Nepal PM Balendra Shah to raise climate compensation at UN General Assembly

Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah is set to travel to the US later this month to address the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, where he is expected to highlight climate change and seek compensation from the international community for the devastation caused by last month’s deadly flash floods.

Shah is scheduled to address the UNGA in New York on September 24, according to the UN’s official speaking schedule. It will be his first foreign trip since he took office on March 27.

The August 26 floods, which followed an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border, devastated towns and villages across northern and central Nepal. More than 1,300 people were killed, while around 4,900 remain missing, according to the report.

Shah will lead the Nepali delegation to the UN General Assembly, Foreign Ministry sources said. The government is holding consultations with experts, scientists and officials in Nepal and abroad to finalise the issues he will raise during the high-level session.

Nepal prepares climate justice case

Climate change and the demand for compensation are expected to be central to Nepal’s position at the UNGA.

Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, who will accompany Shah on the visit, recently held discussions with representatives of diplomatic missions in Nepal on the issue of climate justice that Kathmandu plans to raise internationally.

The government is also assessing the scale of the human and material losses caused by the floods. The Ministries of Finance and Foreign Affairs are jointly preparing a report containing a factual assessment of the damage. Officials said the report will help Nepal present its case at the international forum and quantify the impact of the disaster.

The government has been consulting experts and scientists as it prepares its position, with the Prime Minister’s Office also involved in discussions on the issues to be raised by Shah.

UNGA general debate begins September 22

The 81st UN General Assembly session will run from September 8 to 28, according to the General Assembly Organising Committee. The high-level general debate is scheduled for September 22 to 26.

Nepal’s decision to raise climate compensation comes as the country grapples with the aftermath of the August floods, which caused extensive destruction in several parts of the country.

The government is expected to use Shah’s first appearance at the UNGA as prime minister to draw international attention to Nepal’s vulnerability to climate-related disasters and seek greater international support. The Foreign Ministry is currently coordinating preparations for the visit, while discussions continue on the country’s broader diplomatic position ahead of the UN session.