HEADLINE NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

Nepal committed to ideals of United Nations: Koirala

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Oct 24: Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said today that it is time to hold a vision for the new era and strengthen the United Nations, so that the organisation could come closer to attaining its noble objectives.

"Based on the ideals enshrined in the Charter, we need to make the United Nations more effective and responsive to the present-day needs and aspirations of the international community," Koirala said.

Koirala was addressing the inaugural session of the round table on the Millennium Summit of the United Nations organised by the UN Association of Nepal to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the United Nations here today.

He said during the summit held in New York in September he emphasised the importance of international peace, equity and adherence to common values.

"I also called for establishing an world order, which is all-inclusive and fair and just to all."

"Considering the constraints of the least developed and land locked countries, I also urged the international community to give special consideration to their plights including their growing debt burden and enhance the capacity and authority of the UN bodies and the specialised institutions," Koirala said.

He said at the Interactive Round Table where about 40 leaders from around the world participated he stressed the need to strengthen the United Nations and to enhance its role and capacity to promote cooperative partnership and common prosperity.

Koirala said in view of the unprecedented globalisation and the diverse nature of challenges faced by the nations around the world, United Nations is to take a lead role in dealing with the root causes of challenges and conflicts, he added.

Koirala said that international peace and security are threatened more by the growing gaps between haves and have-nots than anything else. Poverty is the biggest single threat to national and international peace and security, he said.

"Therefore, all our efforts must be geared towards ensuring economic development and social progress in the developing countries, which would promote democratic governance in these countries and international peace and security in the long run."

Koirala said the UN Millennium Declaration issued at the conclusion of the summit has also highlighted the issues that are of importance to Nepal.

"We are happy to see that freedom, equality, solidarity, tolerance and respect for nature and shared responsibility have been described as the fundamental values essential to international relations in the twenty first century," he said.

Addressing the function, Dr. Henning Karcher, UN Resident Coordinator for Nepal said, "I believe it is significant that at the outset of the Millennium Summit, Heads of State and Governments reconfirmed their faith in the United Nations and its Charter as an indispensable foundation for a more peaceful, prosperous and just world."

He said that the UN country team here in Nepal has joined hands with Nepalese government in adopting a rights-based approach to formulate its United Nations Development Assistance Framework for the next five years.

Karcher said in Nepal with its fragile mountains and hills the nexus between poverty and environment is a particularly stark and evident reality. Conservation of biodiversity becomes not only a global imperative but an immediate necessity for those who live off the land and benefit from tourism.

Professor Bishwa Maskay, President of United Nations Association of Nepal (UNAN) said among the vast disparities in economic, political and technological power base of nation-states, only the UN offers the space for democratic self-determination for the small and the weak.

For small states like Nepal, the UN has offered internal conditions for viability and external conditions for sovereignty and security, he said,

Maskay said Nepal’s partnership with the UN has, therefore, come to occupy a pride of place because it is glued by a value system that has a common obligation to promote peace, development and human security.

He said the round table was being organised to bring the commitments, initiatives, institutions and people together to internalise in Nepal the commitments of the millennium summit.

Meanwhile, in Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has said that Nepal is committed of the ideals of the United Nations, and ever since becoming its member in 1955, it has played an active role in realizing the objectives of the world body to which many Nepalese nationals have provided and are still providing their services to maintain peace and order in conflict-prone areas.

The Prime Minister was addressing a function held at the UN house, Pulchowk today on the occasion of United Nations day-2000. The occasion is being observed with the theme "race Against Proverty: Breaking the Silence on HIV/AIDS".

The Prime Minister said our relations with the United Nations are deep-rooted and our commitment to the ideals of the UN is fundamental to our foreign policy, adding, we believe that there is no alternative to this world organisation and it must become stronger in the years ahead.

Pointing out that although science has taken many strides in the health sector, deadly diseases like HIV/AIDS still defy human beings, he said in the case of Nepal, a major factor contributing to the spread of this disease is human trafficking, which is posing a threat to society as the health care system is weak and treatment is unaffordable.

His Majesty’s Government recognises the reality and is ever willing to work closely with non-governmental organisations and international development partners to identify the problem and design an appropriate response in an integrated manner, he further said.

He also thanked the United Nations agencies in Nepal for their productive work in the health sector.

At the function, the Prime Minister presented shawls and certificates to chairman of the mothers group Syangja Prem Kumari Regmi and Makwanpur Rural Women’s Community Health Volunteer Shyam Kumari Lataula for their significant role in HIV/AIDS control.

UNDP resident representative in Nepal Dr Henning Karcher said UNDP strategy is to make a solid contribution to poverty alleviation in keeping with the priorities of the Ninth Plan.

National representative of UNICEF to Nepal steward Macnab and Acham DDC chairman Krishna Prasad Jaisi expressed their views about the spread of HIV/AIDS and its control.

A street play on HIV/AIDS was also presented on the occasion.

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