KATHMANDU: A five-day South and Central Asia university-level regional Model United Nations (MUN) conference began in the Capital on Monday.

The US Embassy in Kathmandu in partnership with the Youth Thinkers’ Society is hosting the conference.

Around 200 delegates from across South and Central Asia have gathered in the Capital for the event, which aims to discuss multilateral issues including countering violent extremism, ensuring freedom of expression, adapting to climate change and promoting the human rights of migrant workers, according to a statement issued by the US Embassy.

Inaugurating the conference, the US Ambassador to Nepal Alaina B Teplitz told the delegates, “Connecting through programmes like this Model UN is an important way to create linkages among South and Central Asian countries – and the United States is proud to be sponsoring these people-to-people connections.”

Other speakers at the opening ceremony included UNDP Country Director Renaud Meyer and Nepal's former Ambassador to Malaysia Rishi Raj Adhikari.

Over the next five days, the conference would simulate four UN committees: Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and Social Cultural and Humanitarian Committee (SOCHUM), according to the statement.