YouSaid · the spoken record

Prakash Sharan MAHAT

lines on the record: 48
first: 2004-09-24
most recent: 2016-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Let us make a solemn commitment here in the Hall of the General Assembly that the world of tomorrow will be different from that of today. We want the history of the twenty-first century to unfold not as a history of conflict, strife, poverty, hunger and indignation, but as a history of prosperity, peace, development and partnership.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“As we embark upon the effective implementation of the Constitution and undertake the vital process of the socioeconomic transformation of Nepal, the goodwill, solidarity and support of the international community become all the more important. We are confident that our friends in the international community will stand by us in our efforts to build a strong foundation for a peaceful, stable, democratic and prosperous Nepal. The United Nations today is confronted with unprecedented challenges. However, unique opportunities also exist — and can be seized to transform the world into a peaceful place in which to live. We have the capacity, resources and technology to address the challenges and ensure prosperity and dignity for everyone. But we must muster the necessary political will to achieve that.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We have entered a crucial phase in implementing our Constitution in Nepal. Our ultimate goal is to consolidate peace and stability and bring about prosperity in the country. Inclusive economic growth and development are important to sustain political gains. The Constitution provides a framework to pursue those objectives. Democratic elections for all three tiers of the federal system must be completed by February 2018. That is a huge task, but we are determined to carry it out successfully, thereby helping to institutionalize the federal democratic system of governance, as promised by the Constitution. Further tasks include addressing the outstanding issues of the peace process, reconstructing and rebuilding earthquake-ravaged areas and achieving inclusive prosperity and development; they constitute our top priorities.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We are currently engaged in dialogue with concerned political parties to find an acceptable solution to some of the issues where differences persist. The Constitution guarantees equal participation and incorporates the principle of proportional representation of women, indigenous nationalities, Madhesis, Dalits and other marginalized groups in elective bodies and other organs of the State structure. Nepal has a strong commitment to gender equality and the empowerment of women. Women are guaranteed a minimum of one third representation in the federal and provincial parliaments, and 40 per cent in local government. I am proud to inform the General Assembly that in Nepal the Head of State, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Speaker of the Parliament are all women.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Among other things, the Constitution aims to institutionalize inclusive and democratic polity, pluralism, the rule of law, representative and accountable government, social and economic justice and universally accepted human rights. Equality is at the core of the Constitution. Equal opportunity and protection are guaranteed to every citizen. Discrimination on any ground is prohibited. The State is obliged to take special measures to protect the most marginalized and underrepresented sections of society and ensure their well-being. Our Constitution is not a rigid document, but rather a living and dynamic one that is capable of addressing any remaining or new issues within its framework. The two amendments that were made within months of its promulgation amply prove this.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Commitment to democratic norms and values was the central thrust of the peace process, which led to the holding of the first-ever elections for the Constituent Assembly. Arms management and the integration of combatants was successfully carried out as part of the peace process. With the promulgation of the democratic Constitution on 20 September last year, the peace process basically came to a close. Nepal’s homegrown peace process and its success may provide a good model for countries transitioning from conflict to peace. The promulgation of our Constitution represents a turning point in Nepal’s constitutional and political history.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Equal emphasis must be laid on all three pillars of the United Nations: development, peace and security, and human rights. The reform of the United Nations must reflect the vastly transformed political reality of the twenty-first century. Our vision for sustainable peace and a just world order cannot be realized without a comprehensive reform of the United Nations, including reform of the Security Council. Nepal strongly believes in a more representative, inclusive and accountable United Nations. In recent years Nepal has undergone a political transformation of historic proportions. The decade-long armed conflict was finally converted into a peace process with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord in 2006.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We believe that the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, adopted last year, reflects a rare commitment by the international community to making a difference. We support its early entry into force. Nepal also believes that climate justice based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities should be at the centre of its implementation. Special attention must be given to the climate-vulnerable countries, particularly mountainous countries, as regards providing resources and transferring technology for capacity-building and adaptation. Our efforts must recognize the intrinsic connection between poverty reduction, sustainable development and environmental protection. We must acknowledge that the United Nations system has a leading role to play in global governance.