Lok Bahadur Thapa
Lok Bahadur Thapa | |
|---|---|
| Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations | |
| Assumed office 1 September 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Amrit Bahadur Rai |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1970 Nepal |
| Alma mater | Tribhuvan University, Lancaster University |
| Profession | Diplomat |
Lok Bahadur Thapa is a Nepalese diplomat currently serving as the Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations. He assumed office on 1 September 2023, succeeding Amrit Bahadur Rai.[1]
Career
[edit]Thapa joined the Nepalese Foreign Service in 1990. Over his career, he has held various key positions:
- Director General of the Department of Passports (2014–2016)
- Division Head of the Southeast Asia Division (2014)
- Under-Secretary of the Policy and Planning Division
- Personal Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs (2014)
He has also served in several diplomatic missions abroad:
- First Secretary at the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing, China (1998–2002)
- Counsellor at the Embassy of Nepal in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2004–2008)
- Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Nepal in Canberra, Australia (2009–2014)
From 2016 to 2020, Thapa served as the Ambassador of Nepal to Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. He was concurrently accredited as Head of Mission to the European Union and as Nepal’s Permanent Representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.[1]
United Nations
[edit]On 1 September 2023, he presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres as Nepal's Permanent Representative to the United Nations.[1]
In July 2024, he was elected Vice President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for the 2025 session, representing the Asia-Pacific Group.[2]
He also serves as the Chair of the Global Coordination Bureau of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), advocating for the developmental interests of these nations within the UN framework.[3]
Education
[edit]Thapa holds a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor's degree in Commerce from Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal. He also earned a Master of Diplomacy from Lancaster University in the United Kingdom.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "New Permanent Representative of Nepal Presents Credentials". United Nations. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ "Lok Bahadur Thapa Appointed Vice President of ECOSOC". Spotlight Nepal. 26 July 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ "LDC Group and Bureau". Retrieved 6 May 2025.
See also
[edit]- Living people
- Nepalese diplomats
- Ambassadors of Nepal to Belgium
- Ambassadors of Nepal to the Netherlands
- Ambassadors of Nepal to Luxembourg
- Permanent representatives of Nepal to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
- Permanent representatives of Nepal to the United Nations
- Alumni of Lancaster University
- 1970 births