Nepal - UNESCO Relation: An Excellent Example
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was established on 4 November 1945, barely 11 days after the United Nations was born on 24 October 1945. During these 75 long intervening years, UNESCO has established a good reputation as the world organization to promote peace by leveraging its programs and projects on education, scientific knowledge, cultural values as well as communication and information. Lately, UNESCO is focusing its attention in Africa and has undertaken measure to promote women's empowerment and gender equality issues. At times, UNESCO faced formidable challenges from nations, which disagreed on global agenda, which led to extreme budgetary crunch. However, with perseverance, UNESCO is marching ahead to achieve its intended objectives. UNESCO has served as an excellent platform for world leaders to meet and exchange their ideas for further advancement of educational, scientific and cultural sectors around the world.
Nepal and UNESCO established relations on 1 September 1953. This is noteworthy in the sense that Nepal joined the United Nations only on 14 December 1955. Hence, Nepal's involvement and interactions with UNESCO predates with that with UN. Sixty-seven long years have passed since Nepal became a member of UNESCO. Nepal has always shown her unflinching attachment and concerns to the ideals and activities of UNESCO. Nepal is also a regular contributor to the activities of UNESCO. A Nepal National Commission for UNESCO was established in 1954 or bettering communication and activities between Nepal and UNESCO. Similarly, a full-fledge UNESCO office is in operation in Nepal since 1998. Such institutional back-ups have truly helped promote and further the existing bilateral relation between Nepal and UNESCO.
Nepal has received financial and technical assistance from UNESCO in multifarious activities in education, sciences, culture and other fields of topical importance. UNESCO experts quite often visit Nepal to impart expert ideas. Similarly, Nepali professionals are also visiting UN Headquarters in Paris to discuss issues of bilateral importance and enhance capacities. The horizon of Nepal - UNESCO cooperation is expanding with the passage of time. Given the satisfactory bilateral relations, it can be expected that this relation will grow even stronger in coming days.
It was in February 2010, while I was serving as the Chief of Protocol in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a surprise news reached my ears. Grapevine sources indicated that The Government of Nepal had decided to appoint me as the Ambassador to France. It was, indeed, a news which not only surprised but gave me instant happiness. At almost the end of my diplomatic career, it was a great honor to serve Nepal in a country like France. I recalled how much my late father was fond of France and used to share many things about the country. During 1975 and1977, I had studied French language at the Biswa Vasha Campus at Ramshah Path and passed Intermediate level exams. But, due to an ever-roaming string of postings in my diplomatic career and the lack of adequate practice, I had lost my proficiency of spoken French, although I could read and understand well.
It is our government's practice that the person who is appointed as the Ambassador to France is also appointed as the Permanent Delegate to UNESCO. I presented my Letter of Credence to former President Nicolas Sarkozy on 2 July 2010 and similarly to former Director General of UNESCO Ms. Irina Bokova on 1 September 2010. A very sordid fact was that during the period 2000-2010, the post of Ambassador in our Embassy was lying vacant for six years. So, while assuming charge in Paris, I was burdened with two formidable tasks of improving relations with France and reviving activities at UNESCO. Here, I am going to relate how we achieved success in bettering relations with UNESCO and promoting our objectives too.
Firstly, I decided to establish personal relations with the key persons in the organization. UNESCO professionals are composed of experts and competent staff from many countries. We found many staff who had visited our naturally beautiful country and bore admiration as well as affection. We decided to exploit the same sentiment for our national interest. With informal diplomacy, we were very much successful in reviving relations with UNESCO’s senior management team as well as with other diplomatic colleagues in Paris. Even DG Bokova, a smart and an eloquent speaker, was very positive towards Nepal. We found UNESCO’s senior management very supportive to us and extended cooperation where we could show our needs. In some case we had to resort to what diplomacy often refers to as "wining and dining is the soul of diplomacy". It served not only to break the ice, but also improved negotiations. This works well not only in diplomacy but in other facets of human relations too!
We actively participated in many types of meetings that UNESCO hosted regularly. These meetings touched many subjects, but Nepal contributed where possible to bolster our profile amongst the Member States. We also participated in the monthly meetings of the Action Committee of Permanent Representatives (ACPR) and the World Heritage Committee.
UNESCO has declared 10 heritage sites in Nepal. Out of these, seven heritage sites are in Kathmandu valley alone. Experts say, it is the highest heritage site per square kilometer area in view of the small size of Kathmandu valley. These heritage sites represent our culture, religions, nature as well as are linked to mighty Himalayas. These enchanting heritage sites offer perennial source of attractions for foreigners visiting Nepal.
