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At least 21 children have died from starvation in Gaza in the past 72 hours, with nearly 900,000 now facing severe hunger, according to BBC.

UN chief Antonio Guterres warned that Gaza’s humanitarian system is collapsing rapidly. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the situation “grotesque” after reports of hundreds killed while seeking aid.

The WHO says its operations are severely affected by Israel’s renewed offensive in central Gaza. Israel claims its forces were under fire and had coordinated with aid agencies, BBC reported.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called for an impartial investigation after several Palestinians were killed near an aid centre in Rafah, Gaza. According to reports, Israeli forces opened fire on individuals who were queuing for food. The Red Cross reported 21 dead, while Hamas-run Civil Defence claimed 31.

Guterres called the incident “unacceptable” and urged accountability, Firstpost reported.

Israeli authorities and the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation denied the incident, saying only warning shots were fired near the area.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has warned that Gaza is entering its worst phase yet in the continuing conflict, with the population risking hunger as a result of Israel's blockades and military escalation.

Israel has banned aid into Gaza for nearly 80 days, and despite a recent partial easing, Guterres said current aid levels are "a teaspoon when a flood is needed." He emphasized that 80 percent of Gaza is under evacuation orders or designated as a military zone, making humanitarian access dangerous and limited, as reported by UN News.

Local reports say Palestinians are struggling to access food and water, with aid insufficient to meet urgent needs. Since Friday, at least 76 more Palestinians have been killed, bringing the total to over 53,800 deaths and 122,000 injuries since October 7, 2023.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has underlined the need of healing divisions and building peace.

In his message given on the occasion of International Human Rights Day today, he expressed worry over human rights facing assault. "Tens of millions of people are mired in poverty, hunger, poor health and education systems that have not yet fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic," he reminded.

According to him, all human rights are indivisible. "Whether economic, social, civic, cultural or political, when one right is undermined, all rights are undermined," he underscored.

The global leader further stressed the collective need to tackle scourges of poverty and hunger, ensure health care and education for all.

Other issues the Secretary General emphasized in his message are justice and equality for women, girls and minorities; protection of democracy, press freedoms and workers’ rights; promotion of right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment; and defense of human rights defenders.

The theme of the Day for this year is: 'Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now.'

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on President Ram Chandra Paudel in Baku, Azerbaijan on Wednesday.

Also today, President Paudel is organizing a special session on 'Addressing climate loss and damage in mountainous regions' on behalf of Nepal.

The session will draw the attention of the world community to the problems facing Nepal due to climate change. President Paudel will participate in the program to be organized by Kyrgyzstan today.

Minister for Forest and Environment Ain Bahadur Shahi will attend the high-level meeting.

President Paudel arrived here on Monday leading a high-level delegation to attend the 29th Conference of Parties of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) summit at the invitation of Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev.

Influential leaders working in the field of climate change in most countries of the world, including presidents or vice presidents of 40 countries and prime ministers of 35 countries, are participating in the conference for discussions and global cooperation.

Foreign Secretary Sewa Lamsal on Tuesday paid a courtesy call on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York, the United States.

The Nepal Mission to the UN in New York stated that discussions were held on the Nepal-UN partnership, Nepal's graduation from the LDC category, UN's contribution to Nepal's development efforts, issues related to climate change and the importance of effective multilateralism, among others.

Foreign Secretary Lamsal is in the US to attend the General Debate of the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) on behalf of the groups of LDCs.

Likewise, Secretary Lamsal congratulated SIDS for adopting an ambitious and action-oriented blueprint and expressed LDC's solidarity with SIDS.

She underlined the high cost paid by the countries in special situations due to climate change and urged the international community to support them, according to the Nepal Mission to the UN in New York.

Anyone visiting Pokhara cannot remain unaffected by the bewitching mountains surrounding the valley. The Machhapuchhre peak casting its shadow in the Phewa Lake adds an extra layer of magic to this enchanting destination.

In Oct 2023, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres became a privileged guest of the city. He was greeted with snow-clad mountains and clear sky as he climbed up the Pumdikot hill from the Pokhara valley. 

