Minister Khanal drew the attention of the international community to the fact that climate change is causing rapid melting of glaciers in the Himalayan region and increasing the risk of glacial lake outburst floods.
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Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal has stressed the need for joint international cooperation to address the challenges of good governance, climate crisis and world peace in the Indian Ocean region.
Addressing the 9th Indian Ocean Conference held in Orissa, Minister Khanal said that the world should take the relationship between the mountains and the ocean seriously. He said that although Nepal is a landlocked country, Nepal has a historical, cultural and environmental connection with the Indian Ocean. He mentioned that there is an inseparable relationship between the mountains and the ocean as the water flowing from the glaciers and glacial lakes in the Himalayan region ultimately reaches the Indian Ocean. Stating that the Hindu Kush Himalayan region is the basis of water resources for billions of people, he said that the health of the Himalayas and the state of the ocean are interdependent.
Minister Khanal drew the attention of the international community to the fact that climate change has increased the risk of glaciers melting rapidly in the Himalayan region and the collapse of glacial lakes. He mentioned that the rapidly increasing temperature and sea level in the Indian Ocean region are putting the island and coastal countries at risk. He said that shared responsibility and multilateral cooperation are indispensable for addressing the climate crisis. He also reminded that Nepal has been continuously raising this issue in the United Nations and climate conferences.
The Indian Ocean Conference is being held in Mauritius on 27, 28 and 29 Chaitra. The event was organized by the Delhi-based think tank India Foundation with the support of the Ministry of External Affairs of India. The agenda of the conference includes issues of governance of the Indian Ocean region, maritime security, climate crisis and economic cooperation.
‘Collective Responsibility for Good Governance of the Indian Ocean’ is the slogan of this time’s conference. Pointing to the slogan, Minister Khanal emphasized that the protection and management of the ocean should be through a rules-based international system, transparency and cooperation. He said that the sea is not only the subject of coastal countries but also the common property of the entire world and its governance should be inclusive, equitable and based on international law. He mentioned that as per the commitment of the United Nations, landlocked countries have the right to access the sea and participate in the maritime economy. He said that Nepal, as a signatory to the Convention on the Law of the Sea, is committed to the basic framework of the law of the sea. He expressed Nepal's concern over wrongdoings such as maritime terrorism, piracy, drug trafficking and human trafficking. In his address, he expressed concern over the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. He said that the employment and security of millions of Nepalis are the priorities of the Nepalese government. He said that regional stability is directly linked to world peace as war affects fuel prices, supply chains and the global economy. He stated that Nepal's foreign policy is firmly based on the United Nations Charter, the principles of Panchasheel and non-alignment. He said that Nepal is in favor of a rules-based international system in which all nations, big and small, have equal rights.
