Kathmandu [Nepal], November 14 – Nepal will strengthen its preparations, diplomatic engagement and multilateral cooperation to play a more effective role in international climate negotiations, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal has said.
Speaking to the Rastriya Samachar Samiti on Friday on the sidelines of COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, Khanal said climate diplomacy was challenging because decisions require consensus among countries with different interests and priorities.
He said Nepal’s effort to place mountain issues formally on the COP agenda for the first time required advance preparation and support from various stakeholders. Although the mountain agenda was not included in the official schedule the conference leadership was advancing the issues through consultations.
Khanal said discussions had made positive progress on Nepal’s priorities including keeping global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius, securing predictable grant-based climate finance and promoting research and action plans for mountain regions.
He said a proposed Mountain Work Programme could bring climate finance, research and adaptation together. Nepal was also calling for a simpler, predictable climate finance system with funds made available before disasters rather than delayed by lengthy procedures afterwards.
Khanal stressed that Nepal needed to build institutional capacity and engage countries well before future conferences to understand their priorities and strengthen its negotiating position.
