Wednesday, July 9, 2025

'Seville Commitment milestone for LDCs' development'

PM returns home from Spain


Kathmandu, July 4

Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli has returned to Nepal after leading the Nepali delegation at the fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Seville, Spain, held from June 30 to July 4.

The Prime Minister had led a delegation to Seville at the joint invitation of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez Pérez Castejón and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. The conference aimed to bolster international cooperation for development and advocate for the needs of least developed countries (LDCs).

Addressing the General Debate of the conference on June 30, 2025, Prime Minister Oli, in his capacity as the Chair of the Global Coordination Bureau of Least Developed Countries, highlighted the significant challenges faced by LDCs. He urged developed nations and development partners to enhance their support and expand partnerships to address these issues.

Upon his arrival from Spain, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the 'Sevilla Commitment' would serve as a milestone for the smooth and sustainable graduation and overall development and prosperity of LDCs. He also called for greater commitment and effort from the global community to implement this commitment.

During his address, Prime Minister Oli stated that Nepal is on track to graduate from an LDC by 2026 and is actively mobilising the necessary resources for this transition. He appealed to development partners and donor agencies to provide further assistance to Nepal's economic development.

PM Oli co-chaired a multi-stakeholder roundtable on 'Revitalising international development cooperation' where he emphasised the profound impact of poverty, inequality, debt burden, and climate change on LDCs and other developing countries. He underscored the importance of strengthening international development cooperation to tackle these challenges.

Prime Minister Oli also chaired a High-Level Event on LDCs, where he highlighted that these nations grapple with issues such as poverty, hunger, malnutrition, and trade deficits. He pointed out that a significant portion of their budgets is allocated to debt servicing, making it difficult to meet basic needs like education and healthcare for their citizens.

In this context, he called for concrete steps to implement the commitments made at the Financing for Development conference and for practical action plans to reduce the financial gap.

Similarly, Prime Minister Oli addressed the 'Unlocking water and sanitation financing through heads of state initiative', announcing Nepal's inclusion in this campaign related to water and sanitation. He reiterated Nepal's government's commitment to providing citizens with fundamental services, including access to clean drinking water and sanitation, which are enshrined as fundamental rights in Nepal's constitution.

At an event hosted by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, 'Investing in global solidarity: A new vision of development cooperation', Prime Minister Oli underscored the increasing importance of development partnerships for developing nations.

He stressed the need to increase concessional resources for developing countries and adhere to principles related to effective development cooperation to maximise outcomes from such assistance.

On the eve of the conference, June 29, Prime Minister Oli addressed the 'Civil society forum for FfD4', an event organised by civil society on development finance. He said that civil society is a crucial partner in achieving sustainable development goals and advocated for empowering their role in policy formulation, monitoring, and accountability systems.

On the sidelines of the conference, Prime Minister Oli held bilateral meetings with several heads of state and government. He met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to discuss various matters of bilateral interest between Nepal and Spain. He also held discussions with Estonian President Alar Karis, Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, and Egyptian Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Kamal Madbouly on bilateral interests and concerns.

During his meeting with the Egyptian Prime Minister, Pm Oli appreciated Egypt for its ongoing cooperation in securing the release of Bipin Joshi, a Nepali citizen held captive by HAMAS, and requested continued efforts.

Prime Minister Oli also met with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. Their discussions focused on strengthening the relationship between Nepal and the UN, reinforcing multilateralism, and ensuring a sustainable transition for Nepal's graduation from an LDC. Guterres commended Nepal's contributions to UN peacekeeping.

At an interaction organised by the Nepali Embassy in Madrid with the Spanish business community, Prime Minister Oli invited investment in sectors such as hydropower, tourism, infrastructure, agriculture, and information technology. He also participated in an interaction with the Nepali diaspora in Spain, and discussed their potential role in Nepal's development and instructed the Nepali Embassy to undertake more effective and public-oriented initiatives to ensure the welfare and security of Nepalis residing there.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) maintained that the Prime Minister's active participation elevated Nepal's image on the international stage. His discussions with the Spanish business community and Nepali diaspora are expected to promote investment in Nepal.

PM Oli's delegation included his spouse Radhika Shakya, his chief advisor Bishnu Prasad Rimal, and other senior government officials.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 5 July 2025.   

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