Nepal, 2007

I congratulate His

Excellency Mr. Srgjan Kerim on his election as

President of the General Assembly at its sixty-second

session and pledge Nepal’s support in the successful

execution of his duties. I would also like to place on

record our appreciation of the leadership of Her

Excellency Sheikha Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa during the

sixty-first session. My delegation expresses its

appreciation to the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon,

for his stewardship of the United Nations and wishes him

a very successful tenure.

The United Nations today remains the only truly

global Organization to seek solutions to the world’s

most pressing issues. The increasing importance of

multilateralism has made the United Nations

indispensable. The principles and purposes enshrined

in the United Nations Charter should continue to guide

us to address all the issues that confront us. Nepal has

adopted these purposes and principles as the basic

tenets of its foreign policy.

The General Assembly has before it an important

agenda that seeks to deal with the world’s most

pressing issues and problems. I fully agree with the

priorities that the President of the General Assembly

has outlined for this session.

The pledge of a road map for development in the

form of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

remains to be fully achieved. As we approach the half-

way point, this Assembly should review the progress

made to devise ways and means for achieving the full

and effective implementation of the commitments

made in the Millennium Declaration. The follow-up

conference on Financing for Development to be held in

Doha in 2008 should be used as an opportunity to

effectively meet the financing gap and explore

innovative ways of financing for development.

We commend the Secretary-General for

convening a high-level meeting on climate change. I

hope that the momentum generated will pave the way

for an agreement on climate change with long-term and

comprehensive global commitments beyond 2012,

starting the process in Bali later this year.

Climate change is linked to human security,

social and economic development and environmental

protection. Scientific studies point out that a solution to

climate change is within human reach and that we can

achieve it without compromising economic

development and human progress, if we start to act

now.

Climate change demands a coordinated and

comprehensive global response. As enshrined in the

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change, the principle of common but differentiated

responsibilities should be the basis for addressing the

challenges of climate change. Mandatory targets for

emissions reduction are necessary in order to stabilize

the greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere at

safe levels. Industrialized countries should assume

leadership and demonstrate the necessary political will

in adopting long-term commitments to reduce

emissions.

While sea levels are rising, the Himalayan

glaciers are retreating, and surrounding areas are

witnessing an increasing intensity of disasters induced

by climate-change, such as glacial lake outbursts,

extreme rainfalls, recurring floods and massive

landslides.

The President returned to the Chair.

It is ironic that the world’s most vulnerable

countries, such as least developed and small island

countries, get the worst affects of climate change

although they are the least responsible for the same. In

the new compact in climate change, there should be

special provisions for addressing the mitigation and

adaptation needs of the least developed countries

(LDCs) and small island nations to address their

special vulnerabilities.

Nepal stands firm against any form of terrorism.

We have been implementing the provisions of various

United Nations Security Council resolutions to combat

international terrorism. Effective implementation of the

provisions of the United Nations global counter-

terrorism study adopted last year can foster

international cooperation against terrorism. We call for

an early conclusion of a comprehensive convention on

international terrorism. There should be a coordinated

global response, including through the mechanism at

the United Nations, to address the underlying social,

economic and political causes of the existence and

spread of global terrorism.

Reform of the United Nations has constantly

engaged us. We need to reflect contemporary realities

for making the Organization more effective,

representative, responsive and capable of handling the

increasingly complex global problems. The General

Assembly needs to be further strengthened as a true

decision-making body. We should develop an effective

mechanism to implement its decisions.

The reform of the United Nations should include

reform of its Security Council. We support extending

membership in both permanent and non-permanent

categories to reflect the realities of the day. We feel

that India, Brazil, Germany and Japan deserve

permanent places in the expanded Council, while

Africa should also be fairly represented. We also

favour a tangible improvement in the working methods

of the Council, and we welcome the agreement that the

General Assembly should start the intergovernmental

negotiations on this important issue as soon as

possible.

Nepal welcomes the restructuring of the

peacekeeping-related departments of the United

Nations Secretariat, including the creation of a new

Department of Field Support. In view of the increasing

complexity and size of the peacekeeping operations,

we hope these changes will further enhance

effectiveness of peacekeeping operations and ensure

the safety and security of peacekeeping personnel.

Nepal has continuously participated in the in

United Nations peacekeeping operations for last five

decades. To this date, Nepal has sent more than 60,000

troops to over 30 United Nations missions. At present,

Nepal is the fourth largest contributor of troops and

police personnel to United Nations peacekeeping

missions. Nepalese Blue Helmets have been

commended for performing extremely well in all

circumstances. Many have sacrificed their invaluable

lives to the cause of peace worldwide.

