, systemic neglect and social injustice, and resolving to dismantle caste-based discrimination through legislative and structural transformation. RSP Chair Rabi Lamichhane had delivered the statement in Parliament.
The Minister also said Nepal’s progressive Constitution guarantees equality before the law, prohibits discrimination in all spheres and mandates proportional inclusion for historically marginalized communities. These domestic guarantees, he said, reflect Nepal’s global commitments as a State Party to seven core international human rights treaties, including the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).
“To accelerate the Durban Programme of Action, we urge four priorities: Legal and Civic Action: Enforcing robust anti-discrimination laws while instilling human-rights education across schools; Empowering Marginalized Voices: Ensuring historically oppressed communities meaningfully co-design public policy; Governing Emerging Tech: Regulating artificial intelligence to eliminate racial algorithms and hate speech; and Principled Multilateralism: Deepening global cooperation to eradicate systemic intolerance worldwide,” Khanal underscored in the speech. (RSS)