1. The Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nation hosted a reception to celebrate the second anniversary of the promulgation of the Constitution of Nepal and the national day at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, today. Speaking in the programme, the Rt. Hon. Sher Bahadur Deuba, Prime Minister of Nepal and the leader of the Nepali delegation to the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), welcomed the guests comprising Heads of States/Governments, Ministers and delegates from across the world. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister highlighted that the Constitution of Nepal accommodates aspirations of all Nepali people and lays the foundation for inclusive development and economic prosperity. He added that political transformation cannot sustain without economic transformation. The receptionstarted with welcome remarks by H.E. Durga Prasad Bhattarai, Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations.
- On the sidelines of ongoing UNGA General Debate, the Prime Minister held bilateral meetings with the President of Estonia and Prime Minister of Bhutan. In his meeting with H.E. KerstiKaljulaid, the President of Estonia, various issues of common bilateral and multilateral interests were discussed. As Estonia is the current president of the European Union, Nepal’s relations with the European Union also figured in the meeting. Similarly, in the meeting between Rt. Hon. Deuba and H. E.TsheringTobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan, the two leaders expressed their commitments to diversifying and further strengthening bilateral ties.
- Also on the sidelines, Hon. Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs (DPMFM) attended the 41st Annual Meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Group of 77 and China. In his remarks at the meeting Hon. DPMFM said that the focus of the Group should be on addressing the resource gap that appears in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other development agendas. The Meeting concluded by adopting its Ministerial Declaration.
- The Hon. DPMFM also held a meeting with Mr. Jeffrey Feltman, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs at the UN Headquarters today. During the Meeting, the Under-Secretary-General congratulated the DPMFM on the successful completion of the local elections. The Hon. DPMFM shared the priority accorded by the Government to hold provincial and federal elections within the scheduled dates successfully. Similarly, the Hon. DPMFM also held a meeting with Mr. Atul Khare, Under-Secretary-General for the United Nations Department of Field Support. During the Meeting, the DPMFM and the Under-Secretary-General discussed various aspects of Nepal’s participation in UN peace operations.
- Similarly, Hon. Mrs. Asha Koirala, Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare, represented Nepal in the Annual Meeting of LDCs organized in the margins of UNGA today. Speaking in the Meeting, the Hon. Minister stressed on the need to implement the Vienna Programme of Action in synergy with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adding that countries like Nepal face a resource gap in its implementation. The Meeting also included a signing ceremony in which the United Nations and the Republic of Turkey signed the Agreements concerning i) the establishment of the Technology Bank for LDCs, and ii) financial and in-kind support for the Technology Bank for LDCs. The Meeting concluded today by adopting its Ministerial Declaration.
- The Americas-based heads of Nepali diplomatic Missions – H.E. Durga Prasad Bhattarai, Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations; H.E. Arjun Kumar Karki, Ambassador of Nepal to the United States; H. E. Tara Prasad Pokharel, Ambassador of Nepal to the Republic of Brazil; H. E. Kali Prasad Pokharel, Ambassador of Nepal to Canada as well as Nepal’s Representative to ICAO; and Mr. Madhu Kumar Marasini, Consul General of Nepal in New York – briefed the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister about their activities including works carried out towards further strengthening bilateral relations with respective countries/organizations. The Rt. Hon. Prime Minister gave directions to the heads of the Missions to continue their good work for the nation and people. The DPMFM also instructed the heads of the Diplomatic Missions to work hard to enhance the image of the country, including by sharing success story of Nepal’s peace process. Mr. Shanker Das Bairagi, the Foreign Secretary; Dr. Dinesh Bhattarai, Foreign Affairs Advisor of the Prime Minister; and other senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were present on the occasion.
Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations
New York
22 September 2017
