• India’s Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj’s speech

Rt. Hon’ble Shri Sushil Koirala, Prime Minister of Nepal, Dr. Ram Saran Mahat, Finance Minister, Shri Mahendra Bahadur Pandey, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Distinguished colleagues from Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Japan, Norway, Sri Lanka, United Nations, European Union, World Bank and Asian Development Bank, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, At the outset, let me offer, on behalf of the people and Government of India, deepest condolences for the loss of human lives and for the massive devastation caused by the tragic earthquake on 25 April, and its major aftershock on 12 May. I salute the resilience of the people of Nepal and reassure you of India’s full support. The terrible disaster and continuing aftershocks have not diminished the indomitable spirit of the Nepalese people. They are calm and dignified in their tragedy. I see a quiet confidence and a steely determination as they seek to rebuild their lives and their communities. Every challenge is an opportunity. Out of adversity comes strength. Without doubt, from the debris of destruction, a stronger, united and more confident Nepal will rise. Today I convey to you the deep and abiding commitment of the Government and 1.25 billion people of India and the personal commitment of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to stand shoulder to shoulder with you as you seek to “wipe the tears of every Nepali”. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, In India, there has been an overwhelming outpouring of sympathy, support and solidarity with Nepal in its moment of tragedy. Our response was swift, spontaneous and substantive. Institutions and people across India, including from deep South and far West, offered their help. The Government of India, the State Governments, NGOs and Corporates, and above all the people of India, opened their hearts to come to Nepal’s assistance. We reacted as if a disaster had struck India. Prime Minister Modi personally led our response for relief and rescue. Our rescue teams arrived in Nepal within six hours of the earthquake. We have since worked closely with the Government of Nepal in the rescue, relief and early recovery phase. Indian Armed Forces, governmental organizations and volunteers all came together to deliver food, shelter, medical aid, and technical help. Operation Maitri was our largest ever disaster assistance effort abroad, valued at nearly four billion Indian Rupees. But what is important is not that this support was larger than other foreign countries; what matters is the strong feeling of empathy and the instantaneous, instinctive and heart-felt response from Indians for their Nepali brothers and sisters. Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, Nepal is now preparing for its biggest ever reconstruction programme. I would like to congratulate the National Planning Commission of Nepal for their comprehensive recovery needs assessment, prepared in collaboration with more than 200 international experts. The PDNA (Post Disaster Needs Assessment) has been a participatory and credible international effort, to which India was privileged to contribute. It will be the framework for donors to finalize their relief packages and pledges. The PDNA report estimates huge reconstruction needs of US$ 6.7 billion. Mobilization of resources of this magnitude is a challenging task. But Nepal is not alone. It has the good wishes and support of many friends and donors. If we all come together, we can address the funding challenge quite substantially. India stands ready to provide a lead and shoulder its responsibilities towards Nepal, our oldest and closest friend and neighbour. As challenging as the funding would be the spending. Efficient and transparent utilization of funds, to achieve the PDNA goals, will not be easy. It will require a robust institutional mechanism and the tireless dedication of an empowered team of officials. We welcome the Government of Nepal’s decision to set up such an empowered extraordinary mechanism. We stand ready to depute our professionals to share their expertise and experience with it. The need of the hour is to conceptualize a holistic recovery programme that balances short-term requirements and long-term needs. Shelter, livelihood, and quake-resistant infrastructure are the main priorities, as are mitigation and preparedness. Nepal also has to rebuild its acclaimed cultural heritage of Lalitpur, Bhaktapur and Basantpur. The challenge is formidable, and so must be the response. Donors, therefore, have to play an important role not only in providing monetary resources, but also in supporting Nepal with technical assistance and capacity building. Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, The relationship between India and Nepal is as old as history itself. We share ties of culture, religion, tradition, language, literature, and mythology. We are nurtured by the same mountains and rivers. Ours is a “Roti-Beti ka Sambandh” – a bond of family and kinship. And we are both susceptible to natural disasters. The 1934 earthquake had devastated wide swathes of Nepal and Bihar. The recent Sikkim earthquake of 2011 had caused damage across communities in both Nepal and Sikkim. Flash floods in our common rivers wreak havoc in communities in both countries. The recent earthquakes of 25 April and 12 May, though causing much more damage in Nepal, also led to the loss of lives and properties in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal in India. Clearly, Nepal and India are joined in both their joys and sorrows. Therefore we need to closely coordinate our disaster response, and help each other in the wake of such calamities. We can do so more meaningfully in areas where our expertise and Nepal’s needs match. These include Agriculture, Housing, Roads and Transport, Electricity, Health, Education, Cultural heritage, and Disaster Risk Reduction. Our existing Small Development Projects programme, focused on the grass-roots, should also be strengthened further. It is in this background and in keeping with our very special relationship that I am happy to announce Government of India’s pledge for Nepal’s post-earthquake reconstruction of Nepali Rupees 10,000 crores, equivalent to one billion US dollars, one fourth of it as Grant. This pledge is over and above our existing bilateral developmental assistance of another one billion US dollars over the next five years, forty percent of which would be Grant. This takes our total assistance to Nepal over the next five years to Two billion US dollars. Your Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, The two visits of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Nepal last year gave a significant impetus to bilateral cooperation in different fields. Hydropower projects now need to be speedily implemented and work on construction of the Kathmandu-Nijgadh fast track road and the Nijgadh airport with India’s participation should be expedited. These projects will create new job opportunities, contribute to revenue, and facilitate long-term recovery. In the weeks to follow, we will work closely with Government of Nepal in identifying specific reconstruction projects. We are confident that Nepal will utilize the pledges made by the international community in an efficient, effective, transparent and sustainable manner. Equally, we expect that the pledges will be fully realized at an early date. Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, Just four days ago, the entire world celebrated the first international Yoga Day, symbolizing the coming together for a common, higher purpose. Today, let us take inspiration from the ancient philosophy of Yoga and join hands to create a more resilient Nepal. ---------

