Kathmandu: Prime Minister Balendra (Balen) Shah has placed climate change, climate justice, Himalayan cooperation, disaster preparedness, food security, and global inequality at the center of Nepal’s message at the United Nations General Assembly.
Prime Minister Shah addressed the 18th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Friday morning, raising a range of issues affecting Nepal and the wider global community. His speech has drawn positive reactions from several political figures, journalists, and analysts.
Former Communications Minister and CPN-UML leader Gokul Baskota praised Shah’s address, saying that the prime minister’s speech at the United Nations was firm, meaningful, and forceful.
“I am not Rastriya Swatantra Party, but Prime Minister Balen spoke the feelings of the country. I supported his speech wholeheartedly,” Baskota said.
Journalist Sudheer Sharma also praised Shah’s address, saying the prime minister successfully raised the issues Nepal needed to present on a global platform and did so in a restrained manner.
According to Sharma, Nepal’s emotions, experiences, and proposals were presented in a balanced way. He also praised Shah for using Nepali language effectively toward the conclusion of his address.
However, Sharma said Shah could have been more practiced in his presentation.
“If he had practiced a little more, his gestures and confidence could have been as impressive as the content,” Sharma said.
Political analyst JP Gupta also praised Shah’s address, emphasizing that Nepal should speak about the country’s concerns when appearing before the international community.
“When we look within ourselves, we speak about countless problems and see different things. When we stand before the world, we must speak for the voice of the country,” Gupta said.
Himalayan Climate Resilience Mechanism Proposed
During his address, Prime Minister Shah raised issues ranging from the Bhotekoshi flood disaster to Himalayan climate cooperation, climate justice, war, fertilizer and food supplies, and the emerging global order.
He proposed establishing a Himalayan Climate Resilience Mechanism under the leadership of Nepal, India, and China.
“As an immediate first step, we propose establishing a Himalayan Climate Resilience Mechanism under the leadership of Nepal, India and China,” Shah said.
He stressed the need to monitor high-risk glacial lakes and strengthen joint early-warning systems. He also called for cross-border cooperation to coordinate assistance during disasters and urged the international community to turn the Himalayas into a laboratory for international cooperation.
Shah said Nepal did not create the crisis it is currently facing but is paying a heavy price for it.
Although Nepal contributes less than 0.1 percent of global carbon emissions, he said the country is suffering disproportionately from climate disasters.
He called for countries with greater responsibility for carbon emissions and stronger capacity to take greater responsibility for addressing the consequences of climate change.
“Climate justice is not only about money. It should not be limited to financial assistance. It must also be connected to whose voices are heard in decision-making and who bears the cost of crises,” Shah said.
Question Over Global Supply Chains
Prime Minister Shah also raised a strong question about the global system of supply and logistics.
He said that a world capable of delivering weapons to almost any part of the globe within 72 hours should have no excuse for failing to provide farmers with essential agricultural supplies.
During his address, he highlighted the need for fertilizer for farmers, food supplies for consumers, and reliable gas supplies.
“We have built a world with efficient transportation systems for war and disorganized transportation systems for food,” Shah said.
He also linked young people’s demand for honesty and accountability with intergenerational responsibility. He said Nepal would focus on employment, social security, and equal opportunities.
What Did Previous Nepali Leaders Say at the UN?
Climate change has been a recurring issue in speeches delivered by Nepali leaders at the United Nations, particularly after the establishment of the federal democratic republic.
Except for Jhalanath Khanal and Sushila Karki, every person who served as prime minister during the republican period and attended the United Nations General Assembly addressed the Assembly.
Before the establishment of the republic, former Prime Ministers Girija Prasad Koirala and BP Koirala also addressed the UN. Their speeches focused more heavily on geopolitical issues rather than climate change.
Kings Mahendra Shah and Birendra Shah also addressed the United Nations.
Other Nepali officials who addressed the UN in different capacities included Purendra Bikram Shah, Home Minister Surya Prasad Upadhyaya, Rishikesh Shah, Kamal Thapa, Shailaja Acharya, Chakra Prasad Bastola, Bhesh Bahadur Thapa, Upendra Yadav, Sujata Koirala, Prakash Sharan Mahat, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, and NP Saud.
Nepal became a member of the United Nations on December 14, 1955, and began participating in the General Assembly from its 11th session in 1956. The 11th General Assembly was addressed by then Foreign Minister Chuda Prasad Sharma.
Rishikesh Shah, Jayaraj Acharya, Gyan Chandra Acharya, Durga Prasad Bhattarai, Amrit Bahadur Rai, and Lok Bahadur Thapa, among others, also addressed the UN as Nepal’s permanent representatives or ambassadors.
Prachanda Raised Climate Injustice
At the 66th UN General Assembly, former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ also raised the issue of climate change.
He said Nepal was working to ensure access to clean energy for all citizens and highlighted that forests covered around 45 percent of Nepal’s territory.
Despite Nepal’s low contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, he said the country remained highly vulnerable to climate change.
“Where Nepal has rich biodiversity and 15 percent of its territory consists of high Himalayan areas, it emits the least greenhouse gases,” Prachanda had said. “Yet Nepal, which makes a significant contribution to ecological conservation, has been unjustly affected by the climate crisis.”
He called for easier access to climate finance to support low-carbon and climate-resilient development. He also emphasized the need for the early implementation of the Loss and Damage Fund, fulfillment of the commitment to mobilize $100 billion, and doubling climate finance for adaptation.
