Nepal finally found its voice at the UN

Comparing four prime ministers’ UN speeches shows Balendra Shah broke an old habit at exactly the right moment—but the real test is still ahead, at COP31.

Every September, Nepal gets about 15 minutes at the world’s biggest podium, the UN General Assembly. For most of the last decade, our prime ministers used that time the same careful way to praise Nepal’s Himalayan and Buddhist heritage, ask the world for climate justice and development support, and, whatever else is said, avoid naming India and China in the same sentence. However, that habit broke this year. And the reasons why matter for every Nepali, not just diplomats.