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The slogan “Unite to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls” captures a growing reality—violence against women is no longer confined to homes, streets, or workplaces. It now thrives online. 

Violence against women is one of the most pervasive human rights violations in the world. It has many forms: physical assault, sexual harassment, emotional abuse, trafficking, online harassment and institutional discrimination. Despite growing awareness, millions of women still suffer in silence. Cultural norms, fear of retaliation, weak legal systems, and social stigma keep many from speaking out. With the rise of digital platforms, social media has emerged as a powerful space that can both challenge and complicate the fight against gender-based violence. 

Domestic abuse, often hidden within intimate relationships, is one of the mostly reported forms of violence against women. It usually involves physical harm, threats and coercive control. 

Sexual violence and harassment, including rape, molestation, stalking, and unwanted advances, remain deeply underreported due to fear of social repercussions. Psychological abuses like humiliation, manipulation, intimidation, and isolation deeply damage women's mental health but are often dismissed. Economic violence, on the other hand, restricts women’s access to money, work, or education, reinforcing dependency and inequality.

Digital violence is now among the fastest-growing threats. Women face online harassment, cyberstalking, doxing, and revenge pornography. New technologies have added new risks. Deepfake pornography, coordinated trolling, rape threats, and gendered disinformation are becoming increasingly common. 

Social media use is expanding rapidly. In Nepal, the government’s push to provide free public Wi-Fi, including in remote areas, has widened digital access. Easy access to the internet is beneficial to people in many ways. But it also increases exposure to harm. Many users lack digital literacy. Misinformation spreads easily. People often accept what they see online without questioning its accuracy. Social media is currently playing a dual role in Nepali society and most of the world, both as a tool that empowers victims and as a platform where new forms of violence occur. 

Globally, millions of women experience violence every day. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 5 calls for gender equality and the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls. Every country has pledged to protect and promote women in all sectors. However, the implementation aspect remains uneven. 

Abuse now comes not only from people, but also through technology itself, including artificial intelligence. This makes protection more complex, especially for vulnerable groups.

Still, social media can be part of the solution. Online movements such as #MeToo, #TimesUp, and #SayHerName have shown how platforms can amplify survivors’ voices and break long-standing silence. Similarly, social media connects women to support networks, counselors, NGOs, and legal aid. Online communities can offer emotional support and help victims regain confidence. Digital platforms also help document abuse. Screenshots, messages, and videos can serve as crucial evidence in cases of harassment or threats. Likewise, public pressure generated online has forced governments, companies, and institutions to revisit policies on workplace safety, harassment, and gender representation.

At the same time, the harm cannot be ignored. Social media companies must do more to curb cyberbullying, online harassment, misinformation, and privacy violations. 

Violence against women is a global crisis rooted in inequality and sustained by silence. Social media has become a powerful force in this struggle—for better and for worse. It is our collective responsibility to make it a tool for protection rather than harm. We must have stronger laws, safer digital practices, accountable platforms, and a culture that supports and listens to women. Ending violence against women begins with acknowledging the presence, amplifying voices, and using every available tool, including social media, to build a safer and more equal world.

(Ghising is an Inspector of Nepal Police) 

Eighty years ago, in the shadow of the most devastating war humanity had ever known, the world made a choice —hope over despair, cooperation over division, and peace over power. It began with words that still echo across generations: “We the peoples of the United Nations, determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war…”

Those words were not written in comfort. They were written by women and men who had seen cities reduced to rubble, families torn apart, and humanity pushed to its darkest edge. When the United Nations first opened its doors, many of its staff bore the visible wounds of war — scars, burns, limps. They had witnessed the horrors of concentration camps, the cruelty of combat, and the devastation of entire nations. And yet — precisely because of what they had seen — they chose to serve peace.

