Nepal, 2011

Let me begin by

congratulating the President on his election to the

presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth

session. Let me also express our sincere appreciation to

His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of

the United Nations, for the strong commitment and

dedication with which he has been serving the United

Nations. We wish him further success in his second

term.

Nepal warmly welcomes the Republic of South

Sudan as the newest member of the United Nations.

It is a distinct honour and privilege for me to

bring to the General Assembly the voice of the

voiceless of the world. I have brought with me

greetings from the nearly 30 million toiling, but proud,

people of Nepal, who have recently liberated

themselves from an age-old feudal monarchy and

autocracy. Nepal is the enchanting land of Mount

Everest, the top of the world. It is the birthplace of

Gautam Buddha, the apostle of peace. It possesses an

unbelievable variety of natural beauty and diversity.

In recent years, a momentous transformation has

taken place in Nepal. After a long and persistent

struggle, the feudalistic and autocratic monarchy has

been abolished. We have entered into a new historic era

with the creation of the new Federal Democratic

Republic of Nepal. Today, the new State apparatus

strives to take into account the multi-ethnic,

multilingual and multicultural diversity of the country.

The abolition of all discrimination and oppression on

the basis of class, gender, nationality, region and caste

and the creation of an inclusive democratic system and

a just society are at the heart of all our decades-long

struggles. Thanks to the ultimate sacrifice of the

thousands of martyrs of the historic people’s war of

1996 to 2006, the people’s movement of 2006, the

Madheshi movement and many other oppressed

people’s movements, we have come this far to lay the

foundation of a new Nepal.

We must consolidate those historic gains and

institutionalize them in order to establish sustainable

peace, justice and prosperity for all. My Government is

fully committed to doing that with the conclusion of

the peace process and the writing of a new constitution

through the Constituent Assembly at the earliest. The

constitution will not only guarantee fundamental

democratic norms and values, but it will also ensure

that our multiparty democracy is inclusive,

participatory and life-changing for all, especially the

oppressed labouring masses and marginalized people.

It is rightly said that the highest measure of democracy

is neither the extent of freedom nor the extent of

equality; rather, it is the highest measure of

participation. We want to institutionalize a genuinely

participatory democracy for all, particularly those who

are downtrodden.

In that context, I would like to remind the

Assembly of the poignant words expressed from this

rostrum in 2008 by the Chairman of my party, the

Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist, and the

then Prime Minister, Comrade Prachanda, about the

landless peasants, the downtrodden women, the so-

called untouchable dalits and the millions of exploited

masses of Nepal, who aspire to liberation from all

forms of oppression and exploitation.

Nepal’s home-driven peace process and historic

transformation are unique and could be a good example

for drawing lessons. We believe that transformation has

to be holistic in order to have a long-lasting impact at

the grass-roots level. Transformation in the political,

social and economic fields has to be brought about

holistically. It is attainable with dedication, dialogue

and consensus-building among stakeholders. As in any

other country, transitional pains and delays exist.

However, we are united in our vision, and we intend to

complete the transition process with the consensus and

cooperation of all political parties and stakeholders. We

are confident that, with international goodwill and

cooperation, we will achieve it at the earliest.

Nepal’s foreign policy is based on the

fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter,

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non-alignment and panchsheel and the promotion of

regional cooperation through the South Asian

Association for Regional Cooperation. We would like

to be a vibrant bridge between our two neighbours,

India and China, and beyond. At a time when

humankind is so much in need of peace and when we

all strive for it, we particularly appeal for the

development of Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, as

the fountain of world peace through effective

international support and cooperation. The

International Committee for the Development of

Lumbini needs to be reactivated at the earliest.