•  Annette Dixon, Vice President, South Asia Region, World Bank Group's speech

With the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment complete and the Government’s new budget cycle beginning in mid-July the World Bank Group is mobilizing resources to align budget support and investments with the recovery and reconstruction needs. The World Bank Group plans to provide up to half-a-billion dollars to finance the reconstruction of Nepal, of which $300 million is new funding from the International Development Association’s Crisis Response Window. The World Bank Group support will consist of: $100 million for budget support: to be considered by the World Bank Board on June 29. This IDA credit will provide the Government of Nepal with short-term financial support to accelerate and expand relief and recovery efforts. It will also support policy measures to strengthen the country’s financial sector as a vehicle that channels resources for reconstruction to the private sector and households. $200 million for housing reconstruction: submitted to the World Bank Board of Executive Directors for consideration on June 29. This credit will provide grants to home-owners to rebuild about 55,000 houses for the poor in rural areas. The grants will be disbursed in tranches after verification that houses have been constructed to standards resistant to natural disasters. The credit will also finance technical assistance to improve disaster risk management systems. Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) for housing reconstruction: we have proposed a facility to enable coordination, increase harmonization and reduce transaction costs for donor financing of housing reconstruction. Additional funding is needed as the World Bank’s $200 million credit only covers a small part of the housing reconstruction needs. $100 to $200 million reallocated from the existing portfolio: we are supporting the Government of Nepal in reallocating resources from existing projects to support the reconstruction effort across multiple sectors (agriculture, health, education, energy, roads and bridges, water and sanitation) without affecting the long-term development agenda. An initial $40 million is proposed for reallocation toward disaster response, of which $12 million has already been redirected to finance nutrition and rural water supply needs in the worst-hit districts. Expected $50 to 70 million liquidity facility and $9.8 million of quick post-earthquake response from IFC: the liquidity facility from the World Bank Group’s private sector arm, will be available to commercial bank clients to support recovery of firms including SMEs in tourism or housing. This USD facility can be used for import of essential capital equipment and for working capital needs of firms, as well as accelerated financing to clients in tourism and agribusiness to ensure business continuity. Joint WBG Hydropower: Under the joint implementation plan for hydro power, the World Bank Group intends to accelerate existing agreements for development and rehabilitation of approximately 2500MW hydropower generation capacity. This includes required direct IDA and IFC financing and mobilizing necessary financing from partners including the private sector, as well as advisory and technical assistance. ------------------

