After the successful organization of the Sagarmatha Sambaad, Nepal should strive to play an enhanced and much more recognizable role in terms of climate diplomacy. Nepal could become a leader in facilitating a global conversation related to climate and biodiversity in the Himalayan region and beyond. Such a goal could have a long term and broad impact cementing the country as a strong advocate from the Global South at the par of Fiji, Barbados and Vanuatu.
These are way smaller nations who, in the past, have risen to the international climate arena thanks to their bold propositions. But there is also a more immediate and practical aim to invest in climate diplomacy and, on this aspect, one question comes to mind: how is the government of Nepal preparing for the upcoming climate COP 30?
If the government wants to internationalize its cause for climate justice, especially its focus on the impact of climate warming on mountains and their ecosystems, then it is going to be paramount to have in place a strong plan to maximize Nepal’s role in Belém, the Brazilian city in the heart of the Amazon that will host the gathering in November. For example, will some innovative policy proposals be brought forward by Kathmandu?
Certainly, climate diplomacy is an area where Nepal could vastly invest in. There are two parallel but interlinked paths to do so.
First, by ensuring a strong follow up to the first edition of the Sambaad. Second by stepping up its outreach efforts in the running up to COP 30. Both could be achieved by leveraging the experience that both the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) have developed over the organization of the Sambaad.
The latter could work to institutionalize climate diplomacy by setting up a special unity or department dedicated to it. While there is already a strong collaboration between the Ministry of Forests and Environment and MoFA, having a dedicated structure in the former could greatly help better positioning Nepal’s claims and stated positions.
Equally important is forging new alliances and strengthening relationships with nations who face similar challenges is going to be key.
For example, Nepal should work to be in a position to forge a stronger alliance with other mountain nations both with least developing and developing nations like Peru and Kyrgyzstan but also with more developed alpine nations from Europe.
I have already advocated that Nepal should make effort to organize the Sambaad on annual basis with an exclusive focus on climate and biodiversity.
In the same line, the government could imagine, within the framework of the next edition of the initiative, to hold a high-level segment with the heads of government from mountain nations from all over the world.
Such a platform would also offer Nepal the opportunity to strengthen new partnerships at the highest levels of policy making with nations with whom it does not have any substantial relations yet. This mammoth effort could be carried out in partnership with ICIMOD.
One major goal could be the revitalization of the Mountain Initiative for Climate Change that the Government of Nepal itself had established in partnership with ICIMOD.
ICIMOD itself should be a major partner in running the next Sambaad even if it is understandable that the Government of Nepal wanted, with the first edition, to have total ownership over the event.
At the same time the country needs, as the saying goes, to keep the ball rolling. Between now and the next Sambaad, Nepal should strive to organize smaller and less expensive international gatherings by also supporting initiatives from the civil society.
The climate justice ambitions of the nation cannot afford a void while strategizing for the next Sambaad and the conversation must go on. Also with the support of the UN, the Government could facilitate a series of dialogues and other lower levels gathering by inviting experts from the region.
Now coming to the incoming COP 30, answering a string of questions could be useful, starting from the most consequential one: What is Nepal doing to prepare itself? This is a complex issue to answer to and it also involves a focus on capacity and know-how building that goes beyond the scope of this essay. But other questions should be discussed and debated: Could Nepal work with the Brazilian Presidency of the COP 30 in order to better elevate the issue of mountains at the COP? What could be done to place Nepal at the center of the conversation? Could it make sense to directly engage President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil?
President Lula is known as a champion of the South of the world. He could be well predisposed to have some sort of engagement with Nepal and helps amplify Kathmandu’s concerns and proposals. A relatively simple way of trying to initiate such contact would be to plan for an online meeting between him and Prime Minister KP Oli. All of the ideas presented here are doable if there is a political will from the side of Nepal Government.
An example to facilitate the emergence of Nepal on the global climate scene would be the appointment of a Special Representative of the Nepal’s Government for Climate Action. This person could work with several line ministries like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Forest and Environment, directly under the auspices of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
Imagine someone who can easily establish working relationships with the Foreign Minister, Arzu Rana Deuba, with Forests and Environment Minister, Ain Bahadur Sahi Thakuri and with the Prime Minister himself. Someone who is not interested in playing politics but simply wants to work hard to ensure that Nepal can play a bigger game when climate and biodiversity discussions happen and when the key decisions are taken. Climate diplomacy could make the difference for Nepal, elevating the country to the highest levels of recognition in one of the most consequential areas of policy making.
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