HE DR. SURESH CHANDRA CHALISE
AMBASSADOR OF NEPAL
Nepal’s Foreign Policy Dynamics and Her Global Engagements
Talk by Dr. Suresh C. Chalise, Ambassador of Nepal to the UK at Conservative Foreign and Commonwealth Council on 26th March 2012
1. Geography, People and Culture
Nepal is a landlocked country in South Asia, bordered to the North by the People's Republic of China, and to the South, East, and West by the Republic of India. With an area of 147,181 square kilometres, Nepal has population of 29,959,364 of which about 50% is below 25 age group. Kathmandu is the nation's capital and the country's largest metropolis. Nepal could be, on the basis of climatic conditions, divided largely into Mountain, High Hills and Terai or Plain areas.
Nepal, mainly comprised of two major racial stocks Caucasian and Mongolian, has large majority of people practising Hinduism, followed by Buddhism. Moreover, there are also a small percentage of the Nepalese who practise other religions such as Mundhum, Islam and Christianity.
2. Geo-Political Situation
Nepal shares about 1850 Kilometre border with India and of which 1700 Kilometre is open and spongy. Nepal enjoys a deep cultural, educational and economic linkage with its southern neighbour India. Nepal’s southern belt, Terai, which is largely constituted by Hindu Caucasians, enjoyed a colossal matrimonial relation with Bihar and Uttar Pradesh of India for centuries. On the other hand, China surrounds Nepal from the North of its autonomous region of Tibet and shares more than 1415 Kilometre Border with rugged mountains. This part of the region of Nepal has been populated mainly by Mongolian stock and enjoys culture and life style akin to Tibetans. In the recent years, as the economy soared, the air link between Nepal and China has increased and the inflow of Chinese tourists have considerably enhanced into Nepal.
3. Regional Relations
Nepal, which was founded in 1769, officially became the member of the United Nations in December 1955. Ever since, as a non-align nation, she has been bestowing her unflinching faith in the principles that are enshrined in the charter of the United Nations. However, with the changes taking place worldwide, regional situation of Nepal also got accordingly changed in the light of new needs and aspiration of countries in the region which have given births to a number of regional forums. Nepal is member to all regional bodies and has been a proactive member. Nepal, besides attending all regional meetings, has honour to host SAARC summits in Kathmandu. It is scheduled to host 18th SAARC summit in coming months as well. Likewise, Nepal actively taking part in all regional forums of SAFTA (South-Asian Free-Trade Area) and Likewise BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiatives for Multi-Sect-oral Technical Economic Cooperation), which includes Thailand and also Myanmar from the region, aimed at overall wellbeing of the region.
4. Shifts in Regional Policy Paradigm
Even after the 2nd world war, during the 18th -19th century, Nepal continued espousing its foreign policy that country is “a yam between two boulders”. Later, during the cold-war vehemence, while next-door neighbours were divided into Sino-American and Indo-USSR hostile camps, Nepal’s situation was referred as, “a man resting/sleeping between two standing elephants.” The argument was that how one could sleep while standing elephants were on both sides. It was a kind of departure from 18th Century policy. Cold war had witnessed intense political metamorphosis not only at the world stage but also in the Asian region. However, in the post-cold war scenario, as it could be called the Globalisation Era, Nepal’s conventional concept of foreign policy got accordingly changed. Foreign policy shift became imminent also because of Nepal’s immediate neighbour’s soaring wealth and military power and yet their new aspirations as global players.
India and China’s meteoric rise has generated immense optimism and expectation in the region. Surrounded by two economic giants, Nepal, like other nations in the region, is now eager to seize the opportunity. Contemporary Nepal hails her strategic location as “a nation sandwiched between two gold-mines,” rather than two boulders or a man sleeping between two elephants.
5. International Engagements
Nepal has been a member under the United Nations Charter since the December of 1955 and for the years of dedicated alliance with the UN; Nepal invited the organisation to help on the on-going peace process in the country at the time. Nepal has also been a Proactive member of the LDCs, LLDC, North-South Dialogue and South-South Cooperation, Word Trade Organisation (WTO).
A. Chairing Least Developed Countries (LDC) at the United Nations (UN)
Nepal, which firmly upholds that increasing gap between developed and developing countries need to be narrowed down through various measures for global harmony and prosperity, has been leading the LDCs since 2010 with new vision and zeal. Prior to it, as a proactive nation, Nepal had experience of participating in all previous three Conferences on the Least Developed Countries, held in Paris, 1981 and 1991; and Brussels, 2001. Of late, as the leader of the forum, it headed the conference which took place in Istanbul in 2011. The conference had urged for the effective partnership between LDCs and their development partners in order to achieve the goals set by the Millennium Summit for development and poverty reduction. The forum of LDCs, comprised of 48 UN designated members among which 33 are from Africa, 14 from Asia Pacific region while 1 from western hemisphere i.e. Haiti. Nepal is supporting the Brussels Programme of Action on LDCs, which has urged the development partners to provide LDCs with more aid, wider debt relief and improved market access in view of their marginalised status.
As the LDCs’ Chair, Nepal must make concerted efforts and leave no stone unturned to draw the attention of international forums namely World Bank, G-8 and G-20, and RIO-20, to be held in Brazil in the summer of this year, and motivate all of them in favour of stronger global partnership for LDCs graduation. The upcoming thirteenth conference on trade and development of UNCTAD in Doha, to be held from April 21 to 26, is expected to contribute towards renewed realisation of strengthened global partnership for the development of LDCs.
