KATHMANDU: Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari said the unprecedented natural disasters Nepal has experienced this year have once again underscored the gravity of this challenge, prompting a call to the global community to take Nepal’s demand for climate justice seriously.
Addressing the 2026 Global Governance Forum (Xiong’an) conference organized by the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs, today, she outlined the state of climate justice that Nepal needs to achieve, according to her secretariat.
Bhandari cited examples linking global governance with climate justice while noting the Himalayas are a shared natural heritage closely connected to regional water cycles, biodiversity and ecological balance.
‘In order to protect this vital ecosystem and mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change, it is essential to strengthen cooperation among Himalayan countries, including China, Nepal and India, in sharing meteorological data, monitoring glaciers, developing early warning systems and coordinating disaster response,’ she argued.
She also emphasized ensuring regional and international cooperation to strengthen to reduce climate risks, while ensuring sustained and reliable support from the United Nations and international financial institutions.
‘Nepal advocates a world order in which relations among nations are guided not by power, but by international law, in which the voices of all nations are respected; and in which the concerns of weaker and vulnerable countries receive due consideration.’ she asserted.
The former President emphasized the need to strengthen the United Nations as an effective institution that reflects the diversity and aspirations of the contemporary world to that end.
Peace and development are mutually reinforcing, she said, adding that ending poverty and hunger, promoting human well-being and redirecting resources spent on the arms race towards development are shared responsibilities of the international community.
‘In accordance with the principle of leaving no one behind, we must make cooperation more effective in advancing inclusive, resilient and environmentally sustainable development.’ Bhandari added.
She expressed her confidence that this forum will foster meaningful deliberations towards making the global governance system more just, inclusive and effective, while creating new opportunities for cooperation in pursuit of world peace, sustainable development and shared prosperity.
Highlighting that Nepal–China relations have evolved since ancient times through cultural exchanges, Buddhist philosophy and close people-to-people ties, Bhandari elucidated that our relationship rests on mutual respect, trust and cooperation. Also on the occasion, she expressed Nepal’s unequivocal commitment to the One-China Policy.
Respect for sovereign equality and for one another’s independence and territorial integrity is fundamental to sustaining enduring friendship and trust among nations, she stressed, calling for dialogue, cooperation and collective commitment to address the global challenges.
‘The international order founded on the Charter of the United Nations, international law and multilateralism has made significant contributions to international peace, security and development.
Nevertheless, reforms are necessary to make this system more inclusive, representative, transparent and effective in keeping with the changing global context,’ the former President noted.
