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Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Arzu Rana Deuba has said it is obvious that the least developed and mountainous countries like Nepal are facing severe and disproportionate impacts of climate change.

"But the global climate agenda and climate processes are yet to sufficiently reflect the plight of developing and mountainous countries," she said while attending wrap up of New York Times- Nepal Republic Media Climate Conclave as the Chief Guest today.

The event was held with the theme of ‘The call of Mt. Everest for Global Climate Action’ and the Minister expressed accolades to the organizers also for choosing to highlight a theme that has threatened the very existence of planet and the humanity.

The theme embodies the clarion call from both a least developed and a mountainous nation for commensurate climate action and climate justice, she said. "We are talking about climate crisis today on the heels of catastrophic floods and landslides that devastated central region of Nepal barely a month ago," the Foreign Minister said, adding that these disasters were evidently the result of an extreme weather event, as the rainfall in many places during the fateful three days amounted to as much as half of the total rainfall Nepal receives throughout the monsoon.

She appraised the gathering that as a result of such disasters, Nepal had to bear a tragic loss of more than 250 lives, in addition to the same number of people in the preceding period of the rainy season. "We are yet to fully appraise the damage to our roads, bridges, hydroelectricity projects, and other public and private property," the Minister added.

She went on to say that scientific community, in particular through the IPCC reports, has unanimously attested that such extreme weather and climate events are caused by global warming and climate change. "It is a matter of gross injustice to Nepal, and similar other nations, with a negligible contribution to Global greenhouse gas emissions to be the victims of such climate disasters." Reminding the assessment of UN Secretary General António Guterres that ‘terrible impact of the climate crisis in the Himalayas’ during his visit to Nepal last October, the Foreign Affairs Minister said this assessment was based on his tour to the Everest and Annapurna Regions, where he witnessed the grim realities of unfolding crisis in the mountain lives and ecosystem. "At this juncture, I recall and re-emphasize his urgent appeal to the international community to ‘move forward with climate action’. "I also echo the distinguished speakers’ call this morning for the urgent need of climate justice.

The developed countries, whose actions precipitated the climate crisis, must provide adequate resources, technology and other supports to the developing countries for their adaptation and resilience building." The promises, from the UNFCCC to the Paris Agreement to the annual CoPs, have been aplenty, but the delivery has been sorely wanting, the Minister said.

She stressed that all climate finance commitments must be met and up-scaled, keeping in mind the need to invest 5-7 trillion dollars annually to green the economy by 2030. "There must be adequate grant based and concessional resources for developing countries to meet their needs for adaptation and resilience building." She sought that all climate funds and facilities, including the loss damage fund that was operationalized from COP28, must be adequately capitalized and their resources should be easily accessible to the developing countries.

The upcoming COP29 in Baku should be an opportunity to take stock and to make concrete progress on all tracks of the climate agenda. For COP29, we are making preparations for effective participation by reiterating the concerns, needs and priorities of climate vulnerable countries, mountain countries and also as the chair of LDCs, the Minister apprised the gathering.

As she shared with them on the occasion, Nepal will underscore the need of easy, smooth, predictable and adequate access to climate finance for the most vulnerable and poor countries.

As underscored by the British Ambassador in today’s event, I agree on the need of collaboration between Global south and Global north to fight global warming and climate change and to ensure climate justice. In particular, without the generous resource and technological support of the north, the countries in the south will not able to weather this crisis, she said. "I also appreciate the New York Times for its extensive coverage on the climate change issues.

Stephen’s made an insightful analysis on the implications of climate change in the global economy, energy transformation, and society and world order as a whole. I believe that the role of media is crucial in the internationalization as well as raising awareness regarding the intensifying climate change impacts and incorporating the voice of the voiceless," she stated. She added that in the COP28 last year in United Arab Emirates, Nepal promoted the mountain agenda to bring awareness of the impacts of climate change in the mountain ecosystem and communities.

