Honorable Minister of Finance, Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, UNDP Resident Representative, Joint and Under Secretaries from the Ministries, development partners, civil society members and representatives from the private sector,

Distinguished guests, partners and colleagues from UNDP and other agencies, good afternoon. 

Today, it is a great pleasure—and a personal privilege—to celebrate UNDP's 60th anniversary. Sixty years is a milestone for any institution. 

For six decades, UNDP has been a trusted partner to governments and communities around the world, helping countries strengthen institutions, mobilize domestic resources to achieve the SDGs, and create opportunities for people including women and youth to live with dignity and hope.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of working closely with UNDP teams, and one experience has stayed with me. I remember visiting remote rural communities where families had lived for generations without reliable access to electricity. Through renewable energy solutions supported by governments and UNDP, entire villages were transformed. What struck me was that the impact went far beyond energy itself.

Children could study after sunset. Young people gained access to information, skills, and opportunities. Health services became more accessible for women and families. Small businesses started to emerge. Women organized themselves into enterprises and cooperatives. Young people, who once felt they had no choice but to leave their communities and migrate abroad in search of work, suddenly saw opportunities closer to home.

What UNDP brought was not simply technology. It brought possibility. It changed lives, and in many ways, it changed the destiny of entire communities. To me, this is the essence of development: helping people, including youth and women  realize their potential and take control of their own future.

In Nepal, I see that same spirit every day. UNDP's story in this country is one of the longest in our UN family. For more than six decades, UNDP has walked alongside Nepal: through the peace process, the drafting of the Constitution, recovery from the 2015 earthquakes, and the historic transition to federalism. Few partnerships anywhere run deeper. I have seen UNDP help strengthen national institutions to deliver free and fair elections. I see it supports the Government in mobilizing domestic resources that are essential for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals. And I see its commitment to accompanying the Government and the private sector in creating jobs, supporting SMEs, and expanding opportunities for women and youth.

Today, however, my deepest thanks go to the people behind these achievements. To all UNDP staff: thank you. Thank you for your professionalism, your dedication, your creativity, and your unwavering commitment to serving people. Institutions do not create change—people do. 

And UNDP's greatest strength has always been its people.

I also want to acknowledge UNDP's important leadership in helping advance the implementation of UN80, working with the wider UN family to build a more agile, effective, and impactful United Nations in Nepal.

Looking ahead, I am counting on UNDP to continue supporting the Government's priorities under the governance and economic transformation agenda. But I am equally counting on UNDP to continue strengthening what has become one of its greatest assets in Nepal: its commitment to joint programming and collaboration across the UN system.

UNDP is most effective when it brings its expertise together with the strengths of the wider UN family. Under the leadership of my colleague Kyoko, UNDP Resident Representative, UNDP has consistently strived to deliver as One UN, and that has made all of us stronger partners for the Government and the people we serve.

My hope for the future is that the partnership between UNDP and the rest of the United Nations will continue to deepen, so that together we can accelerate progress on the SDGs, support governance and economic transformation, and create opportunities for future generations. And as every monsoon reminds us, development gains must be protected as well as achieved. I am counting on UNDP to keep climate and disaster resilience at the heart of its work, so that what communities build endures.  

Finally, I would like to thank the Government of Nepal , development partners, civil society, the private sector, and above all the people we serve for their trust in UNDP's expertise and partnership.

Sixty years of UNDP are behind us. The next chapter of this partnership must be our most ambitious yet.

Happy 60th Birthday, UNDP. Thank you for sixty years of service, solidarity, and impact. And thank you for reminding us that when we invest in people, we do not just improve lives—we help shape a better future.