KP Sharma Oli Highlighted Himalayan Vulnerability
Former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli also placed climate change high on the agenda while addressing the 79th General Assembly.
He said both humanity and the planet were standing at the threshold of climate disaster and urged the international community to understand Nepal’s vulnerability as one of the countries most exposed to disasters.
Oli emphasized the importance of Nepal’s fragile ecosystems, particularly the Himalayan region, and expressed hope that the Himalayan agenda would receive an appropriate place in global climate discussions.
He reiterated Nepal’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2045.
Oli also called for adequate financial arrangements for climate adaptation and the establishment of a Loss and Damage Fund for countries affected by climate-related crises.
He criticized the concentration of wealth in developed countries while poverty and deprivation continued in least-developed countries such as Nepal.
He said stronger leadership and meaningful cooperation were necessary to address such inequalities, while emphasizing Nepal’s long-standing commitment to inclusion, which has also been constitutionally guaranteed.
Oli had also addressed the 73rd and 75th sessions of the UN General Assembly.
Deuba Focused on UN Charter and Global Cooperation
Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba addressed the 50th General Assembly.
He reiterated Nepal’s commitment to the UN Charter and called for stronger international cooperation to meet global humanitarian needs and achieve social development goals.
Deuba praised the United Nations for its practical approach to peacekeeping, saying it had provided economic relief to disadvantaged regions around the world.
He also said the threat of a global nuclear catastrophe, which had cast a shadow over humanity since 1945, had declined to some extent following the end of the Cold War.
Madhav Kumar Nepal Highlighted Rising Himalayan Temperatures
Addressing the 64th General Assembly in 2009, then Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal said Nepal’s Himalayan region was highly vulnerable to climate change.
He cited data showing that Nepal’s temperature had increased by 0.06 degrees Celsius annually between 1977 and 2000.
He warned that increasing glacier melt and the growing risk of glacial lake outburst floods, along with floods, landslides, and irregular rainfall, were having serious impacts on small and poor farmers.
Nepal said the country had organized a high-level regional conference on climate change focused on the Himalayan region to draw international attention to global warming and its impact on the Himalayas.
He said the conference had issued a 10-point understanding and urged the international community to take concrete measures in response to the seriousness of the threat.
Baburam Bhattarai Called for Greater Responsibility
In 2011, then Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai addressed the 66th General Assembly and highlighted the increasing melting of Nepal’s glaciers due to climate change.
He said climate change was affecting the sources of drinking water for more than one billion people in South Asia and called for greater international attention to the issue.
Bhattarai said Nepal was preparing to promote a sustainable Himalayan agenda to highlight the condition of the Himalayan region.
He also called on developed countries to shoulder greater responsibility for climate change.
He stressed the need for predictable financial arrangements for climate financing and emphasized sustainable Himalayan development as an important component of sustainable development.
Khil Raj Regmi Raised Water and Food Security
In 2013, then Chairman of the Council of Ministers Khil Raj Regmi addressed the 68th General Assembly and highlighted the impact of climate change on Nepal’s glaciers.
He said climate change was having serious effects on South Asia’s water resources, food security, and environmental balance.
Regmi drew international attention to the vulnerability of the Himalayan region and called for greater international cooperation, financial assistance, technology transfer, and improved trade access for landlocked and least-developed countries.
Sushil Koirala Highlighted Himalayas as Global Water Reservoirs
Addressing the 69th General Assembly in 2014, former Prime Minister Sushil Koirala said Nepal’s Himalayan region was highly vulnerable to climate change.
He emphasized that the Himalayas were not only a resource for Nepal but also reservoirs of water for humanity as a whole.
Koirala argued that the Himalayas should therefore receive priority in global climate discussions.
Girija Prasad Koirala Focused on Geopolitics and Regional Cooperation
Former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala addressed the 48th General Assembly in 1993.
He expressed satisfaction with Nepal’s relations with its neighboring countries and said Nepal was working to promote mutually beneficial cooperation under the framework of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.
Koirala said the sudden end of the Cold War had brought the world into a new era of shared responsibility for global peace and development.
BP Koirala Raised China’s UN Membership
Nepal’s first elected Prime Minister, BP Koirala, addressed the 15th General Assembly in 1960.
He strongly supported China’s admission to the United Nations, noting that China represented around one-quarter of the world’s population and was Nepal’s closest major neighbor at the time.
Koirala argued that the United Nations could not be considered complete while a country representing such a large share of the global population remained outside the organization.
He also referred to Nepal-China border issues and the question surrounding Mount Everest’s ownership, noting that Nepal and China had resolved their border issue through mutual understanding and dialogue.
Koirala further stressed that the United Nations should protect not only large and powerful countries but also the security and existence of smaller nations such as Nepal.
Nepal’s Climate Message Continues
From the speeches of BP Koirala and other early Nepali leaders to the recent address by Prime Minister Balen Shah, Nepal’s message at the United Nations has evolved alongside global challenges.
While earlier leaders focused largely on sovereignty, geopolitics, regional cooperation, peace, and the role of smaller nations, subsequent governments increasingly placed climate change, Himalayan vulnerability, climate finance, disaster risk, and environmental justice at the center of Nepal’s international agenda.
Prime Minister Shah’s latest address has continued that trajectory while adding issues of cross-border Himalayan cooperation, disaster preparedness, global supply chains, food security, accountability, employment, and intergenerational responsibility to Nepal’s message before the international community.