6. Nepal’s Role for Global Peace and Security
A. Peace Keeping
Nepal contributes to global peace and security under the aegis of the United Nations and United Kingdom. Nepal has been sending troops to Africa, Europe, Middle-east and Caribbean under the auspices of United Nations with Security Council mandate and the assent of the host country since 1958. Currently about 3500 Nepalese peace keepers are being deployed in 11 different missions of the United Nations, including NY headquarters. Nepal is one of the top six nations to contribute to world peace operation of the UN. Given Nepal’s performance at the global stage, UN established the Birendra Peace Operation Training Centre in Nepal, in 1998, which mainly imparts educational and physical training to the South-Asian and East Asian peace keepers.
B. Terrorism
Against the backdrop of September 11, 2001, Nepal signed an agreement with the US Government and established an Anti-terrorism Assistance Program (ATAP) in April 2003. The Government continued its strong support of the Global Coalition Against Terrorism (GCAT) in 2004 and has been responsive to both US and multilateral efforts to policing international terrorism. In this effect, UN approved many resolutions condemning all forms and manifestations of terrorism that have been supported by Nepal. It has also been working together to dispirit the terrorism through various mechanisms including intelligence, reporting, mutual cooperation, capacity building etc.
C. Human Rights
Nepal is party to various international conventions on human rights; International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) - 1971, Optional Protocol to the Convention-Rights of Persons with Disabilities - 2010, and Convention on Preventive and Punishment of Crime of Genocide. Although the parliament has already approved, Government of Nepal has yet ratify Rome Statute of International Criminal Court. However, sooner or later, it is to be endorsed.
D. Deadly diseases
Pandemics are the major issue for development, equity and fairness in any human society. Both the communicable and non communicable diseases are a matter of major concerns of contemporary world. TB, malaria and HIV AIDS are having catastrophic effects around the world, especially in developing countries. Despite some reckonable progress in the last one decade, it has been felt that financing and technical capacity is major barrier to address this problem. They are affecting a large number of people and also sapping the development capacity of the poorer countries. Therefore, Nepal has included the target of drastically reducing their incidence as part of the MDG of the UN. But, of late, even the non communicable diseases including polio, cardio-vascular disease, cancer and diabetes have afflicted the developing countries more rapidly than before. Cooperation, research and collaborative efforts on all these fronts and financial support will be critical to make solid progress in these areas in the years ahead.
E. Climate Change
As leader of the LDCs, Nepal has envisaged an ambitious plan for reducing CO2 emissions and promoting low carbon economy. The objective of such plan is to have global environmental integrity and countries to make concerted efforts towards achieving it. As a matter of fact, poorer countries are being affected more although they contributed the least to the problem. As poor countries do not have the capacity to address this trans-national issue on their own, climate change issue has to be based on a shared vision with specific responsibilities between and among the developing and developed nations. There should be consensus and equal emphasis on mitigation and adaptation measures; Developing nations need more support for adaptation efforts as they are economically incapable and unprepared. Nepal has already approved National Adaptation Plan of Action (NAPA) which is of a far-reaching nature and has a strong component of Local Adaptation Plan of Action (LAPA). This is a project of about 350 million US Dollars. In this context, it is worth mentioning here that Nepal has called for priority support for more vulnerable groups in disbursing funds through Green Climate Fund of the United Nations. Nepal has also called for its fair and equitable representation in all climate-related governance mechanisms. The meeting in Durban was a measured success but now, it’s time for the promises that were made then, to be delivered.
7. Expanding International Role and Challenges:
A. Expanding Bilateral Relations
When Nepal become the member of the United Nations, at that time it could establish diplomatic ties only with big five USA, UK, India, France and China. Over these years, from 1955 to 1990, she expanded her relationship extensively with other global forces including USSR, Japan and Germany and it was altogether as much as ninety six nations. Contemporary Nepal has privilege to have bilateral relationship altogether with 133 countries of the world. As part of its campaign to enlarge diplomatic ties, Nepal has, of late, established her relationship with as much as 30 missions abroad with residential status. Among them, south-Africa, Canada, Kuwait and Brazil are the recent one. It is the first time that Nepal has made its presence in South-American region by opening its embassy in Brazil. In view of Nepal’s proactive role in regional and global forums and noticeable contribution to world peace and human security, foreign missions have also made their substantial presence in Kathmandu. There are, altogether, 28 foreign missions that have residential status in Nepal.
Nepal is also striving to be part of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). This central Asian organisation, which is six member countries namely China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tadzhikistan, Kazakhstan has India, Pakistan, Mongolia and Iran as observers. Nepal has taken this organisation as strategically important for her future economy. Since Nepal’s neighbour and friends are already observers to the SCO, Nepal has also applied for her membership for the same status during the time of late Prime Minister GP Koirala. At that time, since membership to interested nations was suspended, Kathmandu may now intensify to have its desire materialised. It is imperative her to be part of it for her secure and prosperity.
B. Increasing International Role
• Contributing to Trans-national Issues including Peace and Human Security
• Proactive Member of Regional and World Regimes
• Chairing LDCs in the UN
C. Major Challenges
• Regional
Nepal’s major challenge, at a regional level, has been to convince its immediate neighbouring giants that her prosperity rests in their security and progress.
• Global
At the global level, Nepal has mainly found it challenging to convince the international community that a small land-locked country like Nepal; sandwiched between two militarily and economically giants yet with Security Council Leverage, hardly can afford to adopt for all global agendas.