KATHMANDU, May 8: Nepal was elected as a member of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) from Asia-Pacific region on Tuesday for the term 2020-2030, according to a press release issued by the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations based in New York.

Nepal was elected to the Commission, for the first time, in an election held at the United Nation Headquarters.

CND is one of the functional commissions of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the central drug policy-making body within the United Nations system. The Commission was established to assist the ECOSOC in supervising the application of the international drug control treaties. The mandate of the Commission was expanded to enable it to function as the governing body of the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC). The UNODC is based in Vienna, Austria.

Along with Nepal, 33 countries from different regions have also been elected to the Commission. Nepal obtained 44 out of 54 valid votes of the 54 members of the ECOSOC. Bahrain, China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Thailand and Turkmenistan were also elected to the Commission representing the Asia-Pacific region.

Nepal attaches high importance to combating drug trafficking and related crimes. Nepal signed the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961 in 2003 and ratified it in 2011. The Convention has currently 186 states parties.

This is yet another opportunity for Nepal to work closely with the international community in the fight against illicit narcotic drugs. Nepal is committed to contributing more to the work of multilateral bodies through its active involvements, the Mission stated in its press release.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nepal (MoFA) thanked the ECOSOC member states for electing Nepal to the Commission.

“Nepal elected to UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs. Thanks and deep appreciation to the ECOSOC Member States for their support and trust on Nepal. Fighting together against illicit narcotic drugs,” tweeted MoFA.

Nepal joined the United Nations on 14 December 1955 and the Mission was established in the following year.

Nepal has been elected members in various organs of the UN in recent years.

Nepal was elected as a member of the Executive Board of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) for the term 2019-2021 in 2018.

Also in 2018, Nepal was elected as a member of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) for the term 2019-2022 as well as chair of the Committee on Conferences for the year 2018.

Nepal was also elected as a member of the Human Rights Council (HRC) for the term 2018-2020 in 2017. Similarly, Ms. Bandana Rana of Nepal is the current Vice-Chair of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), who was elected as Member in 2016.

Nepal is also contesting reelections to the HRC for the term 2021-2023 and CEDAW for the term 2021 to 2024, the elections for both the bodies will be held in 2020, according to the press release.

Nepal will also contest an election in 2023 for a member of ECOSOC for the term 2024-2026, it further reads.

KATHMANDU, Jan 29: The government has said Nepal stands for peace, stability and unity of Venezuela and calls for resolution of differences through peaceful means.

Issuing a press release on Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated that the people of Venezuela have the ultimate authority to take a decision on the country’s political and constitutional course.

“We have been closely following the recent political developments in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,” said the press release, adding, “In line with its principled position, Nepal believes that internal political problems of a country need to be resolved within its constitutional parameters in a democratic manner, free from external interferences.” RSS

KATHMANDU, June 13: Nepal has welcomed the summit meeting held between President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in Singapore on June 12 and the joint statement issued thereafter.

Issuing a press release on Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Nepal believes that the momentum generated by this summit will be followed through and hopes that the commitments contained in the statement will be implemented to pave the way for lasting peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.

KATHMANDU, April 28: The Government of Nepal has welcomed the Inter-Korean historic summit and the issuance of its declaration.

“The Government of Nepal welcomes the 2018 Inter-Korean Summit at Peace House in Panmunjeom and the issuance of Declaration following the Summit,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on a press release on Saturday evening.

“Nepal believes that it is a significant step forward towards normalizing their bilateral relations, and hopes that this will contribute to establish lasting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula,” added the MoFA.

The leaders of North and South Korea,  Kim Jong Un and the South’s President Moon Jae-in, agreed to pursue a permanent peace treaty and the complete denuclearization of their divided peninsula at a historic summit on Friday.

The duo also agreed that they would this year seek a permanent end to the Korean War, 65 years after hostilities ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

KATHMANDU, Oct 12: The online edition of the annual report of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has been launched amid a program in the capital on Thursday.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Krishna Bahadur Mahara launched the report, while stressing the need for documenting the report for further purpose and future generations.

The report comprises important diplomatic incidents and important work of the ministry during the fiscal year 2073\074 B.S.

The report also includes Nepal’s diplomatic relations divided into 12 different subjects, and work and activities of the consuls. RSS