Nepal & The UN

PRIME MINISTER Girija Prasad Koirala is leaving for New York on September 3 to participate in the Millennium Summit at the United Nations. Premier Koirala will be among 150 Heads of State and Government to take part in the UN Millennium Summit in New York. The decision to take part in the UN Millennium Summit at Prime Minister’s level is a clear indication that Nepal attaches great importance to this world organisation’s objectives and ideals. Ever since Nepal got entry into the world body, it has not only been an active participant but also a firm advocate of a strong and effective UN. The one the salient principles of Nepal’s foreign policy, which has been underlined by the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal, is to assist and abide by this world organisation’s aims and ideals as well as enhance its role in the world affairs. The UN, as all nations know, has twin responsibilities: maintaining peace in the world and carrying out efforts for the socio-economic development of the developing countries of the world. The UN, with some exceptions, has been able to accomplish its twin responsibilities in the world. Since its birth, it has been actively engaged in expediting development efforts and keeping the peace in several flash-points of the world. Nepal, on its part, has not only been consistently advocating in numerous international fora for a stronger and more effective role for the UN but has also been continuously providing concrete support to the world body, especially in keeping the peace. While Nepal has been continuously providing peace-keepers to be deployed under the UN flag in different troubled parts of the world the UN, on its part, has become a reliable development partner of Nepal throughout these decades. The UN’s multifaceted activities are being implemented by the UNDP. Herein, what needs to be noted is that the UN, despite its continuous efforts to maintain world peace and carry out development activities to raise the living standard of the poor and down trodden people of the world, has frequently come under criticism. However, what also should and must not be overlooked is that without the UN, there can never be a safe and peaceful world. This, in more ways than one, eloquently indicates the continued importance of the UN. As such, while it looks to reason for the UN to come up with necessary mechanisms to keep its huge house and world-encompassing activities in order, it also behooves upon all its members to contribute their mite to make this world body a stronger and a more effective and efficient organisation so that it will continue to meet the challenges in this new millennium.

NC Handshake

THE Nepali Congress discord raging over the recent past is said to be over and a handshake has been executed. The row was affecting the country’s governance. When the ruling party engages in intense bickerings over who should be its leaders, the country’s governance is bound to suffer. Nepalese were witness over the recent months to exchanges of recriminations by the party top bosses in full public view. Media were full of speculations of the reasons and the motives. The people had no choice but to just watch, helplessly. At times, signs would appear that the conflict was going to be managed successfully. But they all proved to be false hopes. Now comes what seems like a credible news that NC, once again, has pulled itself up. According to a news report, an understanding to shake hands was reached Sunday between Prime Minister and NC President Girija Prasad Koirala and former prime minister and leader of Nepali Congress Krishna Prasad Bhatarai at the Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwater.

Given that the understanding fairly specifies the course of action in the days ahead, there is some room to hope that the agreement will hold. Under the understanding, the party’s tenth convention is to be held by January 28, a five-member electoral committee will be formed for the convention, and the prime minister and party president will reshuffle the cabinet and reorganise the party’s central working committee on the basis of mutual understanding. With this understanding reached, the dissension within the party should at least hold, if not altogether vanish. Now, the party leaders should apply themselves to the task of reforming the party organisation democratically. Speaking at an interaction on Monday, Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya declared that the process of changing the party leadership was being carried out. The weeks ahead will demonstrate whether the latest understanding among the leaders have chances of lasting long or whether there will be another round of discord within the Nepali Congress. The general public, for their part, would hope that the truce will last in order that the country’s governance does not suffer further and that the leaders in Nepali Congress entrusted with the task get some time to do proper homework to reform the party organisation and its constitution.