Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal Addresses UN General Assembly on Right to Development

New York. Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal has stated that ensuring the right to development requires strong political will, renewed global solidarity, and ensuring adequate resources, technology, and concessional financial access for developing countries. Addressing the high-level session held on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the 'Declaration on the Right to Development' on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, Minister Khanal said that although human-centered development has been given high priority, more efforts are needed to fully address the development aspirations of the people.

'Various traditional and new challenges exist to make development effective, inclusive, and sustainable,' said Minister Khanal, 'Even the Sustainable Development Goals have not progressed as expected. Limited resources, capacity, and technology, in addition to increasing geopolitical tensions, deepening climate crisis, and shrinking financial opportunities, have created further challenges in the pace of development.' Emphasizing the need for more strong political will and renewed global solidarity to face such challenges, he expressed the view that international cooperation should be further strengthened to achieve common development goals.