Turning to our national plans, the recently implemented 16th Development plan of Nepal includes internationalization of the issues of climate change as an important policy strategy and has prioritised climate diplomacy.

It incorporates programmes to enhance access to climate financing to implement climate change adaptation and mitigation plans to meet our financial and technological gaps, according to Minister Rana. "Similarly, we are committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emission by 2045.We are utilizing our vast hydropower potentials to secure clean energy and have already reached 45 percent forest cover in our total area. Global warming and climate change transcend borders, and yet their effects and impacts have varied across regions," she said.

That is why, the Government of Nepal decided in April 2019 to organise Sagarmatha Sambad, a forum meant to discuss on the most pertinent issues of the time in the fields of environment, economy, and other socio-cultural fields.

However, we have not been successful to organise one due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other pressing issues since then. Now, we are working to organise this dialogue in 2025. "Finally, let me reiterate that the discussions today were lively and enlightening with strong call for the global climate action. I believe that they will be really helpful as we prepare for the COP29 as well as in our climate negotiations. I wish that such discussions were held more frequently and that our problems and challenges get the limelight they deserve," she concluded.

North Korea's recent launch of waste balloons towards South Korea goes beyond a mere act of provocation, representing a multipurpose strategy aimed at political and psychological effects. In other words, it is intended to incite unrest within South Korea, stir internal conflicts (especially over North Korea policy), and send a political message to the international community, particularly the United States.

In May of this year, North Korea began launching large quantities of waste-filled balloons towards South Korea as a retaliatory measure, claiming that South Korean NGOs were sending propaganda leaflets into North Korea under the banner of 'information dissemination.' To date, over 5,000 balloons have been sent across the border on more than 20 occasions, carried by the northwesterly winds. Even now, with the leaflet-sending activities by South Korean NGOs halted, it is highly likely that many balloons sent by North Korea continue to drift toward South Korea across the skies.

These waste balloons carry domestic garbage and unsanitary, foul-smelling substances, causing discomfort and environmental damage. Reports have also surfaced of balloons containing explosive devices such as timed incendiaries, directly threatening the lives and safety of South Korean citizens. Besides property damage from balloon crashes and fires, the social costs of collecting and disposing of the waste have significantly increased.

This balloon-sending tactic can be interpreted as a classic example of North Korea's asymmetric provocations. A direct military provocation would provoke a strong response from South Korea and the international community, so North Korea resorts to relatively low-level, unconventional provocations to provoke South Korea. The goal is to generate physical discomfort while creating social anxiety. Furthermore, North Korea hopes that domestic conflicts surrounding South Korea's responses, such as loudspeaker broadcasts directed at the North, will lead to public distrust in the government.

Here is also an interpretation that North Korea's waste balloon provocations are part of a broader external strategy aimed not just at South Korea but also at the US presidential election and North Korea policy. North Korea may believe that Donald Trump's election victory would be favorable for shifting future US policies toward North Korea, as opposed to Kamala Harris continuing the Biden administration's policies. It is likely that North Korea sees Trump, who has had a personal relationship with Kim Jong-un, as a better option for influencing US policy in its favor.

Currently, with the Middle East on the brink of war and the prolonged conflict in Ukraine, US Influence is being questioned, and President Biden's approval ratings have plummeted. This decline in US power to prevent war signals an opportunity for Trump's campaign, making a victory in the election seem more attainable. Trump has pledged to achieve peace in the Middle East and bring the Ukraine war to a quick end as part of his campaign promises. Against this backdrop, heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula could play to Trump's advantage.

North Korea, fully aware of Trump's election strategy, may have deliberately escalated tensions on the Korean Peninsula to increase Trump's chances of winning. Instead of costly missile provocations, North Korea likely concluded that it could achieve both "stirring Internal conflicts in the South" and "supporting Trump" by launching low-cost waste balloons that could be deployed anytime, anywhere. In the past, Trump expressed interest in easing sanctions on North Korea and negotiating a peace agreement for the Korean Peninsula, and his views on reducing US troop presence in South Korea or increasing maintenance costs align with North Korea's interests.

