President Paudel urges UNSG to make developed countries serious about effects of climate change

Dharmendra Jha

BAKU: President Ramchandra Paudel has urged United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to make the developed countries serious about the impact of climate change.

President Paudel made such a request during a group meeting held by the UN Secretary General with the Heads of State and Government of underdeveloped countries currently in Baku to take part in the COP 29 conference.

"Although the problems caused by climate change are currently being experienced by countries like Nepal it will ultimately come to haunt the developed countries as well," he said, "the developed countries should understand this through the United Nations, according to the President's press adviser Kiran Pokharel.

During the meeting, President Paudel emphasized that the since countries like Nepal are not the reasons behind the climate change, the funds they get to tackle its impact should be provided as grants and not as debt. The United Nations should remind the developed countries that the problem of climate change, which is now affecting countries like Nepal, will come to affect them as well.

President Paudel said that underdeveloped and developing countries have not been able to get significant help from developed countries to prevent and adapt to climate change impacts. He emphasized that the UN should increase its efforts to gather adequate financial and other support for the adaptation and mitigation efforts of underdeveloped and developing countries.

The President thanked the UNSG for giving priority to the least developed countries in the establishment of an early warning system for disasters, recalling the latter's visit to Nepal in 2023 to directly experience how the mountains are melting.

Stating that countries like Nepal have not been able to access climate fund due to various procedural and other complications, the President also noted that resources obtained are more effectively spent through the government mechanisms as the government is always accountable to the people. "I think the United Nations can play a role in assuring developed countries in this regard," said President Paudel.

As Chair of Global Coordination Bureau of the Least Developed Countries, Nepal is committed to protecting the interests and rights of the LDCs, he said and extended gratitude to the United Nations for giving priority to underdeveloped and developing countries.

On the occasion, UNSG Guterres suggested that subsided climate funds should be provided to countries facing the brunt of climate change and that this issue should be strongly raised in the meetings, discussions and negotiations under COP 29.

The head of the interim government of Bangladesh, the Vice president of Malawi and the Minister of Gambia participated in the meeting.

President Paudel arrived in Baku on Monday leading the Nepali delegation to the COP-29 conference at the invitation of the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. He is scheduled to return home on November 15.