Nepal's Foreign Policy Principles

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Foreign Policy Principles

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Nepal's Foreign Policy

Nepal's foreign policy is guided by its geographical location ("a yam between two boulders"), its historical independence, and key constitutional directives.

Constitutional Basis

Article 50(4): States that Nepal's foreign policy shall be directed towards maintaining relations based on sovereign equality, mutual respect, and promotion of national interest.
Article 51(m): Outlines specific sub-policies, including the implementation of past treaties, reviewing unequal treaties, and pursuing national interests based on the UN Charter, non-alignment, and Panchasheel.

Core Principles

Panchasheel (Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence):
1. Mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
2. Mutual non-aggression.
3. Mutual non-interference in each other's internal affairs.
4. Equality and mutual benefit.
5. Peaceful co-existence.
Non-Alignment: Nepal is a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), joining at the Bandung Conference in $1955$.
Adherence to the UN Charter: Nepal became a United Nations member on December 14, 1955, under the "Package Resolution."
Sovereign Equality: Rejection of external interference in domestic affairs.

Key Historical Initiatives

Zone of Peace (ZoP) Proposal: Proposed by King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah on February 25, 1975, during his coronation. It was supported by 116 countries (including China and the US) but was rejected/ignored by India, rendering it inactive after $1990$.
Diplomatic Footprint: As of early $2024$, Nepal has established formal diplomatic relations with 182 countries.