​​Visiting Pumdikot wasn't originally on Guterres' schedule. However, compelled by curiosity, he ascended from the valley to explore the colossus of Lord Shiva, overlooking Phewa Lake and the majestic mountains. The joy on Guterres' face spoke volumes, radiating elation in response to the natural beauty that surrounded him. He found himself immersed in the beauty of nature. His gaze lingered on the mountains. 

Now the Pumdikot Development Committee has decided to dedicate the southwest part of the Shiva statue to the UN secretary general by naming it ‘Guterres Point’. From this vantage point, visitors can behold ridges of snow-clad mountains, including Annapurna I, II, III and IV, Khangsarkang, Annapurna South, Machhapuchhre, Ghandruk Himchuli, and Mardi.

Chandra Kant Baral, chairman of the committee, said Guterres' visit has ignited local enthusiasm to transform Pumdikot into a modern tourist destination. 

Despite spending only 45 minutes at Pumdikot, Guterres' impact is evident. The 51-feet tall statue of Lord Shiva, a community-driven project, stands as a compelling tourist attraction. 

The committee envisions Pumdikot as the second most important pilgrimage site after the Pashupatinath Temple. Fundraising events, such as Maha Shiva Purana in 2017 and a mahayagya in 2022, have supported tourism promotion. Infrastructure development is accelerating, including administrative buildings, a monorail, a Shivalinga, a replica of Sumeru mountain, and an entrance. Future plans involve an electric chair car, a well-organized parking place, a Shanti Ashram, a senior citizens meeting center, and a garden.

Matrika Baral, a committee member, claimed that Pumdikot had become a must-visit destination for tourists visiting Pokhara. The arrival of VIPs and distinguished visitors, including Secretary-General Guterres has excited the local tourism industry. 

“Just days ago, I was on the melting ice of Antarctica. Not long before, I was among the melting glaciers of Nepal. These two spots are far in distance, but united in crisis. Polar ice and glaciers are vanishing before our eyes, causing havoc the world over: from landslides and floods, to rising seas...” This is what United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said to the world leaders during the opening of the Global climate change conference, COP28.

His acknowledgment of Nepal’s problems resulting from climate change is noteworthy.

During his visit to Nepal, he journeyed to the Sagarmatha Base Camp, Annapurna Base Camp, and the birthplace of Shakyamuni Buddha, Lumbini. This illustrates his profound affection for Nepal and its people.

Guterres also participated in a high-level roundtable discussion titled ‘Call of mountains: Who saves us from the climate crisis’, organized by Nepal and chaired by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. During the session, he expressed his concern, stating, “It is profoundly alarming to witness the rapid melting of Nepal’s mountains. Hearing firsthand from local communities about the devastating impact on their lives is deeply distressing.”

Furthermore, he emphasized, “Nepal, alongside other vulnerable mountainous nations, bears the brunt of a crisis not of their making. Over just 30 years, the country has lost nearly a third of its ice, a direct consequence of greenhouse gas pollution warming our planet. This loss results in swollen lakes and rivers that flood, washing away entire communities.”

Guterres’ statements signify his sensitivity to the issues facing Nepal and other mountainous countries. He urged developed nations to extend support to countries like Nepal through climate funds and the pursuit of climate justice. This recognition marks a significant milestone for Nepal on the global stage.

There has long been a debate regarding the relevance of the UN due to its perceived failure to intervene effectively. However, on Dec 8, Secretary-General Guterres invoked Article 99—a rarely utilized clause in the UN Charter—to caution the Security Council about the escalating situation between Israel and Hamas, highlighting its potential threat to international peace and security.

In a letter addressed to the 15-nation council, Guterres cited the “appalling human suffering, physical destruction and collective trauma across Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory” as grounds for invoking Article 99. This marked the first time in his nearly seven-year tenure that he utilized this crisis-oriented provision. The last explicit invocation of Article 99 was in 1971, amid the war leading to the creation of Bangladesh and its separation from Pakistan.

Guterres’ action underscores the UN’s capacity to intervene in humanitarian crises, reaffirming the significance of its existence. It showcases a leadership dedicated to upholding human rights and humanity in crisis situations.

The developed nations, being major funders of the UN, often have their specific reservations and expectations from the UN and its leadership. In numerous instances, past UN leaderships have aligned with the directives of developed nations. However, Guterres has demonstrated a commendable balance and timely intervention, navigating between various interests and perspectives.

