News, Views From Nepal

युब नाथ लम्साल:--- सन् १९५५ (विसं २०१२) लाई नेपालको कूटनीतिक इतिहासमा दुई कारणले महत्वपूर्ण मोडका रूपमा लिइन्छ । एउटा लामो प्रतीक्षा र प्रयासपछि नेपालले औपचारिक रूपमा संयुक्त राष्ट्रसङ्घको सदस्यता प्राप्त ग‍र्‍यो भने अर्को नेपालले चीनसँग कूटनीतिक सम्बन्ध स्थापना गर्‍यो । कूटनीतिक सम्बन्ध स्थापना भएदेखि नै नेपाल–चीन सम्बन्ध विभिन्न तहमा विकसित हुँदै आएको छ । नेपाल र चीनबिच औपचारिक कूटनीतिक सम्बन्ध स्थापना भएको ७१ वर्ष मात्र भएको छ तर ऐतिहासिक दृष्टिले नेपाल–चीन सम्बन्धलाई प्रागैतिहासिक तथा सभ्यतापूर्व कालसम्मै जोडिन्छ । काठमाडौँ उपत्यका कुनै समय मानवबस्तीविहीन विशाल जलाशय थियो र तिब्बती पठारबाट आएका चिनियाँ सन्त मञ्जुश्रीले उपत्यकाको दक्षिण–पश्चिमी भागमा रहेको चोभारमा गल्छी बनाएर पानी बाहिर पठाएपछि यहाँ मानवबस्तीको सुरुवात भयो । कालान्तरमा यही बस्ती विस्तार हुँदै नेपाल राष्ट्रका रूपमा विकसित भएको भन्ने किंवदन्ती छ । यस अर्थमा नेपाल र चीनका जनताबिचको सम्पर्क र सहकार्यको इतिहास प्राचीनकालदेखि नै जोडिएको देखिन्छ । नेपाली सभ्यता र राष्ट्रनिर्माणको प्रारम्भिक चरणदेखि नै यी दुई एसियाली छ...

Yuba Nath Lamsal :---- The August 26 Himalayan flood, also called the Himalayan tsunami, has badly exposed Nepal’s vulnerability to natural calamities. Earthquake, floods, landslides, avalanches, glacial lakes outburst floods, drought and climate-induced menaces are some of the recurrent forms of disaster Nepal often faces. Such disasters cause enormous loss of lives and properties almost every year. Nepal is in the seismic zone and earthquakes often strike, which are natural phenomenon. The nature and geological structure of the Himalayas, which is world’s youngest mountain range formed by the tectonic collision of Eurasian and Indian plates almost 50 million years ago. Natural calamities are beyond human control. However, unsustainable human activities are responsible for some cases of disasters recurrent flash floods, landslides, avalanches and glacial lakes outburst floods. The Himalayas is the source of water for billions of people in Asia and their livelihood is directly link...

युब नाथ लम्साल:--- िश्वभरका नेता तथा कूटनीतिज्ञ संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिकाको न्युयोर्कस्थित संयुक्त राष्ट्रसङ्घको मुख्यालयमा भेला हुँदै छन् । उनीहरूले विश्वव्यापी सरोकारका विषय तथा मानव समुदायले सामना गरिरहेका विविध समस्या र चुनौतीमाथि बहस, छलफल र विचार–विमर्श गर्ने छन् । राष्ट्रसङ्घको महासभाको नियमित अधिवेशन प्रत्येक वर्ष सेप्टेम्बर महिनाको तेस्रो मङ्गलबारदेखि सुरु हुन्छ । यस वर्ष ८१ औँ महासभामा सदाझैँ नेपालको उच्चस्तरीय प्रतिनिधिमण्डलले पनि सहभागिता जनाउँदै छ । सन् १९५६ मा सम्पन्न ११ औँ महासभादेखि नेपालले संयुक्त राष्ट्रसङ्घको महासभामा नियमित रूपमा सहभागिता जनाउँदै आएको छ । दोस्रो विश्वयुद्धको विनाशपछि सन् १९४५ मा संयुक्त राष्ट्रसङ्घको स्थापना भएको हो । राष्ट्रसङ्घले आठ दशक पूरा गरी परिपक्वता हासिल गरेको छ । राष्ट्रसङ्घ र नेपाल सन् १९५५ मा संयुक्त राष्ट्रसङ्घको सदस्य बनेदेखि नै नेपालले यस विश्व संस्थामा सक्रिय भूमिका निर्वाह गर्दै आएको छ । नेपाल संयुक्त राष्ट्रसङ्घको दृढ समर्थक राष्ट्र हो र संयुक्त राष्ट्रसङ्घको बडापत्रमा निहित सिद्धान्त तथा मूल्य–मान्यताप्रति प्रतिबद्ध रहँदै आएको...

