UN Secretary General addresses joint session of Nepal's Parliament

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is on a four-day visit to Nepal, addressed a joint meeting of the Federal Parliament yesterday. In his address to the joint session of the federal parliament at the New Baneshwor parliament building on Tuesday, the UN chief stressed the dire need for revitalisation and reforms in the system. The UN chief argued that multilateralism must both reflect the world and respond to it, which means creating the institutions and tools we need to address new threats and seize new opportunities.

 

Secretary General Guterres spoke on climate change issues, the peace process and the contemporary situation in Nepal in his address to the federal parliament. He praised Nepal’s effort to give women equal opportunity from when women were underrepresented and underpaid. He hailed Nepal’s effort to Multilateralism, support towards sustainable development and climate action.

 

The UN high-level body on Artificial Intelligence comprising experts from G77 countries will report this year, so member states can consider global governance options for artificial intelligence, he said in his address.

 

He called for reform of the outdated United Nations



Security Council and proposed measures to reform the global financial architecture - so that it better represents developing countries and responds to their needs.

 

In his address, he also urged leaders to act on climate without delay - with the biggest emitters leading from the front. The UNSG also called on the member states to commit for releasing at least 500 billion US dollars a year in affordable long-term finance for sustainable development and climate action. He emphasized that all countries must put the Acceleration Agenda proposed into effect, to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius. And they must make COP28 count, with a strong outcome building on the Global Stocktake. 

Stating that developed countries must honour the promise of 100 billion USD a year and double adaptation finance, as a first step to devoting half of climate finance to adaptation, UNSG said the most vulnerable must be at the centre of efforts to build climate resilience. He also said that all parties must operationalize the landmark Loss and Damage Fund at COP28 this year to be held from November 30 to December 12 in UAE.