He has managed a delicate equilibrium, considering the concerns and expectations of developed nations while making independent and appropriate interventions when necessary. Guterres’ ability to uphold the UN’s integrity while taking decisive action when called for signifies a balanced and nuanced approach to leadership within the international organization. Hence, it has helped to make the UN stay relevant even in a fast-changing world.

The author, a member of the Supreme Court Bar, has been practicing corporate law for around three decades

Wrapping up his four-day official visit to Nepal, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres returned to New York on Wednesday.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka bade farewell to him at the VVIP lounge of the Tribhuvan International Airport.

On the occasion, high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and representatives of the United Nations Office in Nepal were present during the farewell ceremony.

A contingent of Nepal Army offered a guard of honor to Guterres in his farewell.

At the cordial invitation of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the UN Secretary General arrived in Kathmandu on October 28.

The UN Chief had separately called on President Ram Chandra Paudel and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal'.

Likewise, he held separate meetings with Nepali Congress (NC) President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN-UML Chair and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Speaker Devraj Ghimire, national Assembly Chairperson Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, Deputy Prime Minister duo, Khadka and Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Prakash Saud.

During his stay in Nepal, he visited the Everest region and Annapurna Base Camp, Pokhara and Lumbini.

He also visited historically and archaeologically important Patan Durbar Square in Lalitpur.

PM Dahal had hosted a dinner with a cultural program in honor of the Secretary General.

In the course of his visit, he also addressed the joint session of the Federal Parliament.

Guterres, who came to Nepal for the first time after assuming the post of the UN Secretary General, in 2017 had discussed the issues related to Nepal's home-grown peace process, climate change and poverty alleviation.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has appealed for world peace from Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha.

Guterres, who reached Lumbini as part of his four-day official visit to Nepal this afternoon, appealed for world peace and harmony and brotherhood among all the people.

Prior to arriving in Lumbini, the United Nations Secretary General held separate meetings with senior leaders of various political parties in Kathmandu on Sunday. Then he left for the Everest region and tourist destination Pokhara.

Earlier this morning, Guterres had reached Nepal’s popular trekking destination Annapurna Base Camp.

While holding talks with the locals in the Base Camp, he acknowledged that climate change caused by development and industrial nations has adverse implications in Nepal which has no significant role in causing it.

Stating that global warming, a key aspect of climate change, has led to a rising level of snow melting, resulting in more incidences of landslides and floods.

Calling upon the rich and industrial nations to scale up the implementation of climate change coping strategies, he urged them to assist Nepal in its efforts to cope with the impact of climate change.

At the invitation of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, United Nations Secretary General Guterres arrived in Nepal on Saturday night.

He is scheduled to address the joint meeting of the Federal Parliament at 4 pm today.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who is currently on a four-day official visit to Nepal, has pledged support for mitigating the impact of climate change in Nepal.

Guterres, who arrived at the Annapurna Base Camp this morning, acknowledged that climate change caused by development and industrial nations has adverse implications in Nepal which has no significant role in causing it.

Stating that global warming, a key aspect of climate change, has led to a rising level of snow melting, resulting in more incidences of landslides and floods.

Calling upon the rich and industrial nations to scale up the implementation of climate change coping strategies, he urged them to assist Nepal in its efforts to cope with the impact of climate change.

The UN Secretary General arrived here on a Nepali Army helicopter and upon his arrival, he was welcomed by local officials including Annapurna Rural Municipality Chair Bishnu Bahadur KC, Chhomrong Tourism Committee office-bearers and local tourism entrepreneurs. 

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has reached Lumbini, the birth place of Buddha, to welcome United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres. The United Nations Secretary General will visit Lumbini today.

The UN high official, who is on a four-day official visit to Nepal, is arriving here from Pokhara.

After arriving in Lumbini, Guterres will be escorted in a car from Lumbini Gate No 4 up to the Peace Lamp site.

Sanu Raja Shakya, the Member-Secretary of the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT), said that the Buddhist abbots, vikkhus, priests, nuns from the monasteries and the local mothers’ groups, various community groups including the indigenous Tharu and the hotel entrepreneurs at the Lumbini Sanskritik Municipality will welcome the UN Secretary-General from the Shanti Deep (peace lamp) to the Mayadebi Temple, lining up on both sides of the route. 

