Nepal, 2013

Allow me to congratulate the

President of the General Assembly on his election to

serve during the sixty-eighth session of the Assembly. I

repose full confidence in him to steer the deliberations

of the Assembly to a fruitful conclusion, and I assure

him of our full cooperation in the discharge of his

important responsibilities.

I take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks

to the outgoing President, Mr. Vuk Jeremi., for having

successfully presided over the Assembly at its sixty-

seventh session. I would like to express my sincere

appreciation to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his

able and visionary leadership and excellent reports on

issues before the Assembly.

I bring with me a message of peace and non-violence

from Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautama Buddha, the

apostle of peace, and the greetings and best wishes

of the Government and people of Nepal. Nepal has

unflinching faith in the principles and purposes of

the United Nations as enshrined in its Charter. Nepal

upholds the centrality and indispensability of the

United Nations in forging global peace and security,

development and human freedom, as well as its role in

the promotion of multilateralism, befitting the needs of

our age.

It is an irony that one eighth of the world population

has to live without enough food at a time when 150 per

cent of the Earth’s annual regenerative capacity is being

consumed, and that nearly 1 billion people will still be

forced to live in extreme poverty in 2015. Looking at

this unfair and unjust scenario, one can hardly envision

global sustainability without a system of economic

growth and development that ensures the progress and

well-being of people on this planet in an equitable,

inclusive and judicious manner. We can hardly realize

sustainable development when pervasive poverty,

unsustainable consumption and production patterns,

and spiralling environmental degradation are allowed

to continue.

Nepal attaches great importance to the full

attainment of the Millennium Development Goals

(MDGs). At the United Nations Conference on

Sustainable Development, our countries demonstrated

the wisdom to take the MDGs forward with greater

vigour through universally applicable sustainable

development goals. The report of the High-level Panel

of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development

Agenda reminds us that there is a need to build on

the foundations of the MDGs, leaving no one behind

in global development efforts. Clearly, any new

development agenda that does not keep the elimination

of extreme poverty at centre stage loses the spirit of

sustainability. I therefore call upon all Member States

to direct concerted efforts to completing the unfinished

tasks of the MDGs before embarking on a post-2015

development agenda and any subsequent sustainable

development goals.

The High-level Panel has set forth a vision for

shaping a common destiny for the global community

through inclusive economic growth, human progress

and sustainable development. That collective vision

needs to be translated into concrete action with

deliverable goals and targets that can be measured

globally and locally, based on the Rio principles.

We underscore the need to breathe life into the

post-2015 development framework with the principles

of universal human rights, equity and sustainability.

To that end, we should take into account its global

applicability, on the one hand, and regional, national

and subnational circumstances and priorities, on the

other. We believe that all processes relating to the

sustainable development goals should reconcile these

fundamental aspects, especially in the interests of the

poor and marginalized countries and societies. Nepal is

constructively engaged in mainstreaming the concerns

of the least developed countries (LDCs) into the new

global development agenda.

While no country is immune to the ominous effects of

climate change, countries like Nepal disproportionately

have to bear the brunt, in stark contrast to their

negligible contribution to greenhouse-gas emissions.

Nepal is the fifth most vulnerable country in terms

of climate change risks. The risk of multiple disaster

in overwhelming proportions and the increased

vulnerability we have to face also threaten our fragile

mountain ecosystem and fabulous diversity, as well as

lives, livelihoods and heritage in Nepal.

We welcome the understanding reached in Doha

by the Member States on a firm timetable to adopt a

universal climate agreement, during the eighteenth

session of the United Nations Framework Convention on

Climate Change. We call on all for an early conclusion

to climate change negotiations, with binding emission

commitments and guaranteed, enhanced, predictable

and easily accessible financing for the most vulnerable

countries, such as Nepal, to enable their speedy

implementation of suitable adaptation and mitigation

measures.

