Kathmandu – Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal held a meeting with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on the sidelines of the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye.
The discussions focused on Nepal’s recovery from recent climate-related disasters, international climate finance, disaster preparedness and the need for stronger global cooperation to address climate change.
During the meeting, Minister Khanal thanked Secretary-General Guterres for expressing sympathy and solidarity with Nepal following the devastating Bhote Koshi floods. He highlighted the challenges facing affected communities and the country’s ongoing recovery and reconstruction efforts.
Khanal also appreciated Guterres’ leadership in promoting multilateral cooperation, international peace, human dignity and sustainable development through the United Nations.
Secretary-General Guterres acknowledged Nepal’s contribution to international peace and security, particularly its longstanding participation in United Nations peacekeeping missions. Nepal remains an important contributor of military and police personnel to UN peacekeeping operations.
The two leaders exchanged views on strengthening disaster preparedness, including multi-hazard early-warning systems that can help communities respond to floods, landslides and other climate-related emergencies.
They also discussed the importance of increasing international climate finance to support vulnerable countries such as Nepal, which face significant climate risks despite contributing relatively little to global greenhouse gas emissions.
The meeting addressed broader international issues, including reforms to global governance and the need to make multilateral institutions more effective in responding to shared challenges.
The discussions highlighted Nepal’s continued efforts to bring the concerns of climate-vulnerable mountain countries to international attention and strengthen cooperation with the United Nations.