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Robust implementation of internationally agreed commitments, including those contained in the Istanbul Programme of Action, the Vienna Programme of Action, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, are critically important to enable those countries to emerge from the states of poverty and underdevelopment they are experiencing. Delay in the conclusion of the Doha Round of trade negotiations is a huge setback; it is denying countries many development dividends of trade and hampering the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As to climate change, Nepal, as a Himalayan country, faces challenges in the form of melting glaciers and flash floods from glacial-lake outbursts.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“International burden-sharing has greatly helped to lessen the burden host countries face. However, the right of refugees to return to their homeland in safety and dignity must always be upheld in all circumstances. While globalization has created many opportunities, the benefits which countries have reaped from it have been uneven. The constraints on countries in special circumstances, particularly the least developed countries and landlocked developing countries, are real. That is why international financial, trading and monetary systems must be responsive to their needs and concerns.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Migration has become a defining phenomenon of the contemporary world. The global movement of people has brought benefits and challenges. The proper management of migration can contribute to the economic growth and development of both the destination and the origin countries of migrant workers. The welfare and the protection of the rights of migrant workers must therefore receive priority in the countries in which they work. As the source country of over 3 million migrant workers, Nepal calls for concerted efforts at the national, regional and international levels to ensure that the process creates a fair and win-win situation for all. Despite not being a party to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, Nepal has long hosted refugees on humanitarian grounds.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The Commission on Investigation of Disappeared Persons and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission are carrying out their mandates in an independent and impartial manner. The Government is committed to taking appropriate measures to address the issues surrounding the process of transitional justice in line with our international commitment and the ground realities of establishing sustained peace. Nepal has been working closely with the Human Rights Council with all sincerity and commitment. Informed by our experience of protecting and promoting of human rights and our sincere desire to contribute to the work of the Human Rights Council, we are seeking membership on the Council for the term beginning 2018. It is the first time we have filed our candidature. We request the support of all fellow Member States for our candidature.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The new Constitution of Nepal, which was the result of eight years of deliberation that ensured participatory, transparent and inclusive processes, includes an impressive list of human rights and provides adequate remedial measures. Nepal has abolished the death penalty and is a party to the first Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It has put in place the necessary legal, institutional and administrative measures for the realization of all human rights. The National Human Rights Commission and other independent constitutional bodies were established with the sole objective of protecting and promoting human rights in all spheres of national life. Nepal’s homegrown peace process recognizes transitional justice as its key component.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Human rights must not be used as a tool to serve hidden political interests. All human rights, including the right to development, must receive equal priority and be pursued even-handedly. The salient features of non-selectivity, universality, indivisibility and objectivity must be upheld in all circumstances. The sanctity of the Human Rights Council and the innovative universal periodic review mechanism must be maintained to ensure the full ownership of human rights. Nepal’s commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms is total and unwavering. We are party to most of the core international human rights instruments, which have found eloquent expression in Nepal’s newly promulgated Constitution.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We must establish clearly defined mandates and operational modalities, provide adequate resource back-up, ensure the safety and security of personnel, arrange regular consultations and greater collaboration with the troop-contributing countries and devise clear exit strategies.We also believe that peacekeeping alone cannot guarantee durable peace in societies. It should be complemented by proper and clearly defined peacebuilding strategies led and owned by the people and societies themselves. We would also like to underline that all troop-contributing countries must be afforded fair opportunities to serve in leadership positions, both in the field and at Headquarters, commensurate with the level and length of their contributions. We are satisfied that human rights values have now become truly global.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to fulfil our obligations and are prepared to provide additional troops and civilians to United Nations peacekeeping operations. That is because we have a strong conviction that the success of the United Nations largely hinges on the success of its peacekeeping operations. However, we also believe that for the peacekeeping missions to be successful, there must be unity of purpose in mobilizing all of the political capital of the Security Council.