Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Krishna Bahadur Mahara attended the high-level meeting on the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse hosted by the UN secretary general on Monday in New York on the sidelines of the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly.

As one of the top troops and police contributing countries to UN peacekeeping operations, Nepal has expressed commitments to the Voluntary Compact against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse proposed by the secretary general, Nepal’s Permanent Mission to New York said in a statement.

The Compact emphasises the shared principles on which the United Nations and member states support peace operations on the ground and the overall functioning of the UN system, and includes specific commitments for prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse.

On Monday, Nepal participated in the High-Level Event on United Nations Reform co-hosted by the United States, Canada, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Slovakia, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay. The Event was attended by the countries, including Nepal, that have signed the Declaration of Support for United Nations Reform.

Addressing the event on behalf of the co-hosts, Donald J Trump, the US President, reaffirmed commitment to UN reform and applauded the UN secretary general for laying out a vision to reform the world body.

Secretary General António Gutteres appreciated the support extended to him on the much needed reform at the UN.

In New York, DPM Mahara will chair the Informal Session of the Saarc Council of Ministers; participate in the ministerial meetings of the Non-Alignment Movement, G77 and China, Least Developed Countries and the Land-locked Developing Countries. He will also represent Nepal at the Ministerial Meeting of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue. In addition, he will hold separate bilateral meetings with his counterparts and senior level officials of the United Nations system.

Mahara is also scheduled to participate in the High-Level Open Debate on Reform of UN Peacekeeping Operations organised by the UN Security Council; high-level event on Water for Sustainable Development; High-Level Event to End Forced Labor, Slavery, Child Labor and Trafficking; and High-Level Event on South-South and Triangular Cooperation. He is scheduled to sign the Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Treaty adopted at the UN conference in July.