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KATHMANDU: Visiting United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said the world should learn a lesson from Nepal's homegrown practices for the establishment of peace.
Addressing a welcome programme organised in his honour at the UN Building in Pulchowk, Lalitpur on Monday, Guterres said the world should take a lesson from Nepal's homegrown practices for establishing peace, efforts to conclude the transitional justice and its contribution to the UN peacekeeping operations.
On the occasion, he urged the UN staff in Nepal to assist the country to become competitive and successful in the areas including the socio-economic sector. He sought the role of UN staff here in Nepal's efforts to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs).
He asserted that his Nepal visit is primarily centred on the matters of concluding the peace process, assisting those affected by the impact of climate change and facilitating Nepal to graduate from the least developed country (LDC) category. He reminded that the interests of conflict survivors be prioritised while taking the transitional justice process to a conclusion.
Expressing his concerns about Nepal bearing the brunt of the impacts of climate change including snow melting although it does not have any role in carbon emissions globally, Secretary-General Guterres stressed the need for all stakeholders to take the matter seriously.
Hanaa Singer-Hamdy, the UN Resident Coordinator in Nepal, said all assistance would continue to upgrade Nepal’s status and achieve sustainable peace as per the UN guidelines and recommendations. The UN continues support to Nepal for the implementation of its constitutional rights and equitable inclusive development, she added.
UN Secretary-General Guterres planted saplings on the premises of the UN Building. Buddhist nun and popular singer Ani Choying Drolma was also present on the occasion.
While visiting the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality-4 in Solukhumbu as part of his four-day official trip to Nepal on Monday, the UN Secretary-General pledged to bring global attention to the impact of climate change on mountain life in Nepal.
He engaged in an interaction with the local community to discuss the challenges posed by climate change and its impacts on their daily lives. He vowed to inform the world about the consequences of climate change in mountain regions, incorporating the input of the local residents in the upcoming COP-28, the UN Climate Change Conference.
The UN Secretary-General highlighted that developed nations bear significant responsibility for climate change, but it is disheartening that rural areas like Khumbu are experiencing its consequences disproportionately, according to rural municipality chair Laxman Adhikari.
Guterres vowed to initiate efforts to mitigate the consequences of climate change and raise global awareness of the urgency of addressing these issues.
During the interaction, local residents informed him about various climate change-related issues, including the melting of snow, climate change-induced hazards, the depletion of water resources, the impact on local agriculture, and occurrences of avalanches. They also discussed the energy crisis in their locality and requested UN support for the development of micro hydropower projects.
The delegation led by Secretary-General Guterres includes Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Undersecretary General for Peace Operations, the United Nations, Hanaa Singer-Hamdy, the UN Resident Coordinator in Nepal and other UN officials.
Guterres arrived in Nepal on Sunday on his four-day official visit at the invitation of Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'. On the first day of his visit, he separately paid a courtesy call on President Ramchandra Paudel and PM Dahal. He also had separate meetings with Nepali Congress President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN (UML) Chair and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Speaker Devraj Ghimire, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Prakash Saud.
Following the meetings, Secretary-General Guterres observed the Patan Durbar Square, a heritage site of historical and archaeological importance. PM Dahal hosted a banquet reception on Sunday evening in his honour.
