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🇳🇵 Nepal /Elections & Politics

Prime Minister Balendra Shah to lead Nepali delegation to UN General Assembly

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Prime Minister Balendra Shah will lead Nepal’s delegation to the UN General Assembly and highlight the country’s recent disasters and climate risks.
  • The decision followed calls from lawmakers and political leaders for Shah to seek international support and compensation for Himalayan countries facing growing climate threats.
  • Foreign Ministry officials are preparing a short visit with a small delegation, while the Assembly’s high-level debate is scheduled to begin on September 22.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah will travel to New York to present Nepal’s case before world leaders after the Bhotekoshi flood intensified concern over climate risks in the Himalayan region. The government has instructed the Foreign Ministry to prepare a short visit and keep the delegation small.

Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal directed the ministry’s United Nations and Chief of Protocol divisions, along with Nepal’s permanent mission in New York, to begin preparations. A Foreign Ministry official said the groundwork had started, but the government had not yet decided who would accompany Shah.

The Cabinet had previously decided to send Khanal to the General Assembly. The August 26 Bhotekoshi flood changed the political pressure surrounding that plan. The disaster caused massive loss of life and affected more than two million people downstream along the Nepal-Tibet border, prompting lawmakers from across the political spectrum to urge Shah to attend personally.

Global carbon emissions, climate change and rising global temperatures are increasing disasters in the Himalayan region.

· Barshman PunThe Nepali Communist Party lawmaker called for Nepal to raise climate risks at international forums.

Manish Jha of the Rastriya Swatantra Party and Barshman Pun of the Nepali Communist Party were among those calling for the visit. Pun said rising global temperatures and emissions were increasing disasters in the Himalayan region. He urged Nepal to use the UN platform to seek greater international support and compensation, arguing that raising the issue from Nepal alone was insufficient.

The formal opening of the 81st General Assembly session is scheduled for September 8, with the high-level General Debate beginning on September 22. Shah, who took charge as executive head on March 27, has not made a foreign visit since assuming office. He had already urged international attention to Nepal’s climate risks while briefing the House of Representatives on the flood and the government’s response.

Simply raising this issue from here is not enough. The prime minister should go to the United Nations and other international forums, appeal to the world, assert our rights and demand compensation.

· Barshman PunPun argued that Shah should personally seek international support for Nepal.
About this summary

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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