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Sudan Kirati, Chief Minister of Lumbini Province Dil Bahadur Chaudhary and LDT officials will also be there to welcome the visiting UN dignitary.

Minister Kirati and Chief Minister Chaudhary arrived here on Monday itself.

It has been learnt that Guterres will give a message of world peace from the Buddha's birthplace. He will plant a sapling in Lumbini.  Secretary General Guterres will leave here for Kathmandu at 10.30 am.

LDT senior director Gyanin Rai said the UN Secretary-General's visit to the world heritage site, Lumbini, will give further publicity to the Buddha's birthplace and his message of peace. It will also help promote tourism in Lumbini.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who arrived in Pokhara on Monday in the course of his four-day official visit to Nepal, has left for the Annapurna Base Camp.

He left for the Base Camp on a helicopter of the Nepali Army this morning.

The UN high dignitary will hold talks with the locals on the impact of climate change in the Himalayan region, the condition of the mountains among other topics upon reaching the Base Camp, it has been said. The Base Camp is situated at 4, 130 meters above sea level.

All preparations have been completed for welcoming the Secretary General, said Dilip Gurung, the Secretary of the Chhomrong Tourism Committee.

The Annapurna Base Camp is a world-famous and highly rated destination in trekking tourism. The trek around the base of Mt Annapurna is considered as one of the best treks of the world. Mt Annapurna is the tenth highest mountain in the world at 8,091 meters (26,545 ft) above sea level and is well known for the difficulty and danger involved in its ascent.

The Annapurna started drawing the attention of mountaineers around the world after French climber Maurice Herzog led a French expedition to its summit through the north face in 1950, making it the first eight-thousand-meter peak ever successfully climbed.

Tourists specially from Europe, America, Malaysia, China, Korea come for trekking in the Annapurna Base Camp. 

This area has become a popular trekking destination after the world-renowned trekker Eric Simpton trekked to the Annapurna Base Camp in 1996, one and a half decades after the first ascent of the peak.

A marathon competition is held every year from the Annapurna Base Camp to Ghandruk on the occasion of the Annapurna Ascent Day marking the first ascent of the mountain for highlighting the prestige and significance of Mt Annapurna.

Annapurna Base Camp Trek offers spectacular mountain views and gives the opportunity to experience the typical Nepali village, local people and their way of living traditional life in Himalaya. The Annapurna Base Camp route passes through magnificent and tranquil landscapes, charming Gurung and Magar villages, lush green Rhododendron, bamboo and alpine forests.

Ahead of COP28, which is taking place in the UAE from Nov 30 to Dec 12, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has pledged to draw the attention of the international community about the unfolding climate crisis in the Himalayas.

Nepal’s political leaders and environmentalists say COP28 is the best platform to highlight the issues of climate change in the Himalayas. Gutterres is likely to flag this issue at COP28, which will immensely help to internationalize the mountain agenda.

After a visit to the Everest region, he urged the international community to stop the madness of climate change. “The rooftops of the world are caving in,” he said, noting that Nepal had lost nearly a third of its ice in just over three decades. Nepal’s glaciers melted 65 faster in the last decade than in the previous one, said Guterres.

The UN chief further said, “Today from the base of Mt Everest, I saw for myself the terrible impacts of the climate crisis on the Himalayas. As temperatures rise, glacier melt increases—threatening the lives and livelihoods of entire communities.”

In the Everest region, the UN head held interactions with local communities and learned about the multifaceted impact of climate change in their daily lives and livelihoods.

Glaciers in the wider Himalayan and Hindu Kush ranges are a crucial water source for around 240 million people in the mountainous regions, as well as for another 1.65bn people in the South Asian and Southeast Asian river valleys below, according to AFP.

The glaciers feed 10 of the world’s most important river systems, including the Ganges, Indus, Yellow, Mekong and Irrawaddy, and directly or indirectly supply billions of people with food, energy, clean air and income, AFP reports.  “I am here today to cry out from the rooftop of the world: stop the madness,” Guterres further said.

“The glaciers are retreating, but we cannot. We must end the fossil fuel age,” he said. Hardest hit are the most vulnerable people and the world’s poorest countries, which have done little to contribute to the fossil fuel emissions that drive up temperatures.