Least developed countries face severe structural

constraints and multiple vulnerabilities, and are

the furthest off track in achieving the Millennium

Development Goals and other internationally agreed-

on development targets. The Istanbul Programme

of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the

Decade 2011-2010 (A/CONF.219/3/Rev.1) has outlined

eight priority areas to be implemented in order to

overcome those constraints and enable half of the

LDCs to graduate from that status by the year 2020.

However, in order to achieve that urgent but ambitious

goal, external and internal enabling environments must

be created through synergistic efforts on the part of the

LDCs and their development partners. Integrating the

Programme of Action’s priorities into all our relevant

plans and programmes and the ongoing post-2015

development discourse in the United Nations is a must

to that end.

Nepal has set itself the goal of graduating from

LDC status by 2022. The Government is committed to

pursuing that goal by mainstreaming the internationally

defined priority areas. I ask for genuine partnerships

and enhanced cooperation in efforts towards a full,

effective and speedy implementation of the Istanbul

Programme of Action and other internationally agreed-

on development goals, with sufficient and predictable

funding mechanisms for our goal to become a reality.

Nepal’s ability to benefit from trade-induced growth

is constrained by the structural problem posed by the

high transit-transport costs that its landlocked nature

imposes. Our remoteness from markets, marginalization

and lack of integration into regional and global value

chains all limit the competitiveness of our trade and

our attractiveness as an investment destination. Despite

the tremendous advances in technology and innovation

that global trade has benefited from, Nepal has yet to

catch up with that trend, owing to its lack of the basic

transport and trade infrastructure that facilitates trade.

We look forward to the 10-year review process

of the Almaty Programme of Action: Addressing the

Special Needs of Landlocked Developing Countries

within a New Global Framework for Transit Transport

Cooperation for Landlocked and Transit Developing

Countries, and to forging a successor plan of action

capable of addressing landlocked developing countries’

specific concerns and development aspirations.

LDCs are still waiting for results from the Doha

Development Round and the full implementation of

the decisions of the Sixth Ministerial Conference of

the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Hong Kong

and subsequent meetings. Forty-nine LDCs represent

less than 1 per cent of world trade. The recent Fourth

Global Review of Aid for Trade further confirmed its

capacity to deliver and noted that together with the

Enhanced Integrated Framework as a vehicle, it helps

to address supply-side constraints, enhance productive

capacity and promote economic diversification. We

will participate in the ninth Ministerial Conference of

the WTO in Bali in December, with the expectation

that LDCs’ core issues — the full implementation of

the duty- and quota-free provision, the adoption of

simple and flexible preferential rules of origin and the

operationalization of a service waiver for LDCs — will

be addressed effectively.

The structural deficiency and democratic deficit

of globalization must be addressed by making it

more inclusive and responsive to the needs of poor

and marginalized people around the world. More

attention must be given to international migration

and its potential contribution to the development of

countries of destination and origin, and to ensure

that globalization is also fair to the bottom billion of

the South. International migration is a cross-cutting

developmental issue of common concern.

Migration is significant all over the world, but

more so in countries like Nepal, where nearly 1,500

people leave for foreign employment every day. While

remittances constitute nearly 25 per cent of Nepal’s

gross domestic product, Nepalese migrant workers fill

labour-market gaps and contribute significantly to the

well-being of the people and the economic development

of their destination countries. It is extremely important

to keep human values and dignity at the centre of

administration and governance related to migration. It

is also essential to define the roles and responsibilities

of countries of origin, transit and destination in order to

ensure the basic rights of migrant populations and show

respect for their contribution to development.

North-South, South-South and triangular types of

cooperation are becoming more significant than ever

before for forging an inclusive development agenda

and ensuring that equality and justice prevail in

the world. It is vital that the North make good on its

commitments for resources to the developing South.

Likewise, South-South cooperation should be promoted

by sharing development experience and transferring

technology, and by exploiting latent synergies and

complementarities in developing and integrating trade,

investment and infrastructure facilities.

