Himalayan Dialogue to be held in preparation for Sagarmatha Sambaad

KATHMANDU: The Himalayan Dialogue is being organised as a preparation for the Sagarmatha Sambaad to be hosted by the federal government from May 16 to 18.

The issues of children and marginalized groups of Karnali will be raised in the Himalayan Dialogue to be held at Khalanga of Jumla on April 22 and 23.

In coordination with the Sagarmatha Sambaad Secretariat, the Himalayan Dialogue is being organized in collaboration with development partners including Save the Children, Youth Alliance for Environment (YAE), and Karnali Integrated Rural Development and Research Centre (KIRDAC).

It will provide a platform for marginalized children, youth and mountain communities to share experiences, express their special needs, and advocate for child-sensitive climate solutions. Connecting local issues with national forums, the Himalayan Dialogue will act as a major forum within the Himalayan communities, said YAE President Sanot Adhikari.

“Space would be provided to and voice will be raised for children and youth for meaningful integration of community needs in national and international policy dialogues in line with the broader agenda of the Sagarmatha Sambaad- ‘Climate Change, The Future of Mountains and Humanity’,” he said.

The main objectives of the Himalayan Dialogue are to raise the voices of children and young people, advocate age-sensitive climate policies, link local realities to global climate patterns, and demonstrate successful community-led climate initiatives.

Around 150 people including children from mountainous communities, indigenous and marginalized communities, women and girls, civil society organizations working in the Himalayan region, development partners, United Nations agencies, government participants, local government representatives and policy makers, representatives of the province and federal governments will participate in the dialogue.

It is stated that approximately 34% of children under the age of 17 in Nepal endure multidimensional poverty, further exacerbating their vulnerability. It is crucial to acknowledge that children and women in Nepal face a disproportionate risk of multiple shocks and disasters.

According to the 2021 census, children constitute 33.8 per cent of the country’s t total population of 29,164,578.