PM Oli's major meetings and addresses in the US

By TRN Online, Kathmandu, Sept 30: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has returned home after a 10-day visit to the USA to attend the 79th General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) at its headquarters in New York.

His visit and the address to the UNGA have been successful in different respects.

PM Oli had left for New York on September 21 and returned home today.

PM Oli had addressed the UNGA on Sept 27. The theme of discussion in the UNGA this year was: Leaving No One Behind: Acting Together for the Advancement of Peace, Sustainable Development, and Human Dignity for Present and Future generation. https://risingnepaldaily.com/news/49591

Meeting with UNSG 

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli held a meeting with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres at the UN headquarters in New York on Saturday evening.

According to the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations in New York, on the occasion, Guterres said that the agenda of climate change is the priority of the UN including drastic reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and addressing vulnerabilities of mountain countries like Nepal. He stressed that climate finance should be adequate for developing countries including the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to focus both on mitigation and adaptation. 

The Secretary-General also stressed deeper reforms of the international financial architecture for enhanced financial support to developing countries as well as for simplified access to development finance. 

Likewise, Prime Minister Oli recalled the Secretary-General’s recent visit to Nepal including his address to the Parliament, and expressed his happiness to inform that Nepal has enforced the act of transitional justice based on a victim-centric approach, guidance from the Supreme Court and the international norms. 

He assured the smooth implementation of the act to resolve the issues of transitional justice once and for all and informed the Mission. 

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Oli also highlighted the devastating impacts of climate change in Nepal including the latest permafrost in Thame.

He thanked the Secretary-General for raising the issue of climate change impacts in Nepal and advocating for support to tackle them. The Prime Minister informed Guterres that Nepal is convening Sagarmatha Sambad (Sagarmatha Dialogue) with a view to championing the agenda of the mountain ecosystem and extended his cordial invitation to the Secretary-General to visit Nepal again to address this dialogue platform. 

According to the Mission, PM Oli stated that Nepal is now focused on economic transformation based on the vision of ‘Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali’. He expressed that Nepal is committed to graduating from the LDC category by 2026 and to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). He called the Secretary-General to urge the development partners and international community to enhance the development assistance to Nepal to this end.  

Likewise, as the largest Troops and Police Contributing Countries (TPCC) in the UN peace missions, PM Oli said that Nepal is committed to contributing to the maintenance of international peace and security, he underlined. He urged the Secretary-General to provide high-level posts for Nepal both in the headquarters and in the field.   

Recalling his visit to Nepal, Secretary-General Guterres expressed his deep concern over the accelerated melting of glaciers and the damage caused by it. He assured of his every effort to enhance the resources in the Loss and Damage Fund.  

Address to ‘Parliamentary Forum on Financing the Future: Aligning Finance with the Promise of the Paris Agreement’

Prime Minister Oli also addressed the ‘Parliamentary Forum on Financing the Future: Aligning Finance with the Promise of the Paris Agreement’ organised by the Parliamentarians for a Fossil Free Future and Rainforest Action Network as the keynote speaker. 

In his address, he stressed the importance of phasing out fossil fuels to prevent catastrophic climatic disasters that are becoming more frequent and severe than ever. Underscoring the adverse effects of global warming in the countries in special situations including the LDCs, PM Oli urged for increased investment in green and renewable energy technologies, just transition to renewable energy and vulnerable countries’ better access to climate funds.  

Likewise, the United Nations High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States and Under Secretary General, Rabab Fatima, paid a courtesy call to Prime Minister Oli where the two exchanged views on the Nepal-UN partnership, the graduation of Nepal from the LDC category and the upcoming Third International Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3) among others, informed the Mission.  

Similarly, speaking at a side event ‘LDCs in the International Development Financing: What Changes can be expected from the Fourth United Nations Conference on Financing for Development’, Foreign Secretary Sewa Lamsal emphasised that vulnerability assessment and capacity building of the least developed countries must be prioritised in concessional financial allocation to these countries to enable them to better access and utilize the concessional resources.

PM Oli holds meeting with Kuwait's Crown Prince Sabah

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli who was in New York to participate in the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), leading the Nepali delegation, held a meeting with Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah.   

They had a meeting at the Office of Kuwait's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.

The two Prime Ministers held a discussion on the expansion of the people-to-people and trade relations between Nepal and Bhutan.  

Nepal-Bhutan PMs discuss people-to-people and trade relations

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and the Prime Minister of a neighbouring country, Bhutan, Dasi Tshering Tobgay held a meeting on Sunday.    

They had the meeting at the Office of Nepal's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.    

Matters related to advancing collaborations in bilateral and multilateral forums were discussed between the two countries, said PM Oli's chief political advisor Bishnu Prasad Rimal, who also attended the meeting.    

On the occasion, Bhutan's PM Tobgay said Bhutan has cordial relations with Nepal due to Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, and also in the context of Nepal being the Chair of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). He expressed gratitude to Nepal for the goodwill it has shown for Bhutan.    

Prime Minister Oli pledged to provide necessary facilitation for the development of people-to-people and trade relations between the two countries.

Meeting with Indian PM Modi

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in New York held a meeting with the Prime Minister of neighbouring India, Narendra Modi, here on Sunday.

Matters related to Nepal-India bilateral interests and mutual benefits were discussed on the occasion. 

