Participation of Nepali Delegation in UNGA81 (Day 7)
Press Release
Day 7
Hon. Foreign Minister Mr. Shisir Khanal addressed the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly to Commemorate the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the Adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action on the theme of “Mobilizing global public support for the full and effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action” today.
In his address, the Foreign Minister Mr. Khanal reaffirmed the enduring relevance of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and stressed the need to confront racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance, including their emerging manifestations in digital spaces and algorithmic bias. The Foreign Minister highlighted Nepal’s constitutional and global commitments to equality, inclusion and social justice, including efforts to empower historically marginalized communities.
He therefore called for enforcing legal and civic action on anti-discrimination laws; empowering marginalized communities; regulating emerging technologies including AI to eliminate racial algorithms and hate speech; and advancing principled multilateralism to do away with systemic intolerance worldwide.
Later in the afternoon, Hon. Foreign Minister Mr. Khanal held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mr. Vijitha Herath, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism of Sri Lanka in New York on the margins of UNGA81.
The Foreign Minister expressed appreciation and gratitude to the Government and people of Sri Lanaka for their sympathy, solidarity and financial, humanitarian assistance for the communities affected by the recent devastating climate disaster in Nepal.
During the discussions, the two Foreign Ministers exchanged views on various aspects of close, cooperative and multi-faceted Nepal-Sri Lanka relations, underscored the importance of holding the meetings of the existing bilateral mechanisms, and reaffirmed the commitment to further strengthening bilateral cooperation across areas of mutual interest, including in trade, tourism, education, culture, connectivity and people-to-people contacts.
The Foreign Minister also had a bilateral meeting with H.E. Dr. Khalilur Rahman, President of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly, at the latter’s office at the United Nations Headquarters.
The Foreign Minister Mr. Khanal congratulated Dr. Rahman upon his assumption of the Presidency of UNGA81 and wished him a successful tenure while assuring him of Nepal’s full support and cooperation.
During the meeting, the dignitaries discussed a range of matters related to the priorities of the President of the General Assembly, devastating impacts of the recent climate disaster in Nepal and the paramount importance of strengthening multilateralism with the UN at its core for climate action.
Wrapping up his engagements in the High-Level Week of UNGA81, Hon. Foreign Minister Mr. Shisir Khanal, along with members of the Nepali delegation, departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York for Kathmandu via Doha in the early morning of 29 September 2026.
His Excellency Mr. Lok Bahadur Thapa, Permanent Representative of Nepal to the UN, Mr. Dadhiram Bhandari, Consul General of Nepal in New York and officials of the Mission saw off Hon. Foreign Minister Mr. Khanal at JFK International Airport.
Permanent Mission of Nepal to UN
New York
28 September 2026
