Nepali negotiators at COP31 cling to hope for mountain agenda

Proposals by Nepal and Bhutan, and separately by Kyrgyzstan, to secure formal agenda items on mountain-related issues at the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) failed to secure the backing of major negotiating blocs, according to Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal. Speaking to the PTI news agency in Antalya, Türkiye, where the conference is going on, Khanal said the three countries would continue to face challenges in securing stronger formal recognition of mountain-related issues without the support of major countries.

Minister Khanal said some nations explicitly backed the proposals, while others remained reluctant. He did not name the countries but sources told the Post that a powerful bloc of nations had blocked the bid.

On Thursday in Antalya, Nepal, Bhutan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Pakistan hosted a joint discussion on the topic ‘Advancing the Mountain Agenda: Glaciers, Cryosphere and Resilience under Overshoot, Shared Responsibility and Sustainable Financing’.