• Europen Union's Commissioner Neven Mimica's address

Prime Minister, Ministers, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen, On behalf of the European Commission, I wish to express my solidarity and condolences to the people of Nepal as they come to terms with the devastating consequences of the earthquake that occurred on 25 April. The EU and Nepal have entertained good relations for decades. Since 1996, our development cooperation has significantly increased to cover a broad spectrum of activities in areas such as poverty reduction, rural development, human rights, education, food security, conflict mitigation, economic capacity and peace building. Recovering from the recent disaster is the overwhelming priority for Nepal and its partners. Nevertheless, we should all ensure that cooperation and investment will continue to respond also to the many other development needs of the country. Following the earthquake, the European Union responded quickly to Nepal's request for international assistance. The European Commission released 10.2million euros in emergency humanitarian assistance and civil protection support. On top of this, 16.6 million euros has been disbursed to the government in the form of budget support. In addition to the global EU support, EU Member States have also individually contributed over 55million euros for immediate humanitarian support. The government of Nepal and development partners have managed within a short time frame to carry out a credible Post-Disaster Needs Assessment.This assessment is a good basis to guide the recovery operations. It gives a clear indication of the funding that is required to rebuild the country. The Recovery Strategy is a very good vehicle to do this. In this context, the European Union is currently preparing a budget support operation worth 100 million euros and this is our pledge today. This assistance will hopefully create fiscal space helping the government to face the budgetary consequences of the disaster both in unforeseen expenditure and foregone revenue. In parallel, we will make available up to 5 million euros for technical assistance. Our assistance will be focused on those who have been hardest hit by the earthquake – the poor, women and the agricultural sector. When channelling EU assistance we will ensure that it does not become a burden to the government's own relief and rehabilitation efforts, but that it effectively supports and complements these efforts. I strongly believe that the coordination role should remain with the government and we stand ready to provide the necessary capacity building assistance to achieve this. I call on all partners to resist the temptation of isolated or fragmented actions. It is also important to set up a simple mechanism to ensure that the pledges are implemented in a transparent way and that impact is maximised. Efficiency and accountability should guide us all in this process. For the longer term, I encourage the government of Nepal to develop a comprehensive perspective for the reconstruction. We will support this process. It should put emphasis on linking relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction and development. It should be based ona partnership between the government, the donor community and the private sector. An obvious point of attention is the respect by all involved of strict building standards in reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. Ladies and gentlemen, let me simply conclude that the responsibility of getting the recovery of Nepal on the right track lies on all of us;government and development partners alike. Let us strive to deliver a sound and swift recovery and the building of a more resilient Nepal. Thank you. -----