North Korea's waste balloon launches toward the South are likely to continue until the US presidential election concludes, with possible fluctuations in scale and content. The South Korean government must adopt a more assertive and clear response strategy, taking measures to alleviate public security concerns. Strengthening international cooperation and maintaining a consistent message toward North Korea are also essential for ensuring a stable response that does not succumb to North Korean provocations. In conclusion, North Korea's waste balloon provocations can be seen as a strategic move to maintain Kim Jong-un's dictatorship and influence the US presidential election, ultimately aiming to strengthen its bargaining power in future US North Korea relations.

(Chung Eui-sung is the director of World Institute for North Korea Studies)

An amount over Rs 1.74 billion has been deposited to the Prime Minister Natural Disaster Relief Fund.

According to the details made public by the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the amount was deposited to the fund for disaster survivors as of October 16.

Contributions have also been deposited institutionally and individually to the fund.

Ten organized institutions and Vidyadhar Mallik as an individual donated money to the fund on October 16.

It is informed that the Salt Trading Corporation has contributed Rs 6.1 million, Non-Resident Nepali Association Rs 5.1 million and Rastriya Samachar Samiti Rs 326,038 to the relief fund.

Similarly, Nepal Police Wives Association, Nepal Insurance Company, Electricity Generation Company, among others, have contributed money to the fund.

National Assembly (NA) Chairperson Narayan Prasad Dahal and Swiss National Council's President Eric Nussbaumer held a bilateral meeting in Geneva, Switzerland today.

The meeting took place during NA Chairperson Dahal's participation in the Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Switzerland.

During the meeting, they discussed further enhancing bilateral and economic relations between the two countries as well as addressing the international issues and bolstering multilateral cooperation, according to Federal Parliament's Secretariat.

On the occasion, Dahal expressed gratitude on the behalf of Nepali people towards the Swiss government for its important support in Nepal's peace process and conflict management.

Mentioning the common viewpoint that both countries had been upholding in various international multilateral forums such as the United Nations and IPU, he articulated Nepal's readiness for further strengthening the mutual interests and friendly ties between Nepal and Switzerland in bilateral, regional and multilateral levels, the Secretariat said.

Noting Switzerland's exemplary practice of democracy and federalism, he said that Nepal seeks to learn from these practices and further strengthen democracy and democratic institutions.

He highlighted the commitment of government of Nepal towards principle of inclusiveness to ensure participation of marginalized communities in the State apparatus and appraised of the provision of at least 33 per cent participation of women in the federal parliament and province assembly and at least 41 per cent in local levels.

Reaffirming Nepal's commitment towards completing the remaining works of peace process, he said that Nepal was moving towards the goal of sustainable peace, stability and development. "We expect the Swiss government's significant support to conclude the peace process in Nepal," he appealed.

Dahal also informed that the Federal Parliament had formed Nepal-Switzerland Parliamentary Friendly Group, opening the door for the parliaments of the both countries to exchange their experiences, knowledge and support.

Acknowledging Switzerland as one of the important development partners of Nepal, he expressed his gratitude to the government of Switzerland and Swiss citizens for their continuous development assistance.

Likewise, Swiss National Council's President Nussbaumer discussed the strong ties sharing Nepal and Switzerland and expressed his happiness to hold a meeting with his Nepali counterpart, the Secretariat said. Congratulating Nepal for introducing a legislation aimed at transitional justice, President Nussbaumer expressed Switzerland's readiness to assist in its implementation.

He also lauded Nepal for adopting federal governance system through the provision in new constitution, and pledged Swiss government's support in implementation of federalism.

In recognition to the potential of tourism in Nepal, Nussbaumer vowed utmost assistance from the Swiss government in tourism promotion of Nepal.