President Paudel departs Baku for Nepal

Baku, Azerbaijan, November 14 — President Ram Chandra Paudel, who participated in the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP-29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Baku, Azerbaijan, departed for Nepal today. The conference began on November 11, and the President will return home via Doha, Qatar.

At the Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, Health Minister Teymur Musayev bid farewell to the President.

The conference was held at the invitation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and President Paudel arrived in Baku on Monday, accompanied by his wife, First Lady Sabita Paudel, Forest and Environment Minister Ain Bahadur Shahi, and other senior government officials and advisors.

On Tuesday, President Paudel addressed the 'World Leaders Climate Action Summit' as part of a high-level session during COP-29. In his speech, he called on the global community to consider the protection of the Himalayas as synonymous with the protection of the Earth. “Protecting the Himalayas means protecting the Earth,” he said, emphasizing that the transformation of the Himalayan white peaks into black mountains not only affects the countries of the region but also poses a threat to low-lying coastal nations. "The world must not forget this," President Paudel added.

On the same day, President Paudel met with Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, President of the Maldives, in Baku. They discussed the shared challenges both nations face due to climate change. President Paudel emphasized the need for strengthened bilateral cooperation in climate negotiations and joint efforts to secure financial and technical assistance for countries like theirs.

During the conference, Nepal, under President Paudel’s leadership, held a high-level session to draw global attention to its agenda. On Wednesday, he addressed a roundtable session titled “Mountain in Peril: Addressing Loss and Damage in the Himalayas” as part of Nepal’s initiative on the impacts of climate-induced loss in mountainous regions.

Additionally, on Wednesday, President Paudel addressed a climate-related event organized by Kyrgyzstan at COP-29. He stated that in order to provide justice to those affected by climate change, it is crucial to address both the climate issues and poverty alleviation programs in an integrated manner.

On the same day, during a meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and heads of state/government from Least Developed Countries (LDCs), President Paudel urged the UN to provide grants from developed countries to mitigate the impacts of climate change in Nepal.

The theme of COP-29 is "New Collective Quantified Goal" (NCQG), and the conference will run until November 22.