They understood something profound: that peace is not naïve; that justice is not sentimental; and that the most courageous, practical, and necessary pursuit of all is cooperation. The United Nations is not just a set of buildings. It is not just words on paper. It is alive — in people. In peacekeepers who stand between conflict and calm. In humanitarians who reach the unreachable. In diplomats who choose dialogue over discord. And in nations that believe global challenges demand global solutions. For eight decades, this living legacy has delivered extraordinary results — wars prevented, children educated, diseases eradicated, the ozone layer healed, and above all, the prevention of a third world war.

It reminds us of one essential truth: anything — and everything — is possible when we stand united. As we mark 80 years of the United Nations and 70 years of partnership here in Nepal, we do so in a world changing at great speed — a world that calls not for retreat, but for renewal.

Renewal of trust. Renewal of cooperation. Renewal of multilateralism that delivers for people, for peace, and for the planet. At the heart of this renewal lies a simple truth: peace is not the dividend of development — peace is its foundation. And the only way forward — now as then — is together, just as we have worked, haat ma haat milaai, with the Government and people of Nepal.

Nepal’s Gift to Global Peace Before speaking of what the United Nations has done in Nepal, it is right to begin with what Nepal has given to the United Nations — and to the world. For decades, Nepal has been among the UN’s most steadfast and principled contributors to global peace. Today, 6,031 Nepali military and police personnel serve in UN peacekeeping missions, making Nepal one of the largest contributors worldwide. In some of the world’s most fragile places, these women and men in blue helmets stand between violence and hope. They protect civilians, uphold fragile ceasefires, and help peace take root where fear often runs deeper than trust. Far from home, they carry Nepal’s values — courage, discipline, humility, and service — in everything they do.

This is peace not as an idea, but as daily practice. Solidarity not in words, but in uniform. Nepal does not merely support peace in principle. Nepal delivers peace in practice.

For this, the United Nations — and the world — owes Nepal its deepest respect.

Seventy Years of Partnership with Nepal In this same spirit, Nepal and the United Nations have walked together for seventy years — supporting national priorities and translating ambition into results. Over these decades, Nepal has achieved remarkable progress. Poverty declined from over 42 percent to under 19 percent. Hunger and undernutrition fell through investments in social protection, food security, and rural development. In health, Nepal’s achievements are extraordinary. Maternal mortality was cut by more than half. Polio and maternal and neonatal tetanus were eliminated. Immunization coverage now exceeds 90 percent, and infant mortality dropped from 139 to 24 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Education expanded nationwide, achieving near-universal primary enrolment, with major gains for girls and marginalized communities. Nepal became the first country in South Asia to declare itself Open Defecation Free, while access to safe water and sanitation expanded dramatically. Through more than 14,000 Community Forest User Groups, forest cover nearly doubled — restoring ecosystems, strengthening livelihoods, and protecting biodiversity. Early investments in renewable energy, including micro-hydro, brought power to remote communities, enabling thousands of rural enterprises.

When disaster struck in 2015, partnership proved its strength — reaching 3.7 million people, supporting the reconstruction of over 600,000 homes, mobilizing US$4.4 billion, and restoring Nepal’s treasured cultural heritage.

Following conflict, the United Nations supported Nepal’s nationally led peace process, the 2015 Constitution, and seven major elections — strengthening democratic participation for millions. Across all this progress, people remained at the centre. Women’s representation in Parliament reached 33 percent. Child marriage and child labour declined. Stunting was cut by more than half.

A Salute to Our People and Partners None of this would have been possible without the dedication, professionalism, and quiet courage of United Nations staff — past and present. Today, nearly 1,900 UN colleagues serve across Nepal, embedded in communities and institutions across six provinces — Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati, Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpaschim — and in more than three dozen districts, from Mechi to Mahakali. You serve often far from comfort, sometimes far from family, but always close to the people. In remote mountains and fragile plains, in moments of crisis and in times of calm, you turn global commitments into human outcomes — district by district, village by village, household by household.