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“United Nations peacekeeping operations are an important innovation of the United Nations and are dedicated to the service of humankind. Nepal’s engagement in peacekeeping operations, started just three years after joining the United Nations, speaks volumes about our unflinching commitment to the cause of international peace and security. We feel proud to be part of that flagship contribution. Our troops have served in various challenging peacekeeping missions with a high degree of professionalism, commitment and devotion. That has helped them earn international acclaim. Seventy-three of our fellow countrymen have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty to the supreme cause of peace.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Nepal stands for the complete and time-bound disarmament of all weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear ones.An environment must be created in which development dividends can be released by disarmament and redirected towards productive use. The global community, especially the nuclear States, must make a determined effort to move forward from the stalled negotiations on disarmament. We believe that all efforts to bring about disarmament must be pursued in good faith and in full compliance with the agreed international regimes. Based on our principled position, Nepal hosts the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific. We invite Member States and partners to support and fully utilize the Centre to promote dialogue on disarmament, thereby enhancing the Kathmandu process.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“As the birthplace of Lord Buddha, Nepal believes that meaningful exchanges and dialogues among civilizations will help instil positive values, which will contribute to eventual world peace. We would like to see an early resolution of the conflict in Syria. The suffering of the Syrian people must now come to an end. Nepal supports the call for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East. We recognize the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to an independent State, based on United Nations resolutions, and the right of every nation in the region to live in peace, within secure and recognized international boundaries.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The increasing terrorist activity in our own region and in many parts of the world is a matter of serious concern for all of us. Terrorism is a serious threat to the human goal of living in harmony, peace and dignity. Nepal condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. The failure of the international community to agree on a comprehensive convention on international terrorism is highly frustrating. We call upon the international community to muster the much- needed political will to accomplish this agenda. To create a secure world we must adopt a two- track approach. We must deal with emerging threats resolutely, firmly and collectively. On a much broader scale, we also need to nurture a culture of peace.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is now part of our national development plans and programmes and will be implemented with the utmost priority. The vision for a safer world continues to elude us. New sources of threats to humankind have emerged, while the traditional sources of threats have simultaneously become more pronounced. The forms and intensity of non-traditional threats to security — terrorism, transnational crimes, ethnic tensions, intra-State conflicts and violent extremism — have multiplied. The abuse by criminal actors of innovations in information and communications technology has added to social vulnerability. We underline the central role of the General Assembly and the Security Council in addressing such threats and challenges.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We would like to see progress in terms of the principal components of the resource base — official development assistance, trade, foreign direct investment, technology and debt relief — to ensure the smooth implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Nepal’s commitment to the SDGs is informed by its success in reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Amid multiple challenges, Nepal’s performance in that respect was impressive. We were able to halve the proportion of people living in poverty and to significantly reduce the maternal and infant mortality rates. We were able to send more children to school and keep them in school. The enrolment of girls in schools was substantially increased.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We cannot imagine a peaceful, prosperous and secure society when millions of people live in poverty. I therefore urge all Member States and our development partners to move beyond rhetoric and commence concrete actions without losing time, energy or zeal. It is also evident that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) cannot be realized unless sound development policies and frameworks are supported by a capable institutional framework, adequate resources and innovative methods of implementation. As much as national commitment, ownership, leadership and people-centric governance are critical in the domestic context, robust international partnerships are equally important to ensure the success of the SDGs.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The principles of the Charter of the United Nations remain at the core of Nepal’s foreign policy. As much as the United Nations has contributed to our development endeavours, and lately to the peace process, Nepal has significantly contributed to the United Nations in fulfilling its primary responsibility of maintaining international peace and security. It has been a year since we adopted the universal and transformative 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with the objective of leaving no one behind. After one year, it is clear now that much more needs to be done to move from commitments to results. Let me stress the fact that the secure foundation of world peace rests on the well-being of the peoples across the globe. Poverty reduction and sustainable development are therefore inseparable.