• Asian Development Bank Takehiko Nakao's speech

Right Honorable Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to express ADB’s deepest sympathy to the people of Nepal. The earthquake last April was by far the worst natural disaster in Nepal’s recent history. The Nepali people, the government, and the international community immediately stepped in to help. On the occasion of ADB’s Annual Meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan around one week after the earthquake, ADB hosted the Nepal Partnership Forum co-chaired by Finance Minister Mahat which affirmed international support. Affected families showed tremendous resilience by initiating rebuilding efforts on their own despite their heavy suffering. Many people also volunteered to deliver relief goods to remote villages, crossing difficult terrain. It is heartening to see the Nepali people’s self-help spirit and solidarity. I am sure that the nation will be rebuilt, and will be stronger as a result. But the remaining challenges are immense. We must consider the sheer magnitude of the damages and suffering, the remoteness of the affected areas, and the monsoon already setting in. Today’s conference is very timely. The government has shown strong leadership in planning the reconstruction efforts. It led the post-disaster needs assessments along with donors, is drafting a rehabilitation and reconstruction policy, and is establishing a special agency for reconstruction. For our part, just yesterday, ADB’s Board approved $200 million in Earthquake Emergency Assistance, to rebuild and restore schools, roads, and public buildings. We are partnering with the Japan International Cooperation Agency and other donors to augment our support. In addition, ADB is providing $50 million in budget support and grant assistance. For the subsequent phase of reconstruction, we are also ready to allocate up to $350 million from the existing ADB loan portfolio to high-priority rehabilitation activities. This will not affect our ongoing and planned development programs. All in all, the total assistance from ADB for rebuilding Nepal after the earthquake will reach $600 million. ADB will make best use of its long-term experiences of rehabilitation and reconstruction work after serious disasters such as Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines and after the tsunami in Sumatra, Indonesia. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight 5 principles for reconstruction. The first is “Building Back Better’. Buildings should be rebuilt to earthquake- resistant standards. Our assistance will include more resilient school buildings and education for disaster preparedness to provide a better and more secure future for children. The second principle is inclusiveness. In our reconstruction efforts, we will pay special attention to the needs of the poor, rural residents, and other vulnerable social groups, who have suffered more from the earthquakes. The third principle is the importance of a robust institutional setup for reconstruction. As I have mentioned, the government is establishing a special purpose agency for reconstruction. This will facilitate swift decision- making in the budget process, implementation, and coordination. It goes without saying that strong leadership is important for the success of the new agency. The fourth principle is about capacity and governance. ADB will work closely with the government to help build strong institutional capacity, and to ensure sound governance and fiduciary risk management systems for the reconstruction process. The fifth principle is donor coordination and government ownership. This conference is a testament to the resolve of the government and the international community to work in a coordinated and harmonized manner to plan and implement reconstruction of the affected areas. Mr. Chair, I visited Nepal just last February and was impressed by the people’s hospitality, the country’s rich and diverse culture and heritage, and its tremendous development potential in areas such as agribusiness, tourism, and small and medium enterprises. I was also encouraged by the government’s commitment to its long-term vision for prosperity. Moving forward, I truly believe that Nepal will emerge stronger from this catastrophe and continue along the path of inclusive and sustainable growth. Hard-won gains made before the earthquake in poverty reduction, private sector-based growth, and political stability should not be compromised by this tragedy. Reconstruction should go hand-in-hand with development programs already planned. The international community stands together with the people and government of Nepal at this challenging time. Thank you very much. -------

• US Secretary of State John Kerry's address (delivered by Ambassador Peter W Bodde)

Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. Finance Minister, distinguished guests:

It is an honor to share the following message from Secretary of State John Kerry with you today.

The past two months have been among the most challenging in Nepal’s history.  I will never forget the searing images of pain and devastation in the aftermath of the April 25 earthquake and the May 12 aftershock.  I know that even today millions of Nepalis are unable to return to their homes and are struggling to plant their crops and send their kids to school.  I will also never forget the courage and heroism the Nepali people showed from the moment the earthquake struck as citizens risked their lives to rescue neighbors from the rubble.  Using social media, young Nepalis organized as never before to deliver aid to remote communities.  We honor and remember all those who died during the earthquakes, as well as the brave United States Marines and Nepalese military personnel who died providing emergency relief.

I am immensely proud of the U.S. response to the earthquake, which represents the best of the American people.  Within hours of the earthquake we began to deploy hundreds of search and rescue personnel, emergency responders, and military relief personnel.  We contributed $62 million in humanitarian assistance during the initial emergency response.  The U.S. response saved lives and relieved suffering.

Nepal’s many friends in the United States have shown their generosity since the moment the earthquake struck:  From bake sales to swim meets, community groups nationwide raised funds for Nepal earthquake relief.  U.S. businesses have pledged over $20 million in cash and in-kind contributions in support of relief and recovery efforts in Nepal.  U.S. NGOs have provided assistance worth more than $150 million.  And in a “virtuous circle,” resettled Bhutanese refugees – refugees Nepal generously hosted for more than two decades before they immigrated to the United States – came together as a community to raise funds for relief programs in Nepal.

Today, I am pleased to announce a pledge that increases the total amount of U.S. emergency relief and early recovery assistance to $130 million.  This is only the beginning of our contribution and we, with the support of our Congress, will continue to work with Nepal to support its long-term earthquake recovery needs across multiple years.  From relief to recovery to reconstruction, the US Agency for International Development will continue to provide assistance to address critical development needs. And the US Millennium Challenge Corporation will support Nepal’s longer term needs in the energy and transport sectors, areas critical to sustainable economic growth.