We uphold the view, close to the ideals of the

Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), that an environment of

lasting peace and security, conducive to people-centric

development, can be created only through strengthened

multilateralism. As a distinct multilateral forum and

moral voice of the developing world, NAM has a

greater role to play in fostering international peace and

security at the United Nations and beyond. We believe

that NAM should pursue the issues of reforming the

United Nations and the Bretton Woods institutions,

which shape global social and economic policies in

general, and financial architecture in particular, in

order to make them more inclusive and responsive to

the needs of the developing world.

Nepal reiterates its call for the general and

complete disarmament of all weapons of mass

destruction — biological, chemical, radiological and

nuclear — in a time-bound manner. Our efforts to

achieve the goal of total nuclear disarmament must be

matched by efforts to achieve the non-proliferation of

other weapons of mass destruction. As host this year

to the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and

Disarmament for Asia and the Pacific in Kathmandu,

we stand for strengthening regional initiatives for

peace through dialogue, education and awareness, and

for subsequent confidence-building measures. Nepal

supports establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones,

keeping outer space free of weapons and keeping small

arms and light weapons out of the reach of illicit hands.

The Arms Trade Treaty is a landmark achievement of

this year.

Nepal unequivocally condemns terrorism in all

its forms and manifestations perpetrated anywhere

in the world under any pretext. Our hearts go out to

the victims of terrorism, most recently in Kenya and

in Pakistan, which only strengthens our resolve to

fight the menace. We call for the early conclusion of a

comprehensive convention on international terrorism to

fight that heinous crime against humanity.

As a country emerging from conflict, Nepal

underscores the importance of addressing issues of

exclusion, discrimination, inequity, corruption and

the violation of human rights, and it also supports the

strengthening of the rule of law at the national and

international levels.

Nepal is concerned about the long, drawn-out

peace process in the Middle East. We are overdue in

fulfilling our commitment to a comprehensive, lasting

and judicious solution to the problem. We support

the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to an

independent and sovereign Palestine State, based on

United Nations resolutions and a solution that enables

Israel and Palestine to live as neighbours within secure

and recognized international boundaries.

The situation in Syria is of serious concern to us

all, due mainly to the violent conflict and its attendant

large-scale humanitarian tragedy. We believe the

international community should facilitate the easing

of tensions and confrontation through diplomacy and

dialogue towards a peaceful and durable political

solution. We condemn the recent use of chemical

weapons in Syria and call for the total destruction of

chemical-weapons stockpiles in all parts of the world.

I reiterate my country’s principled position that the

protracted embargo on Cuba is unjustified and needs to

be ended immediately and unconditionally.

Nepal supports the early and peaceful unification of

the Korean peninsula through dialogue and negotiations

based on the will of the Korean people.

Needless to say, making women partners in all

efforts for peace, security and development at all

levels, treating them equally without discrimination,

and ensuring the protection of their basic rights to

unleash their potential have positive implications for

the advancement of society as a whole. Moreover, their

mainstreaming and empowerment through access to

power and productive resources directly contribute to

comprehensive development. In Nepal, constitutional,

legislative and institutional provisions ensure equal

rights to women and their meaningful participation

in and contribution to society, focusing on capacity-

building, institutional strengthening, legal protection,

empowerment and gender mainstreaming.

We are committed to our national, regional and

international commitments and obligations to human

rights, despite our protracted political transition, low

level of economic growth and capacity constraints.

Peace, democracy, human rights and development

reinforce each other and impinge upon the people’s

uninterrupted participation in governance and an

inclusive development process. The National Human

Rights Commission and several other human rights

institutions seek to safeguard the human rights of

our people. We are strengthening their institutional

capacity to deliver on their constitutional and statutory

responsibilities, including ensuring the rights of

women, children and persons with disabilities. The

current national plan, policies and programmes of the

Government are geared towards the empowerment of

all the people, regardless of class, creed, gender or

ethnicity, and embarking on a path of socioeconomic

development that is inclusive, fair, equitable and just for

all, in line with the country’s national and international

commitments.

