Press Release – Diplomats’ Forum with HE Ambassador Nona Deprez, the EU Ambassador to Nepal
The Nepal Institute for Policy Research (NIPoRe) organized the fourth session of the Diplomats’ Forum on 22 December 2022 with H.E. Nona Deprez, the European Union Ambassador to Nepal. Ms. Sewa Lamsal, the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Nepal, was the Chief Guest for the Forum. Dr. Swarnim Waglé, Chair of IIDS and a former National Planning Commission Vice-Chair, gave closing remarks. The Forum discussed ‘multilateralism, rule-based global order, and climate change’ as key areas of mutual interest between the EU and Nepal.
In her opening remarks, Joint Secretary Lamsal highlighted the cordial relationship EU and Nepal has enjoyed for nearly 50 years. She mentioned that the EU has been “supporting Nepal’s efforts in achieving sustainable development goals for the people of Nepal through project grants, service contacts and budget support which is mutually agreed on the basis of Nepal’s development priorities and objectives including education, agriculture, energy, net zero emission and local development.”
Ambassador Deprez highlighted the EU’s support both bilaterally and multilaterally to Nepal in areas of climate change resiliency, biodiversity conservation, and healthcare systems (pandemic preparedness). She asserted that “the EU Nepal partnership is one of equals”. The ambassador further mentioned that the EU’s goals with the GRID (Green, Resilient, Inclusive Development) are aligned with the sustainable development goals of the Government of Nepal. Talking briefly about the history of the EU, the ambassador said that the EU’s goal is to follow and promote effective rule based international order. She further said that “each country whether small or big should be allowed to choose its own security arrangements”.
The program ended with the closing remarks by Dr. Waglé. In his remarks, Dr. Waglé reiterated that smaller nations need multilateral institutions even more and expressed that the EU has been an example to Nepal in terms of cooperation, regional integration and development. He also further mentioned that electorates should make it costly for any political parties that want to stop working for regional integration.
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Mani is the Director of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and works as the Head of the Research, Planning and Monitoring Department. He is involved in tourism since 1998 and have worked in various private sector tourism organisations under different categories until 2008. He joined NTB as a Manager and there he looked after Tourism Products Development Unit until 2018. when I got promoted as Director and headed NTB Provincial Office at Pokhara for a year. Beside these responsibilities, he is also a life member of Tourist Guide Association and is also a founding member of Human Resource Society Nepal.
Nicholas works for Qantas Australia as a People, Strategic Insights and Research Manager. An inquisitive and big picture thinker from young, his interest in protecting the great outdoors and aptitude for numbers led him to public policy and economics. Since then, he has been applying these tools and adding others, to better understand how society interacts within economies, community groups and as individuals. His goal is to work with government, the business community and the community at large to inspire and drive change that improves economic, social and environmental outcomes.
Yee works as a Project Coordinator at the International Trade Centre (ITC) in Myanmar. He leads a tourism project on strategic and operational activities, focusing on establishing local partnerships and ensuring daily operations in. He works closely with various issue-based international consultants to ensure achievement of project activities on community-based tourism, institutional strengthening, product development, and marketing and branding.
Barsha is a development professional with over 9 years of experience in programme design, management, monitoring and evaluation, with special focus on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) mainstreaming into development programmes and policy priorities. With excellent leadership and strategic thinking skills, she is the youngest Nepalese woman to lead an international non-governmental organization (INGO) in Nepal.
Ms. Udisha Saklani is a PhD researcher at the University of Cambridge and the recipient of the Margaret Anstree Centre for Global Studies Scholarship at Newnham College, Cambridge. Her project focuses on India’s renewable energy investments in Nepal and Bhutan in the context of climate change mitigation and economic development in the Himalayas.