Peacekeeping is the soul of the United Nations,

its largest function and the most successful invention in

the realm of international relations. This enterprise can

succeed only with meaningful participation of troop-

contributing countries in decision-making processes

and their increasing role in senior positions.

Nepal stands for general and complete

disarmament of all weapons of mass destruction,

including biological, chemical and nuclear weapons

under effective international control in a time-bound

manner.

We are concerned by the lack of progress in

major multilateral negotiations in disarmament,

including in nuclear disarmament, and in control of

illegal proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

We call upon Member States, especially the nuclear

weapon States, to step up measures for disarmament to

release much-needed dividends for development. We

hope that the newly established office of High

Representative for Disarmament Affairs will infuse

dynamism into the process.

We look forward to the inauguration of the

United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and

Disarmament for Asia and the Pacific soon in

Kathmandu, in accordance with resolution 61/94,

adopted by the Assembly last year for relocation of this

centre. The Government of Nepal and the United

Nations Secretariat have already signed the host

country agreement and the memorandum of

understanding to this effect. Through this Centre,

Nepal is committed to revitalizing the process of

regional disarmament, including the Kathmandu

process.

The ideals of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)

remain as valid today as they were when the Movement

was founded. The principled position of the NAM

countries should guide the Assembly’s deliberations. I

wish to reiterate Nepal’s commitment to the principles

of the Non-Aligned Movement, including the

principles of non-interference in internal affairs and the

peaceful coexistence of States.

The Group of 77 and China has become highly

relevant in advancing the interests of the developing

countries in the United Nations. The Assembly should

continue to protect the interests of the developing

countries. We also need to advance meaningful South-

South cooperation to complement global partnership

and North-South cooperation.

We call for concerted efforts to address the

special needs and difficulties of the LDCs and the

landlocked developing countries, including the

negative impacts and marginalization of globalization.

We urge the developed countries to meet the targeted

official development assistance to the LDCs, give

products of the LDCs duty-free, quota-free and

unhindered market access and extend debt relief

measures to cover all LDCs. We should ensure

effective implementation of the Brussels Programme of

Action for LDCs for the rest of decade, based on the

mid-term review held last year.

I would like to draw the attention of the

development partners to addressing the special needs

of the LDCs emerging from conflict and the need to

support them financially and technically, to help them

achieve sustained peace and development and prevent a

relapse into the conflict situation.

The landlocked developing countries face special

difficulties in the transit and transport of goods and

services to and from the sea. The Almaty Programme

should be sincerely implemented for meaningful

cooperation in transit, transport and trade facilitation in

the landlocked developing countries. The mid-term

review process of the Programme, to be held in 2008,

should focus on fulfilling gaps in implementation of

the agreed commitments.

We must not further delay the World Trade

Organization trade negotiations for advancing the Doha

Development Agenda. Those negotiations should find

ways to further protect the interests of the least

developed and landlocked countries to make them able

to compete in global markets. In particular, the

international community must meet the resources gap,

operationalize aid for trade initiatives, strengthen

trading capacities and support trade adjustment costs in

the LDCs and the landlocked developing countries.

Nepal welcomes the proposal for United Nations

system-wide coherence on development, environment

and humanitarian issues. This process should

strengthen the national and regional focus and country

ownership of development programmes.

We support effective gender architecture in the

United Nations and an even stronger regional and

country presence of the United Nations on gender

issues. Nepal accords high priority to promotion of

women’s right, gender equality and the empowerment

of women. A parliamentary declaration adopted on

30 May 2006 has provided for equal property and

citizenship rights to women and for their representation

in at least one third of the elected bodies, including in

the Parliament.

Nepal is committed to the protection and

promotion of the rights of children, including those

affected by conflict. The peace agreement provides for

immediate release of children if found recruited as

combatants and their rehabilitation and integration

back into their families. The Government is committed

to implementing recommendations of the Security

Council Working Group on Children and Armed

Conflict in Nepal.

The United Nations has been rather slow to

respond to the world’s major conflicts and

humanitarian crises, in places ranging from the Middle

East to Darfur and Somalia. Although the agreement on

the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in

Darfur is a step forward, there were missed

opportunities in addressing the long-standing

humanitarian crisis in that region.

The situations in Afghanistan and Iraq demand

more proactive United Nations engagement. The

Organization should continue to play a constructive

role in helping those countries to achieve stabilization,

national unity and reconciliation.

We support the democratic aspirations of people

all over the world. We hope that a solution to

Myanmar’s internal situation will be found by the

people of that country through dialogue and the

democratic process.