I extend sincere thanks to the United Nations,

especially the United Nations Mission in Nepal, for

providing invaluable support and assistance throughout

our peace process. We are hopeful that we will

continue to receive the goodwill and support of the

international community in our efforts to

institutionalize lasting peace, equity and prosperity in

the country. The United Nations upholds the noble

vision of peace and security, development, justice and

human rights for all. But if we look around the world,

we have a long way to go to achieve this. We still face

conflicts, deprivation and demeaning poverty all

around us. How can we achieve sustainable peace in

the world when there is so much inequity, deprivation

and marginalization around us? We have to deal with

their root causes. How can one justify the spending of

$1.5 trillion on war weapons every year while more

than 2 billion people across the globe lack the basic

necessities of food, medicine, et cetera?

In that context, I appeal to the United Nations to

come forward with a far-reaching and comprehensive

development package. We need a new Marshall Plan

for the rebuilding and reconstruction of post-conflict

countries. Lip service and symbolic support are not

enough. It is now time for a bold, visionary step to deal

with the complex problems of today that would be the

most cost-effective approach to deal with global

problems and ensure sustainable peace.

The principles and purposes of the Organization

as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations

represent the highest ideals of the global community.

Yet we live in an age of paradox. The gap between the

poor and the rich is ever-widening. Today, the level of

inequality between States is the highest of any time in

the past. Least developed countries (LDCs) — or, as I

would prefer to call them, underdeveloped countries —

are facing the full force of the negative side of

globalization that is its deep structural constraints.

Growing joblessness is a major challenge for all

of us. In this integrated world, the grinding poverty of

the masses, who number in the billions, is a recipe for

disaster. Islands of prosperity amid a sea of poverty are

unsustainable, morally indefensible and economically

undesirable. In a globalized and interconnected world,

our destiny is inextricably intertwined. When my house

is on fire, your house cannot be safe, and vice versa.

The recurrence of economic and financial crises,

fuel and food crises and the deeper structural crises

have vindicated the need to seriously review the

current economic paradigm. I believe that now is the

right time for deeper soul-searching and the creation of

a new, just and scientific economic order. The new

global economic order needs to deal with the current

global volatility and the growing marginalization of

poor and weaker economies. The financial, capital-

driven globalization process is increasingly exposing

its inherent structural deficiencies and its

incompatibility. Unless the interest of labour, the basic

source of human wealth, is duly integrated in this

process, we may soon face the globalization of unrest

and upheaval. The United Nations should act as the

principal forum to examine that in a coherent, inclusive

and holistic manner.

Least developed countries face severe structural

constraints on their development efforts. Their

vulnerabilities have been further aggravated by

multiple crises. Despite some good progress in

achieving individual goals, LDCs as a group are mostly

off-track in meeting the internationally agreed upon

development goals, including those contained in the

Millennium Declaration (resolution 55/2). A rights-

based approach to development is a must.

It is quite disheartening that even today about

75 per cent of LDC populations live in abject poverty

and hunger. This situation is unacceptable and must

come to an end sooner rather than later. Business as

usual will not be a solution to deep-rooted problems.

The historically structured process of “development of

underdevelopment” needs to be structurally addressed.

The Istanbul Declaration and Programme of

Action must be implemented in their entirety and in an

effective and timely manner. In particular, financing

for development should be ensured as per the

commitment that has been made. Duty-free, quota-free

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market access and supply-side capacity must be

ensured to LDCs. Investment, technology transfer and

private sector development should be promoted in

LDCs. They are essential to achieving the legitimate

aspirations of LDCs. A renewed and strengthened

global partnership is critical to their implementation.

We do not want to see another missed opportunity for

LDCs.

Nepal, in its capacity as Chair of the LDCs, will

make every effort, in cooperation with our fellow

LDCs, to ensure that the issues and concerns of LDCs

remain high on the priority list of the United Nations

development agenda. Similarly, the special difficulties

of landlocked developing countries should be

recognized. Freedom of transit should be ensured to

them as a matter of right, together with the scaling up

of support for trade facilitation and infrastructure

development.

Labour migration is a global phenomenon. We

must protect the rights of all migrant workers and their

family members to ensure that globalization is fair to

all. As Nepal’s economy is increasingly dependent on

remittances, that issue is very crucial for us.