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“I wish to begin by congratulating the President on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at the seventy-first session. I wish to assure him of my delegation’s full support in the successful discharge of his important responsibilities. I also want to commend the outgoing President, His Excellency Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, for his effective leadership at the seventieth session. I wish to place on record Nepal’s admiration of His Excellency Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for the dedication with which he served this world Organization for the past 10 years. We wish him well for the future. Exactly six decades ago, at the eleventh session of the General Assembly, Nepal first spoke as a newly admitted Member. Now, 60 years down the road, our commitment to the United Nations has become even stronger.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“As an active Member State, Nepal will do its best to contribute to the efforts of the United Nations in order to attain the shared goals of peace and prosperity for all.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“The high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly at the sixtieth anniversary of the United Nations will be a landmark event that should make a great leap forward on a number of outstanding issues and expedite implementation of the Millennium Development Goals. This fall, Nepal is organizing the Second World Buddhist Summit in Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha and a world heritage site in Nepal. We need support and participation from our friends the Member States to make the conference a success and to revive in New York the international committee for the development of Lumbini, which we are planning to do soon. To conclude, the dawn of the new millennium offers us both opportunities for and challenges to 12 revitalizing the United Nations and strengthening multilateralism.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Nepal has consistently supported the expansion of the Council and reform of its methods of work, so as to make it more representative, transparent and democratic. In that context, the aspirations of some Member States — mainly India, Japan, Germany and Brazil — merit serious consideration for permanent membership in the Security Council. At the same time, there is urgent need to expand the Council’s non-permanent membership to ensure greater participation of small Member States. Nepal hopes the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change appointed by the Secretary- General will come up with recommendations that could culminate in tangible reforms consistent with the present realities of the world.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We have been seeking technical assistance from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as concerns the capacity-building of the National Human Rights Commission. The Human Rights Promotion Centre has been established to ensure inter-departmental coordination and the supervision of human rights issues. The United Nations is the pivot of multilateralism that is imperative to address the complex challenges of our time. Nepal supports the ongoing efforts for United Nations reform, including those aimed at revitalizing the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council. Priority should be accorded to enhancing the role of the United Nations in the area of economic and social development. Security Council reform has become an important issue for the international community.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“The Government deeply appreciates the moral and material support our friends have been providing us in the fight against the violence. In that context, we sincerely appreciate the interest expressed by the Secretary-General in the situation in Nepal, and his readiness to help the Government’s efforts towards peace. The four-party coalition Government, with its broad mandate, is working seriously to initiate the peace process in Nepal. We are confident that we will be able to resolve the problem by ourselves. Even in the midst of this difficulty, His Majesty’s Government is committed to protecting the freedoms and human rights of citizens. The National Human Rights Commission monitors the human rights situation in the country, and a three-year National Human Rights Action Plan has been launched to implement our human rights commitments.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“That violent movement began just when democracy was taking root and economic growth was accelerating owing to policy reforms. The Maoists have brutalized people and destroyed private homes and public infrastructure worth billions of rupees. They have been abducting children and recruiting them as child soldiers. They have continued to defy our call to respects schools as zones of peace. They are engaged in extortion and in the intimidation and killing of innocent civilians. This notwithstanding, His Majesty’s Government has been sincerely seeking a results-oriented dialogue to find a political settlement. At the same time, the Government has an obligation to protect the lives of people and to safeguard private property and public infrastructure by strengthening security.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Therefore, we earnestly hope that the process of verification can be expedited, that verified refugees can be repatriated in a time-bound manner, and that returnees will be able to enjoy their human rights and to live in safety, dignity and honour in their own country. Obviously, Nepal does not have the capacity to take care of those refugees, though we have let them stay on humanitarian grounds. Hence, we call on the international community, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), to continue its support until the refugees are able to go back home and fully resettle there. Our situation has become even more difficult due to the armed violence launched in 1996 by the so- called Maoists.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“In some cases, whole generations have grown up in refugee camps, struggling to find their identity. The world community has an obligation to provide humanitarian assistance to such needy people and to help them resettle once they have returned home. Nearly 100,000 Bhutanese refugees have been living in camps in eastern Nepal for over a decade. Our bilateral efforts to find a negotiated settlement with Bhutan have been slow and halting. Even the refugees who have been verified by a joint team have yet to go back home. Other refugees are waiting for joint verification. 