Nepal imported goods worth 40 billion in 2014 which slightly dwindled to Rs. 37 billion in 2015. Nepal imports many types of goods from UAE composed of household and industrial raw materials Howevr, one startling fact is that natural pearl has remained one important item in the import list whose value in total imports remains about 80-90 percent. Whereas exports from Nepal is at a paltry sum of Rs. 301 million in 2015. This figures was highest ever so far upto Rs. 498 mllion in 2009. For Nepal, there lies much in store to progress in exports. Nepal's agricultural produces which comes from cool waters contain taste differenet from others. It is in my personal opinion, therefore, that Nepalese products might have a good market potentiality in UAE. But, to achieve such objectives, Nepalese government agencies and private business sectors must exercise efforts. As Nepal and Nepalese people hold a good image in the country, our products might have a good market too in the days to come.
Another governing body of UNESCO is the Executive Board. The Executive Board is one of the three constitutional organs of UNESCO and it is elected by the General Conference. Acting under the authority of the General Conference the Board examines the programme of work for the Organization and corresponding budget estimates submitted to it by the Director-General. It consists of 58 Member States each with a four-year term of office. Nepal has been elected to the Executive Board of UNESCO three times in the past. Elatedly put, she got elected to UNESCO Executive Board for Fourth time in November 2013-2017 period bagging 142 votes. Sensing a wide support from my Ambassadorial and Permanent Delegate colleagues, I informed the Government for submitting our candidature for the election to the Executive Board well in time. Unfortunately, our elephantine government machinery did not heed to my suggestion or recommendation. But just 3 months before the election - one fine morning - an instruction came from the Education Ministry indicating to field our candidacy for the election to the Board. For such elections, countries take required measure well in advance and often a year or two years in advance.
Being instructed, our Embassy worked vigorously and worked out a logically linked strategical steps for 7 November 2013 election. We saw most representatives of the Paris-based diplomatic missions, which all were queued with delegates beseeching for votes for their respective countries. In order to win election is a matter of great responsibility and pride for an Ambassador and for the Embassy. Juxtaposed to this is a possibility of losing an election, which is tantamount to be labelled as unqualified Ambassador. In these cases, backgrounds are not seen, rather the results dictate the qualification. Thus, winning an election in a multilateral setup becomes a hallmark of an Ambassador.
Nepal and UNESCO relations reached 60 years in 2013. In my opinion, sixty years of excellent relations is an achievement in all sense of the words. So, to mark the event, we decided to publish a souvenir. For this purpose, Dr. Dhruba Raj Regmi (the then Under Secretary responsible for UNESCO affairs at the Ministry of Education) worked day and night with the support from other concerned personnel. The souvenir was published in time with articles and messages of congratulations from many high-ranking persons. It was, an indeed, a fitting tribute to our long association.
I also thought of making this occasion momentous. I recommended the Nepal Government to give a gift to UNESCO. A huge bronze statue of Lord Buddha as an apostle of Peace, who was born in the southern plains of Nepal, in Lumbini, in 623 B.C. The statue would serve two – it will mark as a seal of approval for UNESCO and Nepal’s 60 years of relations, and it will lay the controversy surrounding the birthplace of Lord Buddha to rest. I faced a lot of challenges to bring the statue from Nepal to Paris. I fully realized that just thinking something good does not mean a smooth implementation of the thought into desired fruition. On UNESCO’s part, it had its own share of problems. UNESCO has a committee to examine whether it could accept a present from a friendly government or not. They also were debating whether Buddha’s statue would be interpreted as a religious symbol and not as an apostle of peace within the secular setting of UNESCO. Nevertheless, we sailed through all required administrative hurdles both in Kathmandu and in Paris. The statue finally arrived in Paris and was installed at the UNESCO main lobby on 22 June 2015.
This statue is a fine and exquisite example of Nepali craftmanship. This statue of Lord Buddha now inspires all to work towards the message of peace, a pressing need to uphold peace, harmony, coexistence and tolerance. With appropriate description of Lumbini, where it is located, sensible minds are reminded that Lord Buddha was INDEED born in Lumbini, which lies on the Southern plains of Nepal.
Coincidingly, all of these happened in the year 2013. I left Paris with a sense of accomplishment that it was during my tenure as the Ambassador plenipotentiary of Nepal to France, Nepal won the berth in the Executive Board of UNESCO, installed a gift Lord Buddha's statue inside UNESCO, and published an excellent souvenir magazine to mark 60 years of relation between Nepal and UNESCO.
I wish my very best to “Karma”, this souvenir, which I’m sure will add yet another milestone in the bilateral relationship between France and Nepal.