KATHMANDU, May 16: The government is launching the inaugural Sagarmatha Sambaad today to inform the global community about climate change's impacts and explore practical solutions. Organisers have chosen "Climate Change, Mountains, and the Future of Humanity" as the central theme. The Sambaad will run until May 18.
Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba, who chairs the Sambaad Management Committee, said around 175 foreign guests and an equal number of Nepali participants are attending the event. High-level delegations from 12 countries, including China and India, have already arrived, while other distinguished guests are en route.
The opening ceremony will showcase an audiovisual presentation introducing the Sambaad. Heads of delegations from India and China, along with the Climate Envoy of the President of Azerbaijan, who chairs COP-29, will deliver keynote speeches.
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United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has sent a recorded video message that the organizers will play during the ceremony. After the inauguration, organizers will hold a plenary session where representatives from participating countries and various international and regional organizations will give presentations.
Parallel sessions on various topics will also start today and will continue until 4:30 PM on Saturday. Politicians, policymakers, scholars, experts, and researchers will engage in deep discussions to address the effects of climate change and explore solutions to mountain-related challenges.
A total of 61 domestic and international organizations—including SAARC, BIMSTEC, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, universities, research institutions, civil society, and NGOs—will participate in the Sambaad.
To organize the event, the government formed a high-level Steering Committee under Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's leadership. Foreign Minister Dr Arzu Rana Deuba chairs the Management Committee, with Forest and Environment Minister Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri as co-chair. Rajkumar Shrestha, Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office, leads the Secretariat.
Dr. Maheshwar Dhakal, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Forests and member-secretary of the Secretariat, said the event features a high-level opening session, a plenary session, multiple parallel sessions, and several side events. On the final day, organizers have arranged a mountain flight for foreign guests and will release the Kathmandu Declaration.
The Sambaad seeks to showcase Nepal's conservation successes and to learn from global climate solutions. In light of the UN declaring 2025 the International Year of Glacier Preservation, the event will give special focus to mountain and glacier issues.
The Sagarmatha Sambaad serves as a multi-stakeholder platform for addressing global, regional, and national concerns. Named after the world's highest peak, Mt. Sagarmatha (Everest), the Sambaad aims to promote shared human interests and collective well-being. The government has already committed to holding the Sambaad every two years.
