PM Prachanda to leave for 78th UNGA on Sept 16

Kathmandu, Sept. 7

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda is leaving for the 78^th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) which is happening in the UN headquarters in New York on September 16.

"PM Prachanda will embark on the trip to the United States of America leading the Nepali delegation to the UNGA on September 16 and will remain there till September 21," Minister for Foreign Affairs, NP Saud informed the lawmakers at the meeting of the International Relations and Tourism Committee of the House of Representatives on Thursday.

The UNGA has begun from September 5, Tuesday and the high-level segment of the Assembly will be organised from 18 to 26 of this month.

The UNGA will be chaired by Dennis Francis of Trinidad and Tobago.

The high-level panel will deliberate on “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all”.

Nepali delegation will also include, FM Saud, PM's chief political advisor, national security advisor, Chief Secretary Dr. Baikuntha Aryal, Foreign Secretary Bharat Raj Paudyal, high government officials, Nepal's ambassador to the USA and the United Nations and media persons.

Meanwhile, PM Prachanda is also scheduled to participate and address high level programmes of the UNGA such as 'Sustainable Development Goals Summit and Climate Ambition Summit.

Nepal will get an opportunity to present the development priorities, major achievements and challenges of Nepal's government in the UN forum in front of the heads of state and government of different countries or high political participants, informed FM Saud.

"It is a matter of pride for Nepal to be among the countries invited by the Secretary General of the United Nations to participate in the Climate Ambition Summit on climate change, and it is an important matter in itself to voice the national issues of climate change before the world community," he said.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the UNGA, series of meetings of the Prime Minister with the heads of state, heads of government and delegations of various friendly countries have been scheduled. PM Prachanda will attend a dinner hosted by the President of the United States Joe Biden.

Nepal, which is being upgraded from a least developed country and is the Chair of the LDC group, has a programme to conduct the meeting of the assembly in the capacity of the Chair of the Global Coordination Bureau of the Least Developed Countries.

Similarly, Nepal will also participate in the annual meetings like G-77 and China, LLDCs and others.

After participating in the high-level session of the 78^th General Assembly of the United Nations, the Prime Minister is scheduled to leave for an official visit of China on September 22.

Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Development Dr. Beduram Bhusal will lead Nepali delegation to the summit of Group of 77 and China on September 15 and 16. The summit with the theme “Current Development Challenges: The Role of Science, Technology and Innovation” will be held in Havana of Cuba. 

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 8 September 2023.