11 For generations, Nepal and Bhutan have remained close friends and have respected each other. The presence of Bhutanese refugees on our soil is an avoidable irritant.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Sadly, however, conflicts and poverty have driven millions of people from their homes and countries. Conflicts, together with criminal gangs, have also violated the rule of law and peoples’ human rights. New democracies should learn from each other’s experiences in consolidating democratic institutions and values, and the world community should join hands to fight transnational crime. The rule of law should apply not only in domestic situations but also throughout the international community. There are 17 million refugees around the world — a staggering number. Many more millions of persons are internally displaced. In many areas, those people live in fear and under appalling conditions. Children are deprived of a decent education, and adults lack jobs and economic opportunities.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We urge the transit and development partners to implement the Almaty Programme of Action and to overcome their difficulties. Though Nepal joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) last year, most least developed countries remain outside the multilateral trade framework. We call on the members of the WTO to facilitate quick and concessionary memberships for those countries. Nepal also urges the international community to change the international financial architecture so as to give a voice to the small and weak. Nepal believes that democracy, human rights and the rule of law will have to go hand in hand with peace and development to achieve overall progress in a country. It is heartening that more people in the world enjoy democracy and freedom today than ever before.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“The development partners, therefore, should dismantle their agricultural subsidies and open their markets to goods and labour from the South. They should also offer assistance to build capacities to attract and absorb foreign direct investment and to remove supply-side constraints, especially in least developed nations. The least developed countries — the most marginalized — need more generous assistance and market access, as agreed to in the Brussels Programme of Action, to break the vicious circle of poverty and join the global economy. Our studies have shown that Nepal will not be able to meet most Millennium Development Goals without such targeted measures from its development partners. Their geographical bottleneck and distance from the main corridors of commerce handicap landlocked developing countries.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“The development partners should meet the agreed official development assistance targets and provide greater debt relief to indebted countries. Indeed, although official development assistance flows have increased since 2002, they remain way below the additional $50 billion per year that is required to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Debt repayment is eating up a large chunk of the resources of developing countries, and the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Debt Initiative has yet to cover all least developed countries. In the long run, fair globalization on a level playing field and open markets will help reduce poverty, increase employment and lift the standard of living in developing nations.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Poverty has forced many to migrate, and crimes have flourished in those sad conditions. There is no doubt that the developing countries have the primary responsibility for their own economic development and social progress. They need to take measures to reform their policies and institutions and create a climate in which enterprise, innovation and development can flourish. Most of those countries have been trying to do that on their own initiative and to live up to their side of the pledges undertaken in various global compacts. But their development partners also have their obligations to meet under various global compacts, because developing countries, given the mammoth challenges they face, cannot grapple with them and meet the Millennium Development Goals without enhanced assistance from their development partners.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“International peace and security will continue to elude us until we address the root causes of conflicts: namely, poverty, ignorance, disease, exclusion and injustice. Most of the conflicts around the world today, which have regional and global consequences, are rooted in those sad human conditions. It is imperative that we address those conditions collectively for the shared benefit of humankind as a whole. Today, more than a billion people live in absolute poverty. Millions of people remain illiterate. Preventable diseases are taking a huge toll on children, and HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis are decimating entire societies, particularly in Africa. Growing populations have caused environmental 10 degradation. Racial, cultural and wealth-related divisions have often been sources of exclusion, intolerance and injustice.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We reiterate our support to nuclear-weapon-free zones and to keeping outer space free of such weapons. The international community should also work together to strengthen controls over small arms and light weapons in order to prevent their abuse by non-State actors. Regional centres for peace and disarmament are instrumental in building confidence among nations. Nepal is eager to relocate to Kathmandu the Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific at the earliest possible time. We are prepared to sign the necessary agreements, consistent with the prevailing diplomatic practices and provisions of the other two regional centres. We also want the Kathmandu process revived without delay.