Give developing countries a leading role: Minister Saud

Washington DC, Sept. 19: Foreign Minister NP Saud has appealed to the developed countries to give developing countries a leading role in addressing the effects of climate change.

 Addressing a programme organised by Parliamentarians Network for a Fossil Fuel Free Future on Sunday, he called for coordinated efforts in view of the seriousness of the situation and to create an action plan for the future generation. 

Addressing the programme as a keynote speaker, in the capacity of the Chair of the Global Coordination Bureau of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Minister Saud talked about the procedural strategies for the displacement of fossil fuel.     

On the occasion, Minister Saud stressed that developed countries should provide 100 billion USD to the Green Climate Fund as pledged and double it by 2025.

“We have been continuously urging the developed countries to increase the production of clean energy and reduce the consumption of fossil fuel. We call on our development partners to help increase the use of clean and renewable energy and transfer technology to LDCs.”

Parliamentarians Network for a Fossil Fuel Free Future is a network of over 550 legislators from more than 70 countries calling for a fossil fuel free future.     

Meanwhile, Minister Saud said that as the United Nations is a common forum for all big and small countries, Nepal would participate accordingly.

Minister Saud, who has arrived in New York to take part in the 78th General Assembly of the United Nations, was welcomed and honoured by various organisations in the US. 

In the programme organised in his honour, the Minister said Nepal was trying to share the experience of bringing the peace process to a logical conclusion with the world.     

Addressing the programme organised by the Janasamparka Samiti of America, a sister organisation of the Nepali Congress, he said the incumbent government was at work to create an environment for Nepali people abroad to return home.  “The government is not only ready to use your knowledge, skills and capital, but also is ready to join hands in the process of building the country.”

The minister requested that since the non-resident Nepali people elects the leadership through the democratic process, and only the united and strong organisation elected that way can represent the Nepali people living abroad, the non-resident Nepali people should work according this spirit.     

He has given his theoretical consent to the letter sent by the Ministry of Home Affairs to give voting rights to Nepali citizens living abroad, he mentioned. He informed that some reforms were being initiated in the organisational structure of the Ministry to address the problems including passports and visas of Nepali people living abroad.

Requesting the non-resident Nepalis to take the democratic culture, customs and behaviour achieved here in a democratic country like America to Nepal, he said, “I request you to take the practice of the process and system that you have adopted here in a developed and democratic country to Nepal.”

In another context, he said in the past, Nepal’s foreign policy was sometimes tilted to the right and sometimes to the left based on ideology and principles, but now efforts were being made to bring it to a natural basis according to natural principles. In the event, former minister Jitendra Dev and President of the Janasamparka Samiti Aananda Bista among others put their views.