Two of Shah’s aides, Pradip Pariyar and Subash Sharma, reached New York on Sunday to oversee preparations, logistics and the prime minister’s engagements. Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal arrived in New York on Monday evening, local time, along with Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai and other foreign ministry officials.
“The diplomatic community in New York is curious,” a Nepali diplomat based in the city told the Post over the phone. “There is curiosity about his presence and what he will say, given his age and his rise to power following last year’s Gen Z movement.”
Leaders are generally allotted 15 minutes to deliver their statements during the General Debate, although speakers can go beyond the allotted time.
Shah is scheduled to address the General Assembly on September 24, with his speech expected to focus on climate action, climate justice and compensation for climate-related losses, particularly in the wake of the devastating Bhotekoshi floods of August 26.
He is also expected to highlight the vulnerability of low-carbon-emitting countries to the effects of climate change and draw global attention to the concerns of mountain nations.
“The speech of the prime minister is ready,” an aide to Shah told the Post. “It focuses on the recent Bhotekoshi floods, climate justice and the vulnerabilities of mountain countries, among other issues.”
Shah has received more than 500 emails and suggestions through various channels on issues he should raise with the international community.
“Our prime minister is the youngest leader speaking at the General Assembly this time. Second, the UN and its various agencies have a number of agendas concerning youth. So naturally, the New York-based diplomatic community is interested in what he says,” said the diplomat, who asked not to be named.
“He has attracted global attention following the Gen Z movement,” the diplomat said. The election of Shah as the world’s youngest serving prime minister and the mandate secured by the Rastriya Swatantra Party in the March elections have also heightened interest in his visit, the diplomat added.
“There are not only curiosity but also expectations from the prime minister,” the diplomat said. “Since he is young and comes with a strong mandate, there are expectations about what he will offer.”
The August 26 floods in the Bhotekoshi river and their impact downstream were widely reported by international media, further raising interest in Nepal’s message on climate change at the UN, according to the diplomat.
“Countries like ours that are facing the perils of climate change want to listen to our prime minister and hear what he has to offer,” the diplomat said.
Besides the diplomatic community, Nepalis living in different parts of the United States are also expected to gather in New York on September 24 to express solidarity with Nepal’s call for climate justice as Shah addresses the General Assembly.
With around 75 percent of the population of the Global South being young, other leaders are also interested in what the young Nepali prime minister will present at the General Assembly, the diplomat said.
Besides seeking climate justice for low-carbon-emitting countries, Shah is expected to speak about the political changes in Kathmandu following the Gen Z movement and the March elections. He will also highlight Nepal’s contribution to global peace through UN peacekeeping operations and touch on contemporary global, regional and domestic issues.
Despite the interest surrounding his visit, Shah is not scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with visiting heads of government or state on the margins of the General Assembly, according to officials.
“We have received several requests from heads of government and others for meetings with the prime minister. But, besides the meeting with the UN secretary-general António Guterres, he is not meeting with anyone else due to time constraints,” the diplomat said.
Shah is scheduled to meet UN Secretary-General António Guterres on September 24.
The prime minister will be accompanied by his chief adviser Kumar Byanjankar, Chief of Protocol Kumar Kharel, and personal security officials from the Nepal Army and Nepal Police.
After a short visit to New York, Shah is scheduled to return to Kathmandu on September 26.
