Preparation for Sagarmatha Dialogue in full swing, 16 themes to be discussed

Kathmandu, March 16: The much-awaited 'Sagarmatha Sambad' or Sagarmatha Dialogue, which the government of Nepal is hosting for the first time, is going to see deliberations on 16 different themes under the major theme of climate change.     

Around 450 people including heads of state and government of various countries, ministers, scientists, experts working in the field of climate research, national and international private sector representatives, subject experts, and media persons are participating in the dialogue being held from May 20 to 21.     

The government has already invited heads of state and heads of government of various countries, including neighboring countries India and China, as special guests for the dialogue.     

Meanwhile, a steering committee has been formed for the dialogue under the chairmanship of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and a management committee under the leadership of Foreign Minister Dr Arzu Rana Deuba and co-chaired by Minister for Forests and Environment Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri.     

Similarly, a secretariat has been formed under the coordination of the Secretary of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. The secretariat held a press conference here on Sunday to shed light about the outline of the program and the preparations made so far.     

On the occasion, Chief Secretary to the Government Eaknarayan Aryal said that Nepal will draw the attention of the international community to advocate for climate justice through discussions on 16 different climate-related themes.     

Stating that the dialogue will also discuss the preparedness to be done for climate-induced disasters, Chief Secretary Aryal said the conclusions from the expert discussions on the impact of climate change from the mountains to the coastal areas to be held in the provamme will be integrated into Nepal's policy. "We also expect the dialogue to be fruitful in drawing global conclusions and forming a common understanding.”     

Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Amrit Bahadur Rai said that diplomatic missions have been mobilized for the participation of distinguished guests from various countries and experts from international agencies in the dialogue. He expected the media to play an important role in making the dialogue a success, as it is a priority of the government and a matter of concern to all.     

It may be noted that Prime Minister Oli had announced earlier to organize the Sagarmatha Sambad in Kathmandu coinciding with the International Year of Glaciers, 2025.     

Earlier, in 2076 BS, the preparations for the dialogue, which was initiated by then Prime Minister Oli-led government, were postponed at the last minute due to COVID-19.(RSS)