Kathmandu, Nov. 18: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has said that the effect of climate change on the Himalayas has posed severe threat to the lives and livelihoods of millions of people living in our region.

Addressing the 2nd Voice of Global South Summit virtually on Friday, Prime Minister Prachanda said that climate change remains a grave threat to humanity.

“Climate vulnerable countries like Nepal have been bearing the burden of climate change,” he said. 

He also reiterated Nepal’s full commitment to the effective implementation of the Paris Agreement and said Nepal has set a target of reaching a net-zero emission by 2045 through, among other things, conserving and sustainably managing natural resources, undertaking effective adaption and mitigation measures, and promoting a green, resilient and inclusive economy. 

He said that easy access to climate finance was prerequisite to a low-carbon and climate resilient development. 

“We all must commit ourselves to achieving the set ambitions in a time-bound manner,” he said. 

The PM further said that the unprecedented crises generated by the COVID-19 pandemic and deepening geo-political complexities have had impacts on food and nutrition, health and education, economy and environment, and peace and security. 

Stating that the developing countries especially the LDCs are the most affected ones by these crises, the Prime Minister said that rising food and energy prices, tightening financial conditions, and persistent cycles of vulnerabilities continued to add to their worries. 

“Many countries of the Global South are under unsustainable debt burden which is straining investments in health, education, social justice, and other pressing national priorities,” he said.  

He said the international community must focus on common goals of peace, progress and prosperity to address the challenges facing the world.

“For this, building of trust, promoting partnership and collaboration and working in solidarity remain crucial,” he said. “We need to champion inclusive and sustainable global growth, in which the Global South receives a fair share to eradicate poverty and give their people a decent life.”

He said that Nepal was steadfast in its commitment to multilateralism, with the United Nations at the centre. “Nonetheless, we believe that the existing global governance architecture needs a timely reform for making it relevant and reflective of today’s realities. At the same time, reform of the international financial architecture should be a top priority with full consideration to the voice of the countries in special situation, including LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS,” he added. The Prime Minister also thanked Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi for inviting him to join the important summit. He also appreciated India for hosting the summit. 

Earlier in January this year, India hosted the Inaugural Voice of Global South Summit and 125 countries participated in it with former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel addressing it.