Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli addressed the Parliament yesterday, to brief the members about his upcoming visit to New York where he said he would speak at the 79th UN General Assembly session. He said he would touch upon important global issues, such as climate change, environmental degradation, global warming, and terrorism. In between, he would speak at Columbia, as well as at Harvard University.
However, his address to the parliament seemed casual and cursory, not sufficiently agenda -focused. He was also not able to outline why he considered the role of the UN and the multilateral diplomacy as important. Nor could he articulate succinctly his priority agendas which he thought were important for Nepal to be raised at the UN. It is not enough to say that Nepal seeks friendship with all and enmity to none. How his government is making credible moves to prove those points in practice was not mentioned.
More disappointing was the fact that, as current Chair of the SAARC, he did not mention whether he had made preparations and plans to convene a meeting with the SAARC leaders on the sideline of the UNGA there, possibly to resuscitate the SAARC process by holding the stalled Summit. Similarly, he also skipped whether he has plans for bilateral meetings with the Indian Prime Minister, Chinese President and other world leaders on the sideline.
By and large, it is unclear about the real purpose and objective of his visit.
Naturally, therefore, there is a widespread negative public perception about his travel to New York to take part in the annual UN General Assembly session.
It is also not necessary that the Head of State and the Head of Government of every country, particularly those of the LDCs, should attend such a cost-intensive annual UNGA session, every year as a routine. Yes, the visit to the UNGA session becomes meaningful and eye -catching when a new political development of consequence happens in such countries and a new leader emerges.
In 1993, then Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala had remained on a constant spotlight at the UNGA session for becoming the second democratically elected PM in Nepal after his own brother late BP Koirala, three decades after the restoration of multiparty democracy in Nepal!
Following the conclusion of the peace process, when Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' became the Prime Minister and joined the UNGA session, he also had become quite a sensation there!
In my point of view, it is important that well before such meetings take place, agenda setting exercises at home should be held. Important issues should be prioritized first by the Foreign Ministry. Then, a thorough in-house preparation along with inter- ministry consultation and coordination should be conducted.
Otherwise, it is often noticed ordinary leaders from poor countries who come to the UNGA session on a routine basis, become invisible in the midst of the leaders from big and powerful countries to whom all attentions are focused!
They cut a sorry figure, roam about unnoticed and literally look odd men out!
For big and powerful countries it is another thing. They have bigger, economic, trade and strategic agendas to talk about with leaders of other important countries, on the sidelines. For them, therefore, the UNGA is an ideal venue.
If my memory serves me well, from 1994 to 1998 when I was with our UN Permanent Mission in NY, I recall no Prime Ministers from Nepal ever came for the UNGA session. Only two Foreign Ministers, namely Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani and later Kamal Thapa represented Nepal.
But now, every post-Republic PM has not missed nor would want to miss this trip regardless of the colossal cost and futility of the visit! Clearly, therefore, foreign policy experts and diplomats regard such a visit as futile, unproductive and unnecessary drain on the scarce national budget! They believe, and rightly so, that the PM doesn't have any specifically important agenda about Nepal to put on the UNGA debate to justify his visit.
Furthermore, he is undertaking this trip at a time when his government is courting controversies from the very day it was formed. Many of his ministers are charged with corruption, embezzlement of funds from many cooperatives and involved in many more other scandals!
International community is well aware of this entire messy domestic situation! Hence, the fragrance-less flowery speech, which he may deliver at the UNGA on the so-called progress made by Nepal under his leadership, will only make the world leaders flush in disbelief and laugh at him behind their sleeves! Therefore, his visit is being ridiculed in the public and also in social media across Nepal purely as a "personal pleasure pilgrimage" bleeding the state coffers dry.
Conclusion
My own perception about the PM's upcoming trip to New York is somewhat different! I am not against the trip. I think, there is nothing wrong about such visits by the HoG. I would only want to underline that the important visit such as the one he is undertaking should take place with specific national interests and international concerns on pressing global issues in mind. It is important to have meetings to set agendas at home. The Foreign Ministry should first identify and prioritize issues. Then, a thorough in-house preparation along with inter- ministry consultation should be conducted.
The next important step should be the exercise in public diplomacy. The identified issues should then be shared with the media and among foreign policy experts to solicit inputs and suggestions. Based on their inputs and suggestions a final consolidated agenda should be prepared.
I would add that the same preparatory agenda setting exercises are required to be followed for any bilateral visits as well, if we want to make such visits meaningful and productive.
I know these are my wishful thinking. I don't remember a thorough and comprehensive preparatory meetings such as the ones mentioned above have ever been undertaken by any of our governments in the past or at present, prior to any important foreign visits .Preparation on an ad hoc basis is what has been the hallmarks of all important visits. Nevertheless, I have ventured to suggest these ideas with the hope that a sensible government may come one day in the future and find time to take a look at them.
(Thapa is a former Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.)
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