Working in close collaboration with the Government of Nepal, our development partners, and the international community, we will show Nepali citizens how to rebuild seismically-stable houses in affected areas.  Where children are learning outside in makeshift tents, we will help build temporary learning centers.  We will help Nepalis get back on their feet and rebuild livelihoods by strengthening agricultural systems, the lifeblood of 75 percent of Nepalis who rely on agriculture for livelihoods and food.  We will help protect Nepal’s most vulnerable, including those susceptible to human trafficking.  And we will lay the foundation for a more resilient Nepal by helping build institutions that can respond effectively to future disasters.

The United States has stood by Nepal for decades through development achievements and democratic transitions.  And even though I am unable to attend this conference in person, I want to make it clear: the American people will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Nepal through this challenge as well.

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------ Bangladeshi Finance Minister Abul Maal A. Muhit's speech Prime Minister, Ministers, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen, On behalf of the government and the people of Bangladesh, I would like to express my deep condolences and sympathies to the victims of the earthquake and for the huge loss of lives and damage to property. Let me inform you that Bangladesh expressed its solidarity with Nepal at the time of their need and I would like to recall that Bangladesh was one of the first countries to respond to the disaster in Nepal. Not only had the government of Bangladesh responded by sending 10,000 MT rice and other humanitarian assistance, but many organisations had also come forward spontaneously to help the people of Nepal. Bangladesh was no stranger to disasters and had developed sufficient expertise in the field of disaster management and could share the same with Nepal. I would like to reiterate that Bangladesh would provide as far as possible, whatever help Nepal needed. Bangladesh could offer more rice to Nepal and could also assist in the rebuilding process by offering management expertise and personnel. I would like to inform you that the Bankers’ Association would donate Taka four crore to their relief fund.  

• Australia’s Ambassador to Nepal Glenn White's speech

Thank you to The Right Honourable Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and the Honourable Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat for chairing this pledging conference. Australia is pleased to be participating along with other donors to make a further contribution to the much needed ongoing recovery efforts in Nepal. May I express, on behalf of the Australia Government, my condolences to the people and Government of Nepal affected by the earthquakes and their aftershocks. This disaster has struck a chord with many Australians for whom Nepal is a special place.  Ordinary Australians have donated more than $20 million to non-government organisations. The event has also had a deep impact on our 25,000 strong Nepalese community in Australia who have rallied to provide support to their families back here in Nepal. Australia commends all those who have assisted in the response to the earthquakes to date. The hard work and coordinated effort has made possible a rapid and effective response in very difficult circumstances - however, the humanitarian response phase is not over. The monsoon season is presenting new challenges and some communities are in need of further supplies. Australia has already provided almost $12 million in support of lifesaving humanitarian assistance. This includes support for shelter, water and sanitation, food, nutrition and health and medical supplies for affected communities. Australia has recently deployed further humanitarian stores – blankets, tents and family kits – to help affected communities, which are now on stand-by in neighbouring countries. Australia is, of course, keen to ensure these supplies are able to be delivered as soon as possible. To that end, strongly encourage to work with the Nepalese Government to reintroduce the waiver for incoming humanitarian supplies and to extend the waiver to all genuine humanitarian stores⋅ The Australian Government remains committed to supporting the strength and resilience of the Government and people of Nepal as you start the enormous task for repairing and rebuilding the social and physical infrastructure of your country- following Australia’ initial $10 package of support for recovery and reconstruction announced on 10 May. Today I am pleased to confirm an additional $6 million to support reconstruction and recovery. This brings our total support package including response and recovery to more than $28 million. Australia’s recovery and reconstruction package will focus on key areas that address priorities identified in Post-Disaster Needs Assessment: livelihoods, education and ensuring the inclusion of vulnerable and marginalised groups. Our package will: -provide more than 17,000 children, including marginalised girls and children with disabilities, with access to education and psycho-social support in safe temporary learning spaces - help rebuild twelve schools in five districts to serve as models for building back better as well as deploy Australian infrastructure specialists to assist the Nepalese Department of Education with damage assessments and reconstruction planning - revive the disrupted enterprises of more than 13,000 individuals (mainly women) to help kick-start local economic recovery - support community mediation and conflict resolution. Thank for your invitation to Australia to participate in this conference. We continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Nepal during this time of need. -------