Call for Solidarity Among Countries in Special Situations

Foreign Secretary Sewa Lamsal, leading the Nepali delegation to the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4), engaged in discussions with Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Trade, and Barbuda Affairs, Everly Paul Chet Greene, on pressing matters concerning Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

The meeting, held on Wednesday in St. John’s on the sidelines of SIDS4, focused on Nepal-Antigua and Barbuda relations, the implementation of internationally agreed development goals, including Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Doha Programme of Action, and the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS. Both representatives emphasized the necessity for solidarity among countries in special situations to combat common global challenges such as climate change, according to a statement from the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations in New York.

They also deliberated on the Nepal-UN partnership, Nepal’s upcoming graduation from the LDC category, the UN’s contributions to Nepal’s development efforts, climate change issues, and the importance of effective multilateralism.

The conference, themed “Charting the Course Towards Resilient Prosperity,” has been taking place in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, from May 27 to May 30, 2024, and is set to conclude today with an official closing ceremony.

Foreign Secretary Lamsal is scheduled to return home later today. Earlier, she delivered a statement at the General Debate of the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States on behalf of the group of LDCs.

In her address, the Foreign Secretary underscored the significant impact of climate change on countries in special situations and called on the international community for robust support. She also congratulated the SIDS for adopting the ambitious and action-oriented Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) and expressed solidarity with the SIDS from the LDCs.

The conference has been a crucial platform for highlighting the unique challenges faced by SIDS and LDCs and reinforcing the need for cooperative international efforts to ensure sustainable development and resilience against global challenges.