I am deeply moved to see many colleagues here today who have since retired. Your service did not end with your contracts. Your legacy lives on — in institutions strengthened, systems built, and lives changed.

To all of you — dhanyabaad.

I also want to speak with honesty. These are not easy times for the United Nations. Across the system, many colleagues are carrying uncertainty, pressure, and personal sacrifice. Some are being asked to do more with less.

Some are facing transitions they did not choose. Some will remain with us, and some will leave — but all have given their best in service. To the 1,900 colleagues currently serving across Nepal, and to those who have walked this journey before you — moori moori dhanyabaad. Please know this: your work matters. Your dignity matters. Your contribution will endure — whether your path continues within the United Nations or beyond it.

The UN has faced moments of doubt before. It has emerged stronger each time — because of its people. Not structures. Not mandates. People.I remain deeply confident that the United Nations will come through this period renewed — more focused, more agile, and more grounded in its

purpose. And when it does, it will be because of colleagues like you — who stayed true to the values of service, solidarity, and humanity when it mattered most.

We also extend our deepest gratitude to our development partners — for standing with us, and with Nepal, through seven decades of trust, solidarity, and belief in multilateral solutions that deliver for people.

Youth, Inclusion, and the Future

Today, Nepal stands at a crossroads — full of challenge, but also promise. The recent youth-led movement reminds us that democracy is alive. This is not merely protest; it is civic energy — a generation saying: we will shape our future, and we will be heard.

The journey ahead cannot be for some — it must be for all. Women, youth, and marginalized communities must not only be included; they must help lead and decide.

Guided by Nepal’s 16th Plan and the UN Cooperation Framework, our partnership now looks forward — strengthening social protection, climate resilience, digital transformation, human rights, and inclusive growth.

I am inspired every day by the resilience of women, the energy of youth, and the quiet determination that flows from the Terai to the Himalayas.

Personal Farewell 

As we celebrate this partnership, I do so with a full heart. In a few weeks, I will bid farewell to my beloved Nepal — and it will not be easy.

This country has become almost my maiti-ghar. I first came as a UNICEF Representative. I travelled across 54 districts. I was captivated not only by Nepal’s beauty — prakriti ko shanta phool-baari — but

by the dignity, warmth, and resilience of its people. These experiences stay with you. They shape you.

So yes, I may be leaving. But Nepal mero mutu bhitra liyera jaanchhu. Yo mann ta mero Nepali bhayi sakyo

I leave with deep gratitude — to the Government and people of Nepal, to our partners, to civil society and the media, and to my UN colleagues. Wherever I may serve next, a part of me will always remain here — haat ma haat milaai, pailaa ma pailaa milaai — with Nepal.

Speech delivered by the  UN Resident Coordinator UN Day 2025 | 17 December

Prime Minister Sushila Karki has said that Nepal, as a proud and active member of the United Nations, highly values the world body.

PM Karki said this in a statement she delivered at a program organized today, marking the 70 years of Nepal-UN partnership.

"We are celebrating 70 years of working together. I want to thank the United Nations office in Nepal for organizing this event.

“Nepal highly values the United Nations. You help maintain world peace, support growth, and help us build a better future. For a long time, the UN has helped Nepal improve the lives of our people. We truly appreciate your support," she said on the occasion.

This 70-year milestone is a time to look back at our journey and also a time to make our bond even stronger for the years ahead, PM Karki added. 

Noting that the United Nations was created after the Second World War, with a goal to save future generations from the pain of war, she said the UN works on three main areas: peace, human rights, and development, and these three things went hand in hand. 

"Over many years, the UN has shown real results in health, safety, and helping people in need. It gives us hope that 'no one will be left behind'," she said, adding that today the world expects even more from the UN. 

She further said: "We face many new challenges like climate change and global tensions. Because of this, we must all work together to make the UN system even stronger and more effective.

