Kathmandu, September 27

On the sidelines of the General Debate on its 3rd day today, Nepali delegation to the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly engaged in a number of important events and bilateral meetings in New York. The Debate will continue till September 30 and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali will make an address in the evening tomorrow.

According to a press release issued by New York-based Permanent Mission of Nepal to United Nations, Nepali delegation also participated in the first High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on Financing for Development convened to review the implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. Many heads of state, as well as business leaders, shared their perspectives on aligning and mobilising resources for financing SDGs.

Many speakers also said meeting the financing gap was daunting task and more partnerships were critical.

Minister Gyawali attended the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement. In his statement, Gyawali reaffirmed Nepal’s commitments to the purposes and principles of NAM. He underscored that cooperation and coexistence were critical for a constructive world order which could only be achieved if the principles of sovereignty and political independence were upheld in good faith by all.

He also attended the annual Ministerial Meeting of the United Nations Group of Friends of Mediation under the theme ‘New Technologies for Peace and Mediation as Tools for Inclusion: Celebrating the 10th Ministerial Meeting and Looking Ahead’ and shared Nepal’s perspective on the role of new technologies in mediation. Minister Gyawali elaborated that mediators should be equipped with the best tools available for averting violent conflicts. He also added that the ever-evolving technology could certainly provide them with innovative solutions, read the press release.

Minister Gyawali addressed the High-level Meeting on the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons convened by the President of General Assembly in New York. The minister underlined the belief that total elimination of the existing nuclear weapons and the assurance that they would never be produced again were the only absolute guarantee against their catastrophic consequences.

Minister Gyawali also chaired an informal meeting of the SAARC Council of Ministers which was attended by foreign ministers as well as other delegates of the SAARC member states. While highlighting the potentials and prospects of the South Asian region, he expressed the view that effective cooperation at the regional level would help utilise the strengths of the region for changing the socio-economic landscape. He also said robust cooperation was  required for addressing various challenges facing the region, such as poverty, inequality, underdevelopment and climate change.