Nepali diplomatic missions not keeping records of strategic information

Kathmandu, July 28: When India unilaterally published its map including Nepali territory in Kalapani region (about 370 square km) in 2019, Nepal reacted strongly and published its map incorporating the region. 

Then began the process to reclaim the land encroached by India. But the government-formed task force and independent experts had to struggle hard to find historical documents, past agreements and correspondences. 

Cultural expert and historian Professor Ramesh Dhungel, and Cartographer and former Director General of the Survey Department of Nepal, Buddhi Narayan Shrestha, members of the government-formed task force to collect the evidence related to the area, found that the missions of Nepal in London of the United Kingdom and Beijing of China did not have the vital historical documents. There was no system for the institutionalisation and archive of reports, talks and correspondences.

"Failure in the digitalisation of the reports, documents and correspondence at the Nepali missions abroad has created problems from time to time," Prof. Dhungel said. 

Hiranya Lal Shrestha, former Ambassador of Nepal to Russia, published 'Sixty Years of Dynamic Partnership', a book on the bilateral relations between Nepal and China, in 2016. Aware of the dearth of knowledge and documents at the Nepali missions and, even the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Shrestha has created a large archive of documents at his personal initiative. He is converting this collection into a library.

For Nepali embassies and missions abroad, creation, management and digitalisation of information is not a priority. According to the diplomats and former ambassadors, for many of them it's not even a job.

Nepal has embassies in 30 countries, permanent missions to the United Nations in New York, Geneva and Vienna, and consulate generals in seven cities of four countries – India, China, the United States of America and Saudi Arabia. But none of them have information archival system. 

However, in case of the UN, all the documents are available in digital format. 

The lack of document becomes evident when the country or scholars need the historical facts or information to prove or straighten them. But the embassies don't have them. The Embassy of Nepal in London, which was the first Nepali diplomatic mission (established in 1934) in any foreign country, lacks the critical historical documents and correspondence. 

As a result, researchers, even the government, have to resort to the British Library or India House Library to find what they need. 

Prof. Dhungel said that his team couldn't obtain the report of the previous commission. He wonders at the negligence of the government in maintaining institutional knowledge and not learning from the past mistakes. 

A critical sector

Former Foreign Secretary and Ambassador, Madhu Raman Acharya, said that Nepal couldn't pay much attention to the preservation of the documents including the correspondence. 

"If the missions haven't maintained the archival system of their 

documents they should maintain an access to the institutions that possess them," he said. 

However, there are also concerns relating to the safety of the historical and critical documents. Acharya maintained that since the documents or information related to the bilateral agreements and correspondence is considered 'sensitive', missions can be conservative about sharing them with the third party. 

Embassies also hesitate or deny providing the documents due to the lack of the policy to classify or declassify the documents. This policy facilitates the missions in making decisions about making any document public or maintaining their secrecy. 

No progress in digitalisation 

According to the MoFA, none of the missions abroad has started the digitalisation process. Recently, a researcher couldn't find a historical document related to Nepal-China cooperation at the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing and had to approach Chinese institutions to obtain it. 

Digital technology has made document archival easier, reliable and economic. A single hard disk can store a large amount of data and documents. However, the missions have not even taken good care of traditional filing and archiving of the documents. 

Cartographer Shrestha couldn't find the required documents in the embassies in New Delhi, Beijing, London and even Washington DC. These are the missions of high strategic importance along with the permanent missions to the United Nations. 

"I haven't found any progress in creating an effective document archive or digitalisation of historical evidences at the embassies. It has not been accorded priority from anyone," said Shrestha. 

Joint Secretary and Spokesperson of the MoFA, Amrit Bahadur Rai, said that this area in foreign affairs has got the least attention of the government. "There is a general understanding about the need to move beyond the traditional method of filing and management but progress in making reforms is rather slow," he said. 

Lack of resources 

Nepali missions in foreign countries are underfunded which has its repercussions on the management of knowledge. The MoFA has to struggle to obtain the necessary financial resources from the Ministry of Finance (MoF) which has been rather conservative in allocating enough budget to conduct economic diplomacy, promote trade and tourism in foreign markets and create infrastructure and experts for the digitalisation of documents. 

Former ambassadors as well as the current senior officials of the MoFA said that the budget allocated for the Ministry and missions is barely enough to meet the general administrative works. 

Experts suggested that the MoFA should collaborate with the National Archives and Tribhuvan University Library, and mobilise the Institute of Foreign Affairs to develop skills in archive and digital system. 

'Documentation Unit' in pipeline 

According to Spokesperson of the MoFA, Rai, it is 'shameful' to be unable to find major historical documents. It is the duty of the government, MoFA and Nepali missions abroad. 

Meanwhile, the MoFA is planning to create a dedicated 'Documentation Unit' at the ministry. "The Ministry is formulating a new O&M (Organisation and Management) in which the documentation unit is proposed under the general administration," Rai said. 

Cartographer Shrestha suggested that along with the documents, reports and correspondences, the embassies should also maintain a library of books written on their respective area or region by any Nepali or foreign writers.  He said that it's not only the lack of resources that is hindering the information archival but also the lack of knowledge and vision in the diplomats and leaders. 

"It is disappointing not to find even the basic documents on bilateral correspondence at the embassies," said Professor Dhungel, "The same person who went through multiple hardships in documentation when he was officer at a mission didn't do anything to facilitate it when he became the secretary." 

Culture of complacency 

Former Ambassador Acharya said that there is lack of accountability, practice and realisation in creating records, maintaining archives and digitalising them. 

"The entire system has long been plagued by a culture of complacency," he said. "It has been observed that neither the political leadership asks for the past correspondence or 'records of talks or discussions' nor the missions prepare and provide it to the leaders."

The government should pay heed to preserve the documents that have high 'utility value'. Other countries maintain the records of every bilateral or multilateral talks or discussions so that they could be used in the future negotiations or dialogue. 

Acharya said that missions of other nations keep the records of negotiations and explanations of bilateral and multilateral treaties. 

These documents could be critical for future negotiations. 

However, because of high sensitivity, classified documents or treaties should be kept by the government or the MoFA. 

Former Ambassador Shrestha had established a library at the Embassy of Nepal in Moscow. "This should be replicated in all Nepali missions worldwide," he said. "Failure to create an institutional memory and maintain authentic chronological record of activities and correspondence is 'unfortunate'. The MoFA should take immediate steps to rectify it."