Yuba Nath Lamsal :--- Leadership has two main dimensions. One is vision and the other one is execution. Vision seeks what to achieve and execution is to do with how to achieve the goal set in the vision. In politics, ideology is the vision or goal, while governance is the art of translating the vision into action producing the desired results. First part is to do with decision-making and the second aspect deals with management. This is applied in politics, foreign policy, diplomacy and other sectors as well. Politics is generally taken as a domestic vocation and politicians are required to focus more on internal matters. However, this is not always true. Politics is diplomacy at home as it is interaction among different domestic stakeholders within the country. Foreign policy and diplomacy deal with the international stakeholders and actors. Politics and diplomacy, therefore, are similar or in other words, two sides of a coin. The fundamental objective of politics is to defend sov...

Yuba Nath Lamsal: ---- The 81st United Nations General Assembly commences next week (September 8), in which world leaders and diplomats rub shoulders at the UN headquarters. The UN annual gala event kicks off on the third Tuesday of September every year, where countries engage in multi-lateral diplomacy seeking to address some pressing issues facing the humanity. A high-level Nepalese delegation is participating in the 81st UN General Assembly, which has been a regular annual phenomenon since the 11th General Assembly in 1956. The term ‘United Nations’ was coined by former US president Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942 to denote a coalition of countries at war against Axis powers during World War II. As the war was raging, 26 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, China and the Soviet Union, met in Washington and signed the ‘Declaration of the United Nations’. The October 1943 Moscow meeting of US, UK and Russian foreign ministers agreed to create an international organi...

युब नाथ लम्साल :--- कुनै पनि देशको परराष्ट्रनीति र अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय सम्बन्धका आधार मूलतः राष्ट्रिय हितबाट निर्देशित हुन्छन् । राष्ट्रिय हित सामान्यतया राज्यका स्थायी सरोकारका विषय हुन्छन र हुन् । राष्ट्रिय हित भन्नाले मूलतः राष्ट्रिय सार्वभौमिकता, भौगोलिक अखण्डता, राष्ट्रिय सुरक्षा र आर्थिक समृद्धि पर्छन् । परराष्ट्रनीतिको सञ्चालन यिनै आधारभूत विषयमा केन्द्रित हुन्छ । त्यसैले विदेशनीतिमा मूलतः निरन्तरता हुन्छ र सरकार वा शासनव्यवस्था परिवर्तन हुँदैमा परराष्ट्रनीतिको आधारभूत दिशा सामान्यतः परिवर्तन हुँदैन । विदेशनीति र कूटनीतिमा व्यक्तिविशेषले पनि कहिलेकाहीँ उल्लेखनीय फरक पार्न सक्छ । त्यसका लागि सम्बन्धित नेताको क्षमता, दक्षता, दृष्टिकोण र प्रतिबद्धतामा भर पर्छ । नेपालको परराष्ट्रनीतिको मूल उद्देश्य सधैँ राष्ट्रिय हितबाट निर्देशित हुँदै आएको छ; जसको प्राथमिक आधार राष्ट्रिय अस्तित्व र सुरक्षाको सुनिश्चितता हो । वर्तमान संविधानले नेपालको विदेशनीतिका उद्देश्य, मार्गदर्शक सिद्धान्त र प्राथमिकताहरू स्पष्ट रूपमा निर्दिष्ट गरेको छ । संविधानले राष्ट्रिय हितलाई समेत स्पष्ट रूपमा परिभाषित गरेक...

Yuba Nath Lamsal:--- A country is not merely a geographic territory but a collective expression of people living within a certain territorial boundary. A country is made up of certain features and characteristics. The Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States 1933 has set certain standard definitions of a legitimate and sovereign country, which include a defined territory, permanent population, constitution, a functioning government and international recognition. The world is a global family of nations consisting of 193 members of the United Nations and two non-member observer states (Vatican City and Palestine). Countries are like human beings. Irrespective of physical size, economic and other strength, all countries in the world have equal sovereign status. However, countries are not fully self-reliant on all fronts and are interdependent. Like individuals, nations require interaction with other members of the global family. Countries have their own interests and ...

Yuba Nath Lamsal:-- In the strategic calculus of the 21st-century world, economic interest has dominated more powerfully than anything else. Economic strength reflects a country’s power in international politics. National security, therefore, is tied to the economic security of any country. Be it war or other conflicts the world has seen in recent years, economic factors have been the primary triggers. Alliances and coalitions are made and, accordingly, diplomatic engagements are built. On the surface, such alliances and coalitions appear to be guided by military and political security; the crux behind it always remains the economic interest. Unless a country builds and expands its economic capacity, it cannot play a decisive role in international power politics. Economic engagements shape the level of relations among nations. Economic diplomacy has thus emerged as the most pronounced terminology in the realm of diplomacy and international relations. Economic diplomacy is more impor...