“Nepal is a proud and active member of the UN. We believe the United Nations is the best place for countries to talk and solve problems together. Even though the world has changed, the role of the UN is more important than ever,” the Prime Minister said. 

Stating that Nepal joined the UN on December 14, 1955 and since then, it has always followed the principles of the UN Charter, the PM emphasized that it is the foundation of "how we talk to the world."

She said that Nepal is the number one troops contributing country to the UN Peace Support Operation, and it was proud of this fact. 

"Our soldiers and police personnel have served in diverse places for the cause of peace. We are ready to support further if the UN needs us. This shows our deep commitment to a peaceful world," PM Karki said.

Sharing what she called an important update of the country on the occasion, she said: "As the world is looking forward to a smooth change in government through our elections on March 5, I want to assure you that we will deliver these elections. 

Our preparations are almost completed, and the security environment has improved a lot with our security apparatus."

She stated that at the same time, Nepal is moving forward. "By 2026, we will no longer be a 'Least Developed Country'. This is a big step for us. To make this success last, we will need more investment, better technology, and continued partnership from the UN." 

Prime Minister Karki said that in a world where we all depend on each other, working together is not just a choice—it is a must. "On this special day, I promise that Nepal will remain a strong partner of the United Nations."

Amid reports of serious impacts on critical sectors such as health and education in developing and least-developed countries following cuts in U.S. aid, senior State Department officials have said that Washington has not pulled back assistance but is instead recalibrating it.

Speaking at a conference on U.S. foreign assistance in the Indo-Pacific held in Washington, the officials said the United States continues to provide support in the Indo-Pacific region in line with U.S. national security interests and President Donald Trump’s foreign policy priorities.

Allison Hooker, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, said the administration’s aid strategy in the region represents a calibration, not a pullback. “The U.S. is a Pacific power, and the future of the Indo-Pacific is directly tied to our core national interests,” she said, highlighting that Washington’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific remains unwavering.

In his second term as president, the Trump administration dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), a move that has stressed the health and education systems of scores of countries that had long relied on American aid.

“Our foreign assistance needs to be a force multiplier as we safeguard our national security with the greatest military in the world, along with our allies and like-minded partners,” Hooker said.

Speaking at the same conference, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Michael DeSombre said, “We never got out of the foreign assistance business as some media narratives have claimed. During the review period of foreign aid, however, we saw an opportunity to fundamentally reimagine how foreign assistance is done, which required us to step back and examine the underlying principles that would guide our work.”

The resulting principles, he said, form a strategic framework aligned with the core tenets of the National Security Strategy and will guide U.S. efforts to ensure programs remain focused and effective. The statements by senior officials clearly indicate that the U.S. will continue to provide support in selective and narrow areas that align with its national interests.

The Trump administration issued a new National Security Strategy in November that places the Indo-Pacific region high on its list of priorities.

The document states: “The Indo-Pacific is already the source of almost half the world’s GDP based on purchasing power parity (PPP), and one third based on nominal GDP. That share is certain to grow over the 21st century, which means the Indo-Pacific is already—and will continue to be—among the next century’s key economic and geopolitical battlegrounds.”

“To thrive at home, we must successfully compete there—and we are,” the document says, noting that President Trump signed major agreements during his October 2025 travels that further deepened ties in commerce, culture, technology, and defense, reaffirming U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The strategy also emphasizes improving commercial and other relations with India to encourage New Delhi’s contribution to Indo-Pacific security, including continued quadrilateral cooperation with Australia, Japan, and the United States under the “Quad.” It further states that the U.S. will work to align the actions of its allies and partners to prevent domination by any single competitor nation.

In Nepal, as in other countries, more than 80 percent of USAID assistance has been cut, though Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) investments have continued. Nearly a year after Trump returned to power, no senior U.S. officials have visited Nepal, even as there have been frequent visits to other smaller South Asian countries, notably Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. Similarly, following the Gen Z movement, the U.S. has maintained a low-key profile in Nepal.