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“It is our firm belief that the international community must look beyond the immediate conflicts and seek to build a strong foundation for durable peace by pursuing disarmament, development and the rule of law. Nepal is deeply concerned by the setback in the disarmament realm. Of course, the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is very important to keeping such weapons from rogue elements. No durable peace will be possible without concerted efforts for disarmament, particularly of nuclear weapons, as they are the greatest threat to human civilization. It is regrettable that the Conference on Disarmament has had no programme of work for the last several years. That body must be allowed to work on a coherent strategy leading to the complete elimination of nuclear weapons in a time-bound manner.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We urge the United Nations to enrich and widen the scope of consultations with troop-contributing countries, including in the areas of mission planning and pre- deployment preparations. We urge the United Nations to give greater opportunities to Nepalese nationals in management positions in the Secretariat and in field missions. As we remain committed to peacekeeping and willing to bring our experience to the table, Nepal has sought a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for the period 2007-2008, after a gap of 19 years. I take this opportunity to appeal to Member States to give us the privilege of their support in the election to be held in 2006.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We are proud to be part of United Nations efforts in our own humble way in those countries by deploying our troops. The world community ought to sustain those efforts and help those countries in their rebuilding and reconstruction endeavours. Nepal’s track record is a testimony to its unflinching commitment to United Nations peacekeeping operations. So far, over 45,000 Nepalese peacekeepers have served in various missions in an outstanding manner, and 47 of them have sacrificed their precious lives in the service of peace and humanity. At the moment, nearly 2,500 Nepalese blue helmets are deployed in 12 peacekeeping missions around the world. Nepal appreciates the United Nations help in bridging the equipment gaps for our deployment.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“To break this cycle, both Israel and Palestine will have to exercise maximum restraint and engage in fruitful dialogue to build the mutual confidence critical for implementing the Quartet-endorsed road map, which offers a viable and durable two-State solution. Nepal supports the road map and views the Israeli plan to pull out of Gaza as a positive step. Though the security situation has improved over time, Afghanistan is far from secure, and its reconstruction is far from satisfactory. The world community must do more to provide security to the entire country, hold free and fair elections and accelerate the speed of its reconstruction and development. Nepal supports United Nations efforts to bring peace and normalcy to Haiti, Burundi, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Sudan.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Terrorism has become a global menace, casting a dark shadow over the lives of millions of people around the globe. Deadly weapons pose a constant threat to the safety of human beings and the very existence of human civilization. By all accounts, the situation in Iraq is highly volatile and extremely dangerous. The Nepalese people have yet to overcome their revulsion over the brutal killing of 12 innocent Nepalese hostages on 31 August in that country. We strongly condemn this dastardly crime committed by the terrorists. It is our fervent hope that the Iraqi people will be able to improve their security environment, hold the scheduled elections on 9 time and live in a free, secure, democratic and prosperous Iraq. The Middle East is caught in a cycle of violence.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Addressing these problems is a challenge that requires collective action by the international community in a spirit of multilateralism. The United Nations has the legitimacy and mandate to promote multilateral solutions to the shared problems of our time. Indeed, the United Nations embodies all of humanity’s shared dreams and its hopes for peace, security and development. Nepal has abiding faith in the principles and objectives enshrined in the United Nations Charter, and we recognize the central role of the United Nations in the pursuit of those shared dreams. The emerging international situation is fraught with a multitude of challenges. Internal conflicts have afflicted countries from Iraq to Burundi and from Haiti to the Sudan.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We live in one of the most turbulent periods since the Second World War. The end of the cold war unleashed forces of democracy and economic openness, and the revolution in science, and technology has converted the world into a global village by shrinking distances and increasing connectivity. In tandem with this came many negative consequences. Internal conflicts have proliferated and populations have been displaced. International terrorism has increased. Globalization has widened the gap between the rich and the poor. Poverty, ignorance, disease and injustice have persisted and even worsened for the majority of humanity. Transnational crimes have spread their wings. No country is immune from the impact of these huge problems facing humanity today.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Allow me to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your well-deserved election to preside over the fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly. I assure you of my delegation’s full cooperation in the discharge of your important duties. Allow me to also pay tribute to your predecessor, Mr. Julian R. Hunte, Minister for External Affairs of Saint Lucia, for his outstanding leadership in the Assembly’s last session. Our full appreciation goes to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his invaluable and wise stewardship of the United Nations. I also wish to express, on behalf of His Majesty’s Government and the people of Nepal, our sincere condolences to the Governments, countries and peoples that have suffered the consequences of hurricanes and terrorist attacks in recent weeks and months.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)