Introduction: Nepal and the United Nations

The United Nations (UN) is the premier global organization founded in 1945 to maintain international peace and security. For a small, non-aligned nation like Nepal, the UN serves as the primary platform for exercising its foreign policy, protecting its sovereignty, and contributing to global humanity.

1. Principles and Purposes of the UN

The UN is guided by its founding Charter, which outlines four main purposes:

• Maintaining Peace: To keep peace throughout the world.
• Friendly Relations: To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination.
• International Cooperation: To help nations work together to improve the lives of poor people, conquer hunger and disease, and encourage respect for each other’s rights and freedoms.
• Harmonizing Actions: To be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations to achieve these goals.

2. UN Membership and Leadership

• Growth: Membership has expanded from 51 original states in 1945 to 193 Member States today.
• Admission: States are admitted by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.
• Secretary-General: The Chief Administrative Officer and a symbol of the UN’s ideals. The current (9th) Secretary-General is António Guterres, who is currently serving his second five-year term.

3. Nepal’s Role: A Leader in Peacekeeping

Nepal joined the UN in 1955 and has since become one of its most dedicated members, particularly through UN Peacekeeping Operations.

• Global Contribution: Nepal is currently one of the top troop-contributing countries to UN peace missions.
• The “IED” Model: Nepal uses its peacekeeping participation to:

1. Influence global governance.
2. Enhance national prestige and power.
3. Diffuse/Avert security threats.

• Strategic Priority: Peacekeeping is considered a pillar of Nepal’s foreign policy, allowing the nation to contribute to global stability while showcasing the professionalism of the Nepali security forces.

4. Contemporary Challenges

Despite its successes, Nepal and other troop contributors face significant hurdles:

• Systemic Disparities: There is a “glaring disparity” where developing nations (the Global South) provide the majority of troops and take the highest risks, while wealthy nations often hold leadership positions and provide less field support.
• Increasing Risks: Peacekeepers now operate in more complex environments with stricter UN standards regarding conduct, discipline, and equipment (COE).
• Operational Hurdles: Troops must constantly adapt to diverse cultures, languages, and difficult physical terrains.

5. Importance for Lok Sewa Preparation

For Na.Su. aspirants, this topic is critical for understanding Nepal’s multilateral relations. Key areas of focus include:

• The founding year (1945) and Nepal’s entry year (1955).
• The six principal organs of the UN (General Assembly, Security Council, etc.).
• Nepal’s specific contributions to Peacekeeping and its commitment to the UN Charter.