Background: who speaks for Nepal abroad, from the minister to the mission in New York

Background

Nepal's run of diplomacy this autumn, from the consultations with Oman and Russia in Kathmandu to the communique with Micronesia in New York, was carried by three offices worth knowing. Political direction comes from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shisir Khanal, who delivered Nepal's statements at the General Assembly and opened Kathmandu Climate Week. The ministry's administrative head is the Foreign Secretary, Amrit Bahadur Rai, who co-chaired both the Oman and Russia consultation rounds; bilateral consultation mechanisms are conducted at that official level rather than by ministers. At the United Nations, Nepal is represented by its Permanent Representative, Lok Bahadur Thapa, who signs instruments such as joint communiques on Nepal's behalf. The ministry has also created a Climate Diplomacy Section, a sign that climate has become a permanent subject of Nepali foreign policy rather than an occasional one. The ministry's seat is in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital.