KATHMANDU, Sept 24: The global community faces multiple challenges such as terrorism, climate change and mass migration and the global leadership should show a greater display of wisdom, knowledge and capacity to address them, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said.
PM Deuba said this while addressing the 72nd annual general debate at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sunday.
“As we embark upon a path of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, [the] challenges are the litmus tests for our leadership,” Deuba said, adding that the complex and polarized environment has posed even bigger hurdle to address those pressing issues.
In his address, Deuba called on the global community to give fair opportunities to troop and police of countries contributing to UN peacekeeping efforts to serve in leadership positions both in the field and at headquarters. Nepal is the sixth largest contributor to UN peacekeeping across the globe.
Deuba said that the UN must move “from zero tolerance to zero case scenarios” on sexual exploitation and abuse as he stressed that the protection of civilians must be a top priority.
Deuba also urged for greater security for migrants, and in the context of increasing frequency and destruction by natural disasters, called for greater cooperation and coordination in prevention, mitigation and recovery efforts.
Deuba also briefed the global community on Nepal's commitment to human rights, noting that the new constitution bans death penalty in all circumstances. He also spoke about strengthening of the country's human rights commission as well as protection of the rights of women and other disadvantaged sections of society.
The prime minister also highlighted the recent local elections in his country -- the first in 20 years -- and said that preparations are underway to hold provincial and federal elections.
During his address to the UN, Deuba also deplored the actions of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) which he referred to as “continued defiance” by it of repeated calls by the Security Council and the international community, and urged it to respect all relevant council resolutions.
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