“We must act now to protect people on the frontline, and to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees, to avert the worst of climate chaos,” Guterres said. “The world can’t wait.”

“Melting glaciers means swollen lakes and rivers flooding, sweeping away entire communities,” he added. But all too soon, glaciers will dry up if change is not made, he warned. “In the future, major Himalayan rivers like the Indus, the Ganges and Brahmaputra could have massively reduced flows,” he said. “That spells a catastrophe.”

Though the impact of climate change on mountains is devastating, it does not figure prominently in the global summits like COP. For a long time, Nepal has been raising this issue in the international platforms asking all stakeholders to take this matter seriously.

While addressing the 78th UNGA, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said climate vulnerable mountainous countries like Nepal have been bearing the severe brunt of climate change. 

The Himalayas are the source of freshwater for over two billion people, PM said: Global warming has induced rapid receding of ice in our Himalayas. It has not only eroded the health of our mountains but also endangered the lives and livelihoods of millions of people living downstream. 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is presently on a four-day official visit to Nepal beginning on Sunday, has said the world should learn a lesson from Nepal's homegrown practices for the establishment of peace.

In his address to a program organized at the Pulchowk-based UN Building in Lalitpur today, Guterres said the world should take a lesson from Nepal's homegrown practices for establishing peace, efforts to conclude transitional justice and its contribution to the UN peacekeeping operations.

On the occasion, he urged the UN staff in Nepal to assist Nepal to become competitive and successful in each areas including the socio-economic sector.  He sought the role of UN staff here in Nepal's efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

He made it clear that his Nepal visit is primarily centered on the matters to conclude the peace process, to assist those affected by the impact of climate change and to facilitate Nepal to graduate to a developing country from the category of the least developed country.  He reminded that the interests of survivors be prioritized while taking the transitional justice process to a conclusion.

Expressing his concerns about Nepal bearing the brunt of the impacts of climate change including snow melting although it does not have any role in carbon emissions globally, Secretary-General Guterres stressed the need for all stakeholders to take the matter seriously.

Hanaa Singer-Hamdy, the UN Resident Coordinator in Nepal Hanaa Singer-Hamdy, the UN Resident Coordinator in Nepal said all assistance would continue for upgrading Nepal to a developing country and achieving a sustainable peace as per the UN guidelines and recommendations. The UN continues to support Nepal for the implementation of its constitutional rights and the equitable inclusive development, she added.

Guterres arrived in Nepal on Sunday at the invitation of Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Five conflict victims’ organizations have sought an urgent meeting with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who is currently on a four-day official visit to Nepal, to share their collective pain and experience of the TJ process so far.

“Secretary General, between now and the time of your departure on Wednesday morning, we request you to find time for a meeting so that victims’ representatives may share with our collective pain, experience of the TJ process thus far, our efforts for credible TJ process and suggestions,” reads a statement signed by Rupesh Shah, Chairperson Nepali Society of Families of Disappeared and Missing Nepal (NEFAD), Surendra KC, Chairperson of National Network of Disabled Conflicts Victims, Srijana Singh, Chairperson of Conflict Victim Women National Network (CVWN), Gopal Shah, Chairperson of Conflict Victims National Alliance (CVNA) and Kalyan Budhathoki, Acting Chairperson Conflict Victims Common Platform (CVCP).

“We are happy that Nepal’s peace process and transitional justice form a prominent part of your current visit’s agenda. We have been gratified by your public call for our transitional justice process to follow precepts of international humanitarian law, judgements of Nepal’s Supreme Court and the needs of conflict victims,” according to the statement.

They, however, expressed their displeasure over not including them, the victims of Nepal’s decade-long conflict, in his itinerary.

“As far as the peace process is concerned, we note that your scheduled meetings have been with the leaders of the former warring sides but not citizens who were victimized by the actions of the state on the one hand and the rebels on the other,” the statement further reads.

Underscoring that Nepal’s peace process has the possibility of succeeding where so many others have failed and stand as an example for post-conflict societies, they said that it is important to ensure success of the Nepali process with immediate provision of reparation to victims and a principled truth, justice, reparation and reconciliation process that includes accountability of heinous crime.

“While our own government has not been enthused to arrange a meeting between us, we hope that his request for an appointment by us victims, united regardless of the source of our pain will be considered positively by you,” the statement further reads.