Nepal all set to get first female foreign secretary

Nepal is all set to get its first woman foreign secretary in its diplomatic history. A source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says Sewa Lamsal, the senior-most joint secretary at the ministry, is set to replace the incumbent foreign secretary Bharat Raj Paudyal.

Lamsal has also been working as the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 2020. Earlier, she served as Nepal’s ambassador to Pakistan. She also has the experience of working as a diplomatic officer in several countries. Barring last-minute political intervention, Lamsal’s appointment is certain. Paudyal, the 24th foreign secretary, is retiring this week and has been proposed as an ambassador candidate to Canada.

 The Public Service Commission will recommend the names of three joint secretaries for the post of foreign secretary on the basis of seniority and merits. Other senior-most joint secretaries are Amrit Rai, Krishna Prasad Dhakal and Dubasu Chhetri. Lamsal is senior-most among them. 

Unlike other ministries, the Foreign Ministry has so far honored the order of seniority when appointing a new foreign secretary. Since 1948, Nepal has had 23 foreign secretaries; none of them were women. The country’s first foreign secretary is Prof Sardar Narendra Mani Acharya Dixit.