Statement by the Honourable Dr. Narayan Khadka, Leader of the Nepali Delegation and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal at the High-Level Commemorative Meeting to Mark the 60th Anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement
11 October 2021, Belgrade
His Excellency Mr.Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Chairman of NAM and co-host of the High-level Commemorative Meeting,
His Excellency Mr. Aleksandar Vučić, President of the Republic of Serbia and co-host of this High-level Commemorative Meeting,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentleman,
Let me begin by expressing our deep gratitude to the Government and people of the Republic of Serbia for hosting this historic meeting on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Non-Alignment Movement even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. I join other leaders in paying tribute to the founders of the Movement and also in commending the current Chair of NAM and co-host of this event, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, for exceptional leadership in these trying times.
I bring the message of peace from the birthplace of Gautam Buddha and greetings and best wishes of the Government and people of Nepal for the success of this event.
Nepal has enshrined the cardinal principles of NAM in its constitution and these tenets have always been an integral part of our foreign policy.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Sixty years down the road, the world has undergone profound transformation. The world we live in today is fundamentally more complex than it was 60 years ago and the challenges we face collectively are more profound and intractable.
While NAM has achieved in bringing freedom, independence, democracy and justice for countries around the world, yet today we are witnessing rising ethnic and intra-state conflict, violent extremism, terrorism, climate change, economic recession and financial vulnerability, widening inequality between rich and poor and fuel and food crises of large proportion.
In addition to these challenges, geopolitical tensions are re-surfacing and new fault lines of division are emerging. Modernization of nuclear arms and signs of arms race signal new wave of competition among great powers. The COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as one of the greatest challenges to mankind. It has exposed the gaps and vulnerabilities of global governance in critical areas of human security which has contributed to a large extent to the inequality in vaccine accessibility. The climate change and its impact on lives and livelihoods is yet another serious challenge that has posed the existential threat to mankind.
Excellencies,
With its numerical and moral strength, NAM should re-claim its rightful place and speak loudly and act decisively for the very poor, weak and vulnerable countries. The Movement can and should, lead the path in pursuit of a more peaceful, prosperous, and just world. It should also work for reform and restructuring of multilateral institutions such as the UN and international financial institutions.
There is also a true need to galvanize South-South cooperation to liberate and uplift countries and peoples from the clutches of poverty, inequality, and deprivation.
For NAM to stand relevant to influence global agendas of common concern, it must forge unity, cohesion, cooperation, and solidarity among its membership. NAM must be internally strong to foster goodwill and cooperation so that division and discord do not surface to undermine the unity of the Movement.
Nepal calls upon all leaders of the world, of the Movement and beyond, to work for the shared future we all want and deserve. Let’s pledge to act together and to move forward for the good of all mankind.
I thank you Excellencies.