The government is planning to invite between 160 and 200 foreign delegates to the upcoming Sagarmatha Sambad, Nepal’s flagship climate forum, scheduled from May 16 to 18 in Kathmandu.

The theme of the first edition of the Sagarmatha Sambad is “Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity,” which will see heads of state and governments, representatives from several multilateral and donor communities, experts and others.

“We have started sending invitations to the foreign delegates,” said Maheshwor Dhakal, who is coordinating at the secretariat of the Sagarmatha Sambad, told the Post. “We plan to send out 160 to 200 such invitations.”

However, officials have yet to finalise the number of heads of the state and government to be invited to the forum. Heads of state and government from South Asian countries, UN Secretary-General, heads of government from mountain and oceanic countries will be among the invitees, according to officials.

Sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Prime Minister KP Oli is likely to extend an invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their sideline meeting at the upcoming sixth Bimstec Summit in Thailand, Bangkok, scheduled from 2-4 April.

“A request for the meeting will be made to the Indian side, as well as other heads of state and government participating in the summit,” said a joint secretary at foreign ministry, “We are hopeful that the two prime ministers will meet during the summit, including on the sideline.”

Dhakal told the Post that they have started sending invitations mainly to experts in the field of climate change.

If fewer invitees confirm their participation, then the forum will be modified and sessions will be reorganised accordingly, said officials.

The three-day forum will feature as many 15 sessions where 90 experts will attend as speakers.

Heads of state and government will speak in the opening session, while other speakers, panelists and moderators will lead various thematic sessions, according to the organisers.

Ministers from foreign countries will address as keynote speakers and experts and policy makers will serve as panelists, moderators and paper presenters during the three-day event.

A high-level meeting chaired by the prime minister will be held soon to finalise the details.

As of now, the government is planning to invite 60 experts, 50 policymakers and influential speakers, and another 50 high-level delegates.

Inspired by global platforms like the World Economic Forum of Davos, the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, and the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, the Sagarmatha Sambad was first announced by the KP Sharma Oli government in 2019, but was canceled due to the Covid pandemic.

In order to organise the event, the government has formed three committees including one headed by Prime Minister Oli, another led by Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, and a third, a secretariat at the Prime Minister’s Office (PM) under Rajkumar Shrestha, secretary at PMO.

The core objective of Sagarmatha Sambad is to build shared understanding among national and international stakeholders for immediate climate action. Next objective is seeking inclusive solutions where nations can advocate for climate justice by providing vulnerable nations and communities with fair and inclusive solutions.

Also, the Sambad will seek enhanced global cooperation to accelerate climate finance, scale up innovative technologies, and boost capacity building. Finally, it strives to form a global coalition for taking ambitious action in preserving mountains and securing a sustainable future for humanity.

As per the concept note approved by the Cabinet, aims is to develop a common understanding of the impact of climate change on mountainous countries, advocate for climate justice for those bearing the brunt of carbon emissions, and develop bilateral and multilateral partnerships for climate finance and technological advancements. It will also take initiative for the inclusion of mountainous countries in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) dialogue process.

Besides the UN Secretary-General, invitations will be extended to heads and representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Food Programme (WFP), Food and Agriculture Organizations (FAO), United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), UNFCCC, UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD), and UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Likewise, those from UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), UN International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), UN Habitat, UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) are also being invited.

Another list of invitees includes heads and representatives of various climate organisations like the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF),

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP), International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Climate Analytics and Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Development (TERI).

Other organisations on the list of invitees include Regional Community Forestry Training Centre for Asia and the Pacific (RECOFTC) and Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Innovative Solutions to Climate Change (CAS), Practical Action, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), and Mission East.

Also on the list are invitees from World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB ), Conservation International-USA, National Geographic, top-tier climate research institutes/universities, as well as celebrities/sports personalities/social media influencers working on climate change, mountains and mountaineering.

Besides international participants, the government will invite climate stakeholders from within the country, like representatives of the federal, provincial and local governments; members of parliament, heads of NGOs, representatives from the private sector, media, among others.