Kathmandu, Feb 28: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat, attended the inaugural session of the 34th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday.
The inaugural session was addressed, among others, by the President of the UN General Assembly, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The inauguration session was followed by the High-level Segment of the Council, which is being attended by more than a hundred high-level dignitaries from the UN Member States. The High-level Segment will continue until the 1st of March 2017, said a press release issued by Permanent Mission of Nepal in Geneva.
On the sidelines of the Session, the Minister held a bilateral meeting with Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (Minister of Foreign Affairs) of Switzerland, Didier Burkhalter, on Monday. Various aspects of cooperation between the two countries, and the multilateral issues of common interests were discussed during the meeting.
Minister Dr Mahat appreciated the longstanding cooperation of Switzerland in the socio-economic development efforts of Nepal, and updated the Swiss Minister on the recent political developments in Nepal including the progress towards implementation of the constitution. The Swiss Foreign Minister underscored the need to make the assistance results-oriented and beneficial for the Nepali people, and assured that the Swiss development assistance to Nepal would continue in the future.
He said that some of the new identified areas needing support will also be covered. In this respect, Minister Dr Mahat said that Nepal was in need of more support and promotion of investment in infrastructure development activities which help in improving connectivity.
The two Ministers also agreed to cooperate in multilateral forums, and promote multilateral issues of common interests for common benefits. Cooperation in human rights issues and managed migration were among them. The Nepali side requested for the support of the Swiss side for the candidature of Nepal to Human Rights Council.
UN High Commissioner requested to exert pressure on Bhutan
Meanwhile, Dr. Mahat met with UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi at UNHCR office on Monday itself and discussed the issue of Bhutanese refugees sheltered in Nepal.
The Minister clearly stated that it was the responsibility of Bhutan to take back the Bhutanese who are not resettled in third countries. He reiterated that it was an inalienable right of the Bhutanese refugees, wherever they have been settled, to go back to their homeland. He thanked the UNHCR for its support in the third country resettlement of a large number of Bhutanese refugees and asked the High Commissioner to exert pressure on Bhutan to allow for voluntary repatriation of the remaining refugees.
The High Commissioner noted that he was clear about the position of Nepal on the Bhutanese refugees and would do his best, within his means, in further continuing the third country resettlement, and exert moral pressure for voluntary repatriation. He also said that UNHCR would continue supporting the remaining refugees in the camps.
Minister Dr Mahat reached Geneva yesterday to attend the High-level Segment of the 34th Session of the Human Rights Council, added the press release. RSS
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