On Saturday, as the world leaders addressed the 68th United Nations General Assembly in New York, turn by turn, the Chairman of the Interim Election Council of Ministers, Khil Raj Regmi, took the global stage to share Nepal’s perspectives on contemporary issues. As head of the Nepali delegation, standing before the august assembly, Chairman Regmi voiced the concerns of Nepal and other Least Developed Countries (LDCs). He made a clarion call for equitable, inclusive and judicious economic growth and development that put elimination of extreme poverty at the centre. Reaffirming Nepal’s faith in the principles and purposes of the United Nations, Regmi said the world body had a central and indispensable role to play in forging global peace, security, development, human freedom and multilateralism. Sharing with the world leaders how Nepal was working at home to hold the second Constituent Assembly election, he said the people’s fresh mandate will allow the country to write a constitution and institutionalise multi-party democracy, federalism and republicanism.
On the world stage, Regmi told the attending leaders that Nepal was constructively engaged in mainstreaming the concerns of the LDCs into the new global development agenda. He called upon the UN member states to focus efforts on finishing the tasks set out in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 and asked the leaders to take into account the global applicability of the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the regional, national and sub-national levels. Articulating the concerns of the Least Developed Countries, he said, they arose mainly out of severe structural constraints and multiple vulnerabilities. Chairman Regmi then talked about Nepal’s risks as the 5th most vulnerable country in terms of impacts of climate change. For sure, at great stake were Nepal’s fragile mountain ecosystems, lives, livelihoods, heritages and diversities. Therefore, he said, a genuine partnership - North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation - was becoming more significant than ever to address these and similar other global challenges.
Host to the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament (RCPD) for Asia and the Pacific in Kathmandu, Nepal also stressed the need for strengthening the regional initiatives for peace through dialogue, education, awareness and confidence-building measures. Reiterating Nepal’s position as being in favour of the Non-aligned Movement and against all forms of weapons and terrorism, Regmi also touched on global trade and immigration issues. In all, Regmi’s speech made a compelling call to address the structural deficiency and democratic deficit of globalisation. His emphasis on making economic growth and development inclusive and responsive to the needs of the poor and marginalised people across the world was in keeping with Nepal’s policies for national development and its desires to see a world where no one was left behind. The message of peace from the land of Lord Buddha, which Chairman Regmi conveyed to the world leaders, must also have shown Nepal to the world as it is: a peace-loving nation, working firmly to attain the development aspirations of its people.
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