Clearly, climate change has emerged as one of the

greatest challenges of the twenty-first century. Global

warming has precipitated the melting of the snow in

the Nepal Himalayas, a source of fresh water for over

1 billion people who live in South Asia. We have

therefore taken the initiative of promoting the

sustainable mountain agenda in order to highlight their

special vulnerabilities and fragilities. Industrialized

countries should bear greater responsibility for that.

There is an urgent need to make progress in

climate negotiations and to ensure enhanced and

predictable financing. The United Nations Conference

on Sustainable Development summit scheduled for

next year is critical to defining a more sustainable

development path and to eradicating poverty for LDCs.

The sustainable development agenda should encompass

all ecological considerations, including the crucial

issue of sustainable mountain development.

Nepal reiterates its call for the general and

complete disarmament of all weapons of mass

destruction in a time-bound manner. Nepal strongly

believes that regional mechanisms complement efforts

to promote the global disarmament agenda. The United

Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in

Asia and the Pacific, located in Kathmandu, could be

instrumental in revitalizing the Kathmandu process to

facilitate dialogue and deliberations on confidence-

building in the region.

Nepal unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its

forms and manifestations and calls for an expeditious

conclusion of the negotiations on a comprehensive

convention on international terrorism. We should

differentiate between terrorism and struggles for

freedom.

Nepal’s commitment to human rights is deep and

unflinching. We are fully aware that the protection and

promotion of all human rights, including the right to

development and fundamental freedoms, strengthens

the sustainability of peace and progress. We have

established an independent constitutional body — the

National Human Rights Commission — as a watchdog

institution. We are committed to building and

strengthening that specialized national institution as a

true custodian of human rights.

The General Assembly, which is the only

universally representative body at the global level,

needs to be given commensurate power and authority

to truly work as a world parliament. It should not

remain toothless. Similarly, Nepal supports the

expansion in the membership of the Security Council

in both categories. Reform must address all interrelated

issues, such as representation, as well as transparency

and accountability in the working methods of the

Security Council. The role and contributions of smaller

States in the maintenance of international peace and

security must be duly acknowledged.

We underline the crucial role of the United

Nations in promoting international cooperation for

development. Its role in shaping the policy debate on,

and establishing global norms in, economic and

financial matters must be strengthened. Nepal

welcomes all efforts aimed at promoting system-wide

coherence, including the operationalization of

UN-Women.

Nepal’s participation in United Nations

peacekeeping is long-standing and consistent. We

remain steadfast in our commitment to international

peace and security. Nepal has already provided more

than 80,000 peacekeepers, with 62 of our soldiers

having laid down their lives in the line of duty. We

would therefore like to call for equitable representation

at the leadership level.

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In recent times, we have witnessed an outpouring

of popular sentiment calling for change and freedom

around the world. We believe that this is a sign of a

new beginning, where people are asserting themselves

as the masters of their own destinies. We applaud these

changes. We should support them based on the

fundamental principles of the United Nations.

However, no one should hijack the agenda of

democracy for partisan ends.

The long-drawn-out peace process in the Middle

East is a matter of serious concern for us all. We must

find a comprehensive and just solution to these

problems. It is our principled position that we support a

fully independent and sovereign Palestinian State based

on United Nations resolutions. We look forward to its

materialization at the earliest date.

Finally, let me reiterate that the United Nations

principles must be holistic and should be pursued in a

balanced manner. The United Nations should not only

be the custodian of its noble principles; it must deliver

on its promises. Let it not be a mere umbrella for the

big Powers. In today’s globalized world, the United

Nations has more responsibility than ever before for

creating an inclusive and just global order. Let it not

falter in its historic duties.

Let the United Nations serve the larger interests

of the poor and the weakest segment of the

international community. Let the economic

transformation of the least developed countries with a

rights-based approach be at the top of the United

Nations agenda. Let the United Nations not fail the

aspirations of millions of people for freedom, equality

and prosperity. Let its vision be translated into a visible

change in the lives of oppressed people. Last but not

least, let us keep in mind that either we all reach the

goal of global peace and prosperity together, or nobody

will.