Since 1990, Nepal has been sheltering more than

100,000 refugees from Bhutan on humanitarian

grounds. There is a stalemate in this long-standing

crisis, mainly because of Bhutan’s reluctance to

implement the agreements already reached or to engage

in negotiations with a view to finding some other

acceptable solution. That procrastination has caused

refugees to run out of patience. The true solution to

this problem lies in giving refugees the opportunity to

be able to return to Bhutan and to participate in the

country’s political process in a fully democratic way,

taking into account the people’s cultural diversity and

human rights. However, we are positively considering

the offers made by some countries to give refugees the

voluntary option of third-country resettlement, should

they so choose it, as part of a provisional solution. That

should not absolve Bhutan of its responsibility towards

its exiled citizens, which is a problem between the

refugees and the Bhutanese regime. Nepal appreciates

the continued humanitarian assistance extended by the

international community, the Office of the United

Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other

agencies for the care of refugees.

Nepal is in the process of leaving behind its

decade-long internal conflict though a unique and

internally driven peace process. We are committed to

bringing that process to a successful conclusion. The

Government is engaged in dialogue with the

Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) to ensure that the

elections to the Constituent Assembly are held on

22 November, thus sincerely honouring and

implementing the commitments set out in the peace

agreements.

It was through dialogue that the Government of

Nepal recently concluded agreements with the leaders

of the Madhesi Janajati movement, enabling them to a

have stronger voice in the political arena and broader

representation in the Constituent Assembly.

Despite the challenges associated with the peace

process, the Government is determined to hold the

elections to the Constituent Assembly on time. With

the necessary technical, legal and logistical

competence, the Election Commission has made

preparations for holding the elections as scheduled and

in a free and fair manner. I would like to invite friendly

countries and organizations to send observers to Nepal

during the elections.

The people of Nepal have expressed their desire

for a peaceful political and socio-economic

transformation. They have spoken out in favour of an

inclusive, democratic and participatory restructuring of

the State. I have every confidence that the peace

process will reap numerous dividends for the Nepalese

people through the creation of a new Nepal. In that

process, we expect generous assistance from our

development partners, including assistance in meeting

Nepal’s reconstruction and development needs.

On behalf of the people and the Government of

Nepal, I wish to express sincere gratitude to the

international community for its strong support and

solidarity during our struggle for democracy and our

ongoing peace process.

Last year, we invited the United Nations to

facilitate the peace process through arms monitoring

and through technical support for the Constituent

Assembly elections. We express our appreciation to the

Secretary-General for his personal attention and

interest in assisting the peace process. We also

commend the role played by the United Nations

Mission in Nepal in that process.

The Government is steadfast in protecting and

promoting human rights, in keeping with its

international commitments. We welcome the adoption

by the Human Rights Council of the universal periodic

review of all Member States. That exercise should be

free from politicization, selectivity and double

standards.

There has been a remarkable improvement in the

protection of human rights in Nepal since the start of

the peace process. The Government has extended full

cooperation to the Office of the High Commissioner

for Human Rights in Nepal. The recent appointment of

members of the National Human Rights Commission of

Nepal is expected to further enhance our national

capability to protect and promote human rights.

The Government is determined to bring an end to

the environment of impunity that was present during

the armed conflict. We hope that the establishment of a

truth and reconciliation commission, as stipulated in

the peace agreement, will also help us to put our past

behind us and to prevent a recurrence of such grave

human rights violations.

As a nation that has a diverse ethnic composition

and that is home to various indigenous peoples, Nepal

welcomes the adoption of the United Nations

Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the

General Assembly this year. We hope that the

Declaration will serve as a useful reference for

indigenous issues throughout the world.

In conclusion, the General Assembly has before it

an important opportunity to address the most pressing

issues of our times issues that are of lasting

significance. We should strive to advance agreements

to address climate change, follow up on the

Millennium Development Goals, seek new resources

for development financing, break the impasse in the

negotiations on trade and disarmament and reform the

Security Council. We should also seek solutions to

unresolved conflicts and humanitarian crises.

Today, the world's major problems demand the

leadership of the United Nations. We should rise to the

occasion and demonstrate our ability to work together

to solve urgent problems that confront us. Solutions to

most global problems are within our reach if we act in

unison, guided by our collective wisdom and reason.

Together, we can make progress in all these areas. I

pledge Nepal’s constructive participation in arriving at

important decisions on all these issues here at the

United Nations.

The President: Before proceeding further, I

would like to remind members that, as announced in

today’s Journal, the informal meeting of the plenary to

observe the first International Day of Non-Violence

will be held tomorrow, 2 October, from 9.30 to 10 a.m.

in this Hall. All are invited to attend.