Nepal is a founding member of the South Asian

Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)

and a member of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for

Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation

(BIMSTEC), through which we are actively involved in

forging a synergy of collective efforts in several areas

of regional cooperation, including poverty reduction,

trade expansion, investment promotion, connectivity

improvement and socioeconomic advancement. Nepal

is constructively engaged with arrangements such as

SAARC and BIMSTEC for peace and prosperity at the

regional level and with the United Nations at the global

level.

My delegation looks to the United Nations as the

repository of our hopes and a true upholder of the

universal values of peace, justice, equality, freedom and

human dignity. Given that the United Nations mandate

and structures were founded nearly seven decades

ago, its reform has been a continuous process aimed at

meeting the growing requirements of changing times.

There are growing concerns that the United Nations

bodies and the Bretton Woods institutions should be

made more democratic, accountable, financially stable

and responsive to all, as their decisions pervade the

social, economic and financial architectures of nation

States. Nepal supports the timely re-engineering of

those institutions in order to ensure the representation

of developing countries in their decision-making.

Nepal holds the view that the reform of the Security

Council should reflect changes in contemporary political

and economic realities. It should be more representative

in composition, transparent in functioning, democratic

in character, balanced between the North and South,

and above all be capable of taking prompt action when

peace is threatened.

For over six decades now, Nepal has consistently

contributed to the work of the United Nations,

particularly through peacekeeping missions around

the world, including in the most challenging situations.

More than 100,000 peacekeepers have served so far

with distinct professionalism, and 63 soldiers have laid

down their precious lives in the line of duty.

My country, Nepal, is in a crucial phase of

taking the peace process to a logical conclusion and

institutionalizing the gains made in the democratic

rights of the people, which came through various

continuous movements and struggles carried out over

decades. The country-driven and owned peace process

enjoyed the support of the United Nations and the

international community, for which we express our

deep appreciation.

The first Constituent Assembly, elected through

the democratic process in 2008, expired in May 2012

without completing its mandate of making an inclusive

constitution. In the aftermath of the dissolution of the

Constituent Assembly, attempts to form a consensus

Government, led by leaders of political parties, could not

coalesce in the absence of general consensus, even after

a series of attempts through dialogue and negotiations.

The country started to slide into political uncertainty in

the absence of certainty that an election would be held,

and more complications appeared imminent.

To overcome the situation, the major political

parties were guided by their collective wisdom to work

out an alternative outlet that resulted in the formation

of an apolitical and neutral Government, under the

leadership of the Chief Justice, with the aim of holding

free, fair and credible elections to a fresh Constituent

Assembly. In view of the demands of the situation to

form a Constituent Assembly that would function as

a pivotal institution for the balance of power, I had to

accept the responsibility in the larger interest of the

nation and the people and as a responsible citizen.

We have made the necessary preparations to hold

the elections on 19 November this year. We have been

trying our best to listen to the dissenting parties and

to bring them on board for the election through the

political process. There is no alternative to elections to

revitalize the democratic process and ensure political

stability. The election will provide a mandate by

the people for writing a constitution, advance civil

and political rights, ensure people’s sovereignty in

decision-making in State affairs and institutionalize

multiparty democracy, federalism and republicanism. It

will be instrumental in completing the remaining tasks

of the peace process. The settlement of political issues

through the democratic process will ensure political

stability and, eventually, will open up prospects for

broad-based economic development, to which the

people have aspired for so long. I express my sincere

thanks to the international community for the moral

and material support made available for the elections

and would like to convey how meaningful that gesture

of goodwill is to us.

It is my hope and belief that, with continuing

understanding, support and assistance on the part

of all friends of Nepal, we will be able to go beyond

the protracted political transition and focus on the

consolidation of the political accomplishments made

so far, the further democratization of the country

and economic development, so that we may graduate

from least-developed-country status by 2022. We are

fully confident that democracy provides leverage for

bridging differences and promoting peace, tranquillity

and prosperity.