PM Koirala leaving for New York on Sept 23 to participate in 70th UNGA

PM Koirala is scheduled to address the General Assembly on October 1. The heads of nations and governments of member countries would address the 70th General Assembly to be held from September 28 to October 5.

A total of 192 countries in the world are members of the UN while two countries– Holy See Vatican City and Palestine State are the observer nations. Nepal acquired membership of the UN on December 14, 1955. The UN has completed its 70 years of establishment this year while Nepal is celebrating 60th anniversary association with the global body.

Before addressing the General Assembly, PM Koirala would participate in UN Summit to be held from Sept 25-27, which would declare and approve the sustainable development goals.

PM Koirala would also participate in the high-level peace conference comprising head of states and governments of the troop contributing countries in the UN peacekeeping missions in conflict-hit countries which is scheduled to be held from September 25-27 on the sideline of the UN General Assembly.

Nepal is the sixth largest troops contributing countries in the UN peacekeeping missions. Since 1956, Nepal has contributed to the UN peacekeeping mission by sending over 100,000 troops.

Likewise, PM Koirala would also participate in a meeting regarding ‘General Equality and Women Empowerment: Commitment to Action to be organised by Chinese President Xi Jinping and the UN Women.

Similarly, PM Koirala will be attending a high-level roundtable discussion on ‘South-South Cooperation under the framework of the post-2015’ programme to be organized by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and Chinese President Xi Jingping on 26 September in New York.

Nepal has been raising various issues including climate change, terrorism facing the least developed and landlocked countries in the UN General Assembly.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a sideline meeting of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs from the countries of the South Asian Association for the Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region will also be organized.

Nepal is the chair of the SAARC following the 18th SAARC Summit held in November, 2014.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mahendra Bahadur Pandey argued that Nepal’s participation on the UNGA would be important for the fact that the UNGA is being held on the 70th year anniversary of the UN and 60 years of Nepal acquiring its membership.

“Nepal will take this opportunity to share the international community about the recent political feats achieved by the country, including the recently promulgated constitution, about the form of governance Nepal is to adopt, the political system,” said Minister Pandey.

Also, Nepali delegation will utilize the UN platform to offer sights about the April 25 deadly earthquake and its gruesome consequences as well as about the 5-year action plan formulated for the reconstruction of the quake-damaged infrastructures.

“We will return with the recommendations, cooperation and best wishes of the international community in connection to the reconstruction in the aftermath of the earthquake,” confided Pandey.

The delegation, besides PM Koirala and Minister for Foreign Affairs Pandey, comprise PM’s foreign affairs advisor Dr Dinesh Bhattarai, Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers Narayan Gopal Malego, Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Shankardas Bairagi.

In addition, Joint-Secretaries of the MoFA Tara Prasad Pokharel and Ramesh Prasad Khanal, Under-Secretary of the MoFA Durga Prasad Bhandari, Chief of Protocol at the MoFA Arjunkanta Mainali, PM Koirala’s personal physician Prof Dr Karbirnath Yogi, PM Koirala’s Public Relations Advisor Mridula Koirala and PM’s personal assistant Atul Koirala would be joining the delegation.

The team will also have a 7-member team led by Dr Durga Prasad Bhattarai, Nepal’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Nepali ambassador to the USA, Dr Arjun Kumar Karki will be also the part of the Nepali delegation, it is shared. RSS