वर्तमान विश्व व्यवस्थाले कोल्टो फेर्न लागेको छ । सन् १९९० को दशकदेखि अमेरिकाको नेतृत्वमा चलिरहेको एकध्रुवीय विश्व व्यवस्थामा परिवर्तनका स्पष्ट सङ्केत देखिएका छन् । सभ्यताको विकाससँगै समय, अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय शक्ति सन्तुलन, आर्थिक तथा प्राविधिक क्षेत्रमा आएको परिवर्तनले विश्व व्यवस्थामा पनि परिवर्तन ल्याउँछ । यो प्रकृतिको नियम हो र निरन्तर चल्ने प्रक्रिया हो । त्यसैले वर्तमान विश्व व्यवस्थामा परिवर्तन आउने कुरा पनि निश्चित छ । यसमा सबै खाले विद्वान्, विश्लेषक तथा भूराजनीतिका ज्ञाता सहमत छन् । जोन मियरसाइमर, किशोर महबुबानी, नोम चोम्स्की जस्ता प्रख्यात विद्वान् र विश्लेषक वर्तमान विश्व व्यवस्था प्रभुत्ववादी भएकाले यसको परिवर्तन आवश्यक छ भन्ने मत राख्छन् । तर केही भूराजनीतिका विद्वान् र विश्लेषक वर्तमान विश्व व्यवस्था र शक्ति सन्तुलनमा खासै परिवर्तन नहुने र अमेरिका नेतृत्वको एकधु्रवीय विश्व व्यवस्था केही दशकसम्म कायम रहने विश्वास व्यक्त गर्दछन् । फ्रान्सिस फुकुयामा, जोसेफ नानी, रोबर्ट कागन तथा फरिद जाकारिया जस्ता विद्वान् र विश्लेषक यो खाले विचारका पक्षपाती हुन् । उनीहरूका अनुसार वर्तमान उदा...

Yuba Nath Lamsal:-- The broader national interest and security are the fundamental guidelines and objectives of any country's foreign policy and diplomacy. National security includes strategic, territorial, political, economic, energy, food, environmental and technological security, among others. In the present globalised, inter-dependent and interconnected world, economic power and competitiveness serve as a powerful lever in the realm of power politics and diplomacy. Economic interdependence and economic interest impact geopolitics and international relations more than any other factors. The level of economic engagement determines the nature of relations between countries. Economic relations around the world are becoming more complex, further complicating geopolitics. Change in the economic order also brings about change in geopolitics and international order. Empires and powers rose and fell in the annals of history with the growth and decline of their economic prowess. Onc...

Yuba Nath Lamsal:--- The power of a state has many forms and dynamics. Country’s geography and physical size, strategic location, military strength, economic might, technological superiority, maritime position, moral and civilisational values, art, culture, literature, political and popular legitimacy, human resource, natural resources, alliance systems, dynamic civil society, free media, academic institutions, education system, and pragmatic foreign policy and diplomatic acumen are some key tools and levers of power and influence in the realm of international relations. These tools of power are categorised mainly as hard and soft power. The hard power is the coercion-based power which includes military, money and muscle or “3M”, which are used and often misused to bring the adversaries to terms. Military assaults, economic and technological sanctions, trade barriers, and travel restrictions are hard-power tactics used by powerful countries in international politics. The use of coe...

Yuba Nath Lamsal:--- Continuity and change are key characteristics of Nepal’s foreign policy. The national interest is the long-term foreign policy goal of any country, which does not change despite changes in governments or even in the political system. However, the tactics, tools and approaches may change depending upon the context and developments in the outer world to achieve the core objectives of foreign policy. In Nepal’s case, despite changes in political systems and regimes in the past, the fundamental interests, goals and priorities of foreign policy have remained unchanged, while consecutive governments may have adopted different styles and approaches in achieving the core dynamics of foreign policy goals. The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) government, headed by Prime Minister Balendra Shah, appears to have adopted slightly different styles, approaches and priorities in handling the country’s diplomacy. The first action is the government’s decision to strictly follow a...

Yuba Nath Lamsal:--- Nepal and India seem to be serious in resetting and elevating the level of their bilateral relations for the larger interest of both countries and the people. This process has gained momentum, particularly after the formation of the new government headed by Balendra Shah in Nepal. Even the Indian side appears to be more enthusiastic in enhancing engagements with the new government and the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) of Nepal. Soon after the results of the March 5 parliamentary elections were announced, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called both RSP leaders – chairman Rabi Lamichhane and senior leader Balendra Shah and congratulated for their stunning electoral victory, expressing willingness to work together for the common interests of both Nepal and India. Modi also extended an invitation to Prime Minister Balendra Shah for an official visit to India. It is said, ‘one can choose a friend but not a neighbour’. Thus, one has to accordingly adjust an...

Yuba Nath Lamsal:-- George Orwell, in his famous book “Animal Farm,” says, “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.” A similar case may be found in the world of geopolitics. In principle, all countries in the world, of course, have equal status and rights in the comity of nations. But that may not always be true when it comes to the realm of realism. In the realist world of today, power plays a pivotal role in international relations. The foreign policy goal of any country is to defend and enlarge its national interest. Interests guide foreign policy and diplomacy. Countries apply different strategies, tactics and tools to defend and enlarge their interests depending upon the situation and nature of events. Power determines the course of action in dealing with the situation in defence of national interests.Like domestic politics, international politics is also a struggle for power. German political scientist Hans Morgenthau says in his classical realism that i...