Prime Minister Balendra Shah, who is set to attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly, will use his address to press Nepal’s case for climate justice and call on the international community to address the disproportionate impact of climate change on countries like Nepal.

Leading a Nepali delegation, Shah will head for New York on September 22 and is scheduled to address the assembly on September 24. During his five-day trip to New York, he will also attend a high-level meeting on climate action organised by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. But he may not be able to attend a dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump on September 22 evening as he is scheduled to land in New York that day.

Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai said on Friday that the prime minister will highlight the heavy toll that climate change and related disasters have repeatedly taken on Nepal, despite the country’s negligible contribution to global carbon emissions.

Shah will call on the international community to advance climate justice, including by ensuring that Nepal receives immediate and appropriate compensation through mechanisms such as the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), Rai said.

The latest disaster was the devastating flood in the Bhotekoshi River on August 26. As of Friday, 1,385 bodies had been recovered from the flood-hit areas, and 5,130 people remained missing, including around 600 foreign nationals from approximately 35 countries. The government estimates that Nepal will need Rs723.31 billion to rebuild infrastructure damaged by the floods.

“The prime minister will appeal to wealthy and developed countries to make the necessary technology and climate finance readily and affordably available to Nepal for the construction of climate-resilient infrastructure, promotion of climate-smart agriculture, and capacity development of stakeholders,” Rai said.

Shah will highlight Nepal’s contribution to protecting and promoting the global environment through its nature-friendly way of life, more than 46 percent forest cover, vast Himalayan region and extensive river systems.

On the margins of the General Assembly on September 25, Nepal will organise a side event titled “Sagarmatha to the Sea: A Call to Action for a Climate-Resilient Future.” Shah will not attend the event as he is scheduled to leave New York for Kathmandu that day. Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal will lead the event.

According to Foreign Ministry, the event will discuss the adverse impacts of global climate change, particularly on the Himalayan region, and the devastating consequences arising from them, according to the Foreign Ministry. It will also seek to draw international attention to these issues.

The Cabinet had earlier decided that Khanal would lead the Nepali delegation to the General Assembly. But following the Bhotekoshi floods, Shah decided to attend the UN session himself to strengthen Nepal’s call for climate justice.

The government has already sent an urgent request to the FRLD Board seeking financial assistance to respond to the disaster. The request has received support and solidarity from countries and groups representing Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the least developed countries and small island developing states.

There are currently no confirmed bilateral meetings for Shah apart from his meeting with UN Secretary-General Guterres, according to a Nepali diplomat in New York.

Although some countries have requested time for meetings with the prime minister, there are slim chances of such engagements, the diplomat said. The leaders of Nepal’s immediate neighbours, India and China, are not travelling to New York, while bilateral meetings have not been made a priority for Shah’s visit, according to the official.

Khanal, meanwhile, will participate in ministerial-level meetings of the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, Non-Aligned Movement, and the G77 and China, among others.

He will also address other high-level discussions and side events organised by the United Nations and hold meetings with his counterparts from various friendly countries, including neighbouring countries, as well as senior UN officials.

Members of the prime minister’s delegation will include Khanal, Chief Adviser Kumar Byanjankar, Foreign Secretary Rai and other senior officials.

“Beyond climate issues, the General Assembly presents an important opportunity to brief the international community on the Gen Z movement that took place in Nepal last year, the subsequent successful election, the formation of the current government with a strong popular mandate, and its priorities,” said Rai. “It will also provide an opportunity to call, at the highest level, for continued and enhanced international cooperation and goodwill towards Nepal.”