BUTWAL, Feb 9: The Lumbini Provincial Government has intensified preparations for organizing the 4th International Summit of Laureates and Leaders for Children, Development, and Peace, in Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha.

The purpose of the summit is to give a message of development, protection, and peace for children by forming a common concept to end all kinds of violence against children, trafficking, and child exploitation.

The Federal Government has approved the proposal of the Lumbini Provincial Government to organize and manage the summit in the province from March 11 to March 13.

Nine Nobel Peace Prize winners are coming to Lumbini to attend the conference. Foreign guests including heads of states of developing countries, UN development partners, experts in the field of children and peace, and high-ranking officials will participate in the conference.

Similarly, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and other ministers from Nepal, experts working in the field of peace and children, and government and non-government sector officials will participate in the conference.

Chief Minister of Lumbini Province, Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary, stated that the summit will be held in Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha to showcase the significance of Lumbini to the world by conveying a message of peace, harmony, and compassion, aimed at the development and protection of children.

He said that the conference will issue a declaration with a commitment to end child abuse, setting a precedence for children's rights and peace around the world.

Chief Minister Chaudhary expressed his belief that the conference will contribute significantly to the economic development of Nepal and the promotion of tourism in Lumbini.

“The message to be delivered during the conference, featuring some of the world's most distinguished individuals from a sacred place like Lumbini, will aid in branding Lumbini as a major tourist destination globally," said Chief Minister Chaudhary.

The conference will see participation of 100 international guests and 200 locals, including experts, high-ranking officials, and international media personnel in the fields of peace and children's welfare.

Nobel Peace Prize winners Abdessatar Ben Moussa and Ouided Bouchamaoui (2015), Kailash Satyarthi from India (2014), Arieh Warshel (2013), Nobel Peace Prize winners Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman (2011), Jody Williams (1997), José Ramos-Horta (1996), and Richard J Roberts (1993) will participate in the conference.

Similarly, Jordan's Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, economist Jeffrey Sachs, Panama's former First Lady Lorena Castillo García de Varela, Inter-Parliamentary Union Secretary General Martin Chungong, and Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Chair Stefan Löfven will also attend the conference, according to the organizers.

The provincial government has allocated Rs 65 million from the current fiscal year's budget for the conference. The provincial government has intensified preparations for the summit by forming a steering committee under the coordination of Chief Minister Chaudhary.

Chief Minister Chaudhary said that Foreign Minister NP Saud is playing a coordinating role on behalf of the government.

The Ministry of Home Affairs of the Federal Government and the provincial government are preparing the security arrangements for the heads of states of different countries, Nobel laureates, and high-ranking officials who will be attending the conference.

According to the Chief Minister's Office, preparations have been expedited for accommodation, security, food, and transportation of foreign and local guests.

The opening ceremony will be held on the first day of the three-day conference on March 11 at the International Auditorium in Lumbini. Departmental and group discussion programs are planned to be held at the hotel. The closing ceremony will be held on the Mayadevi Temple premises on March 13.

 
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