The meeting was also attended by the Foreign Ministers of both the countries and members of the delegations.

Urges Nepali youths living abroad to return home for employment creation

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has urged the Nepali youths living abroad to return home and create employment opportunities.    

Prime Minister Oli, who led a Nepali delegation to the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, said this at the World Leaders Forum organized by Columbia University on Monday.    

He clarified that the national aspiration of 'Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali' has been put forward to eradicate poverty and ensure the right of all to live with dignity.    

Speaking as the keynote speaker at a dialogue on 'Nepal's Journey of Democracy and Economic Development', he said there is only the data of students and youths who have gone abroad from Nepal but not that of returnees.    

Noting that the government has brought out programmes such as small-scale industries and 'startups' for employment opportunities, PM Oli urged the youth to unite in nation-building as he was clear that the country could not transform without the youth.    

"Nepal's economic situation is not very weak. On the contrary, I see a lot of potential for its prosperity, which we will be able to achieve within a short time if we work hard", he said, adding,

"We are a rising democracy. We are also neighbours of economic powers like India and China. In that sense, Nepal is in a position to become a multi-dimensional economy for economic development".    

Saying that he was leading a government with two major parliamentary parties that had played a decisive role in Nepal's democratic movement, PM Oli said he had a resolution to maintain good governance and transparency.    

"We have no other intention but to make Nepalis prosperous and happy. We are fully committed to the journey of prosperity", the PM shared.    

Addressing the 'Lead-Free Future: Partnership Launch and Pledging Event' organized by USAID and UNICEF, PM Oli expressed solidarity with the lead-free campaign. He said that Nepal has already understood that the use of lead has affected the health of children.    

He clarified that Nepal has been implementing the policy of freeing lead from its use with the understanding that it has affected the health of children and recently brought a bill related to food security to the parliament.    

US President Joe Biden's wife Dr Jill Biden, the President of Dominica, and the President of Malawi, among others, also spoke on the occasion. 

Holds meeting with Finland's President Stubb

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in New York held a meeting with Finland's President, Alexander Stubb on Tuesday.  

 The two leaders had a meeting at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York.   

Also present on the occasion were PM Oli's chief advisor Bishnu Prasad Rimal, foreign secretary Sewa Lamsal, and permanent representative of Nepal to the UN Lok Bahadur Thapa among others. 

Meeting with US President Biden

President of the United States of America (USA) Joe Biden and his spouse met with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and First Lady Radhika Shakya, who attended the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

PM Oli meets with leaders of Qatar, Pakistan and Laos

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in New York had separate meetings with the leaders of Qatar, Pakistan and Laos on Thursday.

The meeting with the Qatar Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, was held at the office of Qatar's Permanent Mission to the UN. Principal political advisor to PM Oli, Bishnu Prasad Rimal and Foreign Secretary Sewa Lamsal, among other officials were present in this meeting.

Similarly, PM Oli and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting at the UN Headquarters on Thursday.  PM's advisor Rimal and Nepal's Permanent Representative to the UN, Lok Bahadur Thapa were present at the meeting.

Likewise, Prime Minister Oli and the Prime Minister of Laos, Sonexay Siphandone, had a meeting at the UN Headquarters. PM's principal political advisor Rimal, and Nepal's permanent representative to the UN, Lok Bahadur Thapa among other officials were present during the meeting. 

PM Oli addresses 79th UNGA 

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that Nepal has been contributing to global peace and security as well as the health of the earth.

PM Oli said so while addressing the General Debate of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday in New York.

“Nepal has hugely been contributing to the health of our planet through its forests, mountains and rivers. Yet, despite these efforts, we continue to bear the brunt of climate change. In this context, we call for climate justice,” said PM Oli.

PM Oli highlighted that the mountain agenda should receive due attention in climate negotiations. “Nepal’s Himalayas, as a natural climate stabiliser, help maintain a cooling system in a region situated in the hottest zone of the planet between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Given their significance, it is essential that the mountain agenda should receive due attention in climate negotiations.” 

Stressing on comprehensive democracy, PM Oli said, “I am determined to lead my country with my deep conviction to ‘comprehensive democracy’."

For me, comprehensive democracy ensures equal rights, equal access to opportunities, and social justice, protects vulnerable communities, and provides security and dignity for all individuals. Democracy goes far beyond the right of the people to choose their leaders. It is about leading the people towards prosperity and happiness so that they could feel the highest level of dignity, said the PM.

PM Oli asked for global support for Nepal to achieve SDGs. “We are diligently working towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and aspire to become a developed country by 2043, despite facing significant economic headwinds. However, our path to achieving the SDGs remains fraught with difficulties. We are confronted with a substantial financial gap of about 24 billion US dollars to attain the 2030 Agenda”.

PM Oli expressed Nepal’s commitment to make further contributions to global peace and security. “As the largest contributor of troops and police to UN Peace operations, Nepal stands ready to further enhance its contribution to global peace and security.”

Nepal’s land is blessed with the wisdom of enlightened great sages from both the Hindu and Buddhist faiths, particularly the teachings of Gautam Buddha. This profound legacy has shaped our worldview to seek global harmony, peace, and security, he said.

He also called for reform in the UN System. “Nepal firmly advocates for the reform of the UN System to make it more effective, democratic, transparent, and accountable.”

The voice and representation of countries in special situations including the LDCs, Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) must be ensured, said PM Oli.