Prime Minister addresses 13th NAM Summit in Kuala Lumpur

January 24, 2003
Kuala Lumpur

RSS KATHMANDU, Feb. 24: Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand has said that the Non-Aligned Movement has an urgent duty to seriously address the problems of developing countries and defend their common interests, with meaningful and synergistic partnership among themselves and with developed countries.

Prime Minister Chand was addressing the l3th Summit Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement which started in Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia, today.

Chand said that the Non-Aligned Movement must join hands for the implementation of the pledges made by the international community, and that efforts should be made to ensure effective fulfillment of collective commitments on the eradication of poverty, creation of a fair world trading regime and adequate financing for development in a sustainable manner, with a special focus on the needs of the least developed countries.

In the face of dwindling Official Development Assistance (ODA) and lack of other comparable resources, it is imperative for the development partners to stand by their commitments to meet the agreed targets, he said adding, developed nations should also provide deeper debt relief and open their markets for developing countries, particularly the least developed ones.

Pointing out that most of the non-aligned countries, which are also developing countries, are struggling to eradicate poverty through sustained and accelerated economic growth, he said inadequate resources as well as the lack of capacity and fair mechanisms to cash in on the virtues of globalisation stand firm as obstacles.

Scourges of HIV/AIDS and other diseases have complicated their problems, the least developed countries are in a further precarious situation, and if they are also landlocked, their misery becomes intractable, he observed. Earlier, remarking that the on going summit bears special significance as it is the first in the new century, Chand said this is yet another opportunity to renew our pledge to collectively work towards achieving the common goals of peace, security, development and justice, and that more than anything, it is also an opportunity for the movement to reposition itself firmly in the changing global political and economic environment.

The hard-earned momentum of the post-cold-war era continues to be arrested by the frustrating waves of recession and terrorism, ethnic strife and complex conflicts and religious intolerance, he said adding, a general sense of financial and social insecurity prevails especially among the developing coutnries.

The threat to global peace and security continues to haunt us, he said. Pointing out that the situation with regard to disarmament of Iraq has become one of the most challenging issues that confront us today, he said it has been the movement's continuous position to advocate peaceful solutions to all problems.

In the interest of world peace and stability, Nepal would like to see all obligations regarding weapons of mass destruction fulfilled as well as all diplomatic avenues exchausted before any military options are mandated, he said.

He also hoped that a durable solution will be worked out from all sides to prepare the necessary ground work to enable Israel and Palestine to live as neighbours within secure and recognised boundaries.

We earnestly welcome and support every effort that helps build an environment conducive for a peaceful unification of the Korean peninsula, he further said.

Observing that terrorism steals the peace and the prospects of prosperity of citizens and societies alike, and that it moves across borders, corrodes the unity of sovereign states, undermines their political stability, drains their economic potentials and devours the fabric of societies, he said it must be condemned in all its forms and manifestations, and curbed at all levels.

"In my own country in the past few years, we went through a period of large-scale violence directed against civilian lives and properties, government installations and development infrastructure", he said adding, "despite the efforts of the government to protect the citizens, violence reached such a proportion that scheduled elections to the representative House of Parliament could not be held".

His Majesty's Government has now initiated a process of peace in the country and the people are experiencing a sense of security, he stated. In conclusion, Chand said that since its inception, the Non-Aligned Movement had been a beacon of hope for countries under colonial domination and a harbinger of independence and freedom in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

As a founder member of the movement, Nepal is convinced that no other forum provides a better avenue for the movement's success than the United Nations, he observed adding, our movement must, therefore continue to work in unity to strengthen the United Nations-the only world organisation which is the true pivot of multi-lateralism. In this way, we can turn our movement into a force for change to build a better world, he said.

Earlier today, the summit was opened by outgoing chairman of the movement Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa. The chairmanship was handed over to Dr. Mahathir Mohammad, Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Also today Prime Minister Chand held separate bilateral meetings, on the sidelines of the summit, with Thaksin Shinawatra, Prime Minister of Thailand, and Bounngang Vorachit, Prime Minister of Lao PDR. Lao PDR is the current chair of the group of land-locked developing countries.

Matters relating to bilateral relations as well as NAM and issues of other international significance were discussed during those meetings. Nepal's permanent representative to the UN Murari Raj Sharma, Royal Nepalese Ambassador to Thailand Janak Bahadur Singh and Foreign Secretary Madhuraman Acharya were present during the meetings.

This afternoon, Prime Minister Chand attended a luncheon hosted by the Prime Minister of Malaysia at Putra World Trade Centre.