In the wake of the evolving situation in Israel following Saturday’s deadly attack by the Hamas militants, the scheduled Nepal visit of the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has been postponed until further notice.

A senior foreign ministry official told the Post that the visit has been postponed for now due to a new situation in West Asia where Guterres needs to pay serious attention.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sewa Lamsal confirmed that the visit of the UN secretary general has been postponed now, but it will happen at a later date.

“We are working on three other possible dates and the visit of the UN secretary general is expected soon,” she said.

As per the earlier schedule, Guterres was to arrive in Kathmandu on October 13 for a four-day visit. He was to visit Everest base camp, Annapurna Base Camp, Lumbini and Kathmandu. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had extended an invitation to Guterres during his meeting in New York in September and in Rome, Italy in July.

“Due to the unfolding crisis in West Asia, the secretary general has decided to postpone his Nepal visit, but it will happen very soon,” a senior foreign ministry official said, “We are rescheduling it for November.”

Officials at the foreign ministry said that they had been in contact with the UN secretary general’s office since May to arrange his visit to Nepal.

“Our permanent mission in New York had been working for his Nepal visit since Guterres himself expressed interest to visit Nepal, but it was postponed at the last hour,” the official added.

Officials said that they had nearly finalised the itinerary, agenda and all logistical arrangements for the visit. Among the key items on the agenda are climate change, its effects on livelihoods, and the peace process, among other things.

Almost all UN secretary generals visited Nepal in the past.

Prime Minister Dahal, during his two meetings with the UN chief, had invited him to visit Nepal and observe the progress Nepal has made in the peace process as well as the challenges posed by climate change.

In the last meeting between Dahal and Guteress in New York, they

discussed different facets of Nepal’s peace process, UN peacekeeping, climate change, Sustainable Development Goals, least developed countries, and development financing, according to a statement.

Likewise, on the margins of the United Nations Food Systems Summit, 2023 in Italy, Dahal and Guteress discussed environment, food security and strengthening relations between Nepal and the United Nations.