1The inaugural Sagarmatha Sambaad (Mount Everest Dialogue) was held in Kathmandu from 16 to 18 May 2025, marking a significant milestone in Nepal’s efforts to position itself as a global leader in addressing mountain and climate issues. Organised under the leadership of the Government of Nepal, with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Forests and Environment, the forum brought together over 400 participants from more than 40 countries, including heads of state, ministers, scientists, civil society representatives and youth delegates.
2The theme – ‘climate change, mountains and the future of humanity’ – coincided with the United Nations and the World Meteorological Organization’s International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation (UNESCO and WMO 2025). The event represented Nepal's first large-scale multilateral dialogue of this kind, demonstrating how a small, climate-vulnerable nation can exercise diplomatic leadership through moral authority and convening power.
3Conceived as a biennial platform for global dialogue on vital issues for mountain environments, Sagarmatha Sambaad 2025 was hosted at the Hotel Soaltee in Kathmandu, and a symbolic mountain flight was organised for participants to get a bird’s-eye view of Himalayan glaciers and their vulnerability. A few days before the forum began, the remote district of Humla was hit by a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), devastating local communities and providing a stark reminder of the climate crisis facing Himalayan regions.
4A high-ranking steering committee, chaired by Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, presided over the event. It was supported by a management committee coordinated by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Forests and Environment. This institutional framework combined political commitment and scientific expertise, whilst the Sagarmatha Sambaad secretariat ensured operational and logistical coordination.
5The scale and diversity of participation highlighted the forum's diplomatic success. Delegations from the Himalayas, Andes, Alps and Arctic joined island nations from the Pacific and Indian Oceans, representing the strong solidarity between the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions. Nepal’s Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba captured this collective ethos, stating that ‘vulnerability is shared from highlands to islands’ and recognising the interconnected nature of mountain and ocean systems in global climate dynamics.
6In his opening address, Oli declared: ‘From the lap of Sagarmatha, the world’s highest peak, we send this message loud and clear – to protect the mountains is to protect the planet. To protect the mountains is to protect our seas. To protect the mountains is to protect humanity itself’.
7Over the three-day period, discussions revolved around four main themes: glacier preservation and cryospheric change, community adaptation and resilience in mountain regions, highland–island solidarity and global cooperation, and youth engagement in climate action.
8The opening plenary session brought together scientists, policymakers and representatives of international organisations, including the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), FAO's Mountain Partnership and UNESCO. These organisations presented evidence of glacier retreat and its cascading effects across South and Southeast Asia (ICIMOD 2019, FAO 2025). Participants from Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan and Peru discussed ‘mountain diplomacy’, a concept whereby highland nations make efforts to raise the status of mountain ecosystems within global climate negotiations. Several speakers proposed a ‘global mountain coalition’ to coordinate advocacy efforts at the upcoming UN climate summits.
9Other sessions focused on indigenous knowledge and traditional resource management. Community leaders from Nepal and Latin America shared experiences in monitoring glaciers, watershed management and agroforestry. These contributions grounded the debate in lived realities, reminding participants that climate solutions have to respect local knowledge and social contexts.
10It is worth noting that the forum included a dedicated children and youth dialogue (BaYu Sambaad) held on 26 April 2025. Young delegates recommended integrating environmental education in school curricula and ensuring youth representation in future climate dialogues. Their proposals were acknowledged in the closing declaration, reflecting growing emphasis on intergenerational climate justice.
11The conference culminated in the adoption of the 25-point ‘Sagarmatha call for action’ – a joint declaration calling for urgent international cooperation on mountain climate challenges (Headline Nepal 2025). It reaffirmed global commitment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, whilst introducing specific appeals to preserve glaciers and freshwater sources, to reinforce adaptation measures for mountain communities, to increase climate-related funding for vulnerable highland nations, and to integrate scientific, indigenous and policy-oriented knowledge in climate governance.
12Though non-binding, the declaration signified a consensus among a variety of stakeholders. Its timing – just months before the next UN Climate Conference – positioned Sagarmatha Sambaad as an important contribution to the emerging mountain agenda within global climate negotiations.
13For Nepal, the event marked a diplomatic and symbolic breakthrough. Despite contributing only 0.027 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, the country used its unique geography and vulnerability to bring states, scientists and civil groups together around a shared cause (My República 2024). This vulnerability-responsibility paradox provides Nepal with significant moral authority in climate discussions.
14Home to eight of the world's ten highest peaks, Nepal’s Himalayan glaciers and snow-covered areas provide the water resources that are vital for nearly two billion people downstream. However, ICIMOD warns that continued temperature increases could result in the melting of two-thirds of the region’s glaciers by 2100 (ICIMOD 2019). Nepal has already lost almost one-third of its snow cover in just 30 years. The country has achieved its target of 45 per cent forest coverage and is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2045, demonstrating ambitious climate leadership, despite its ‘developing country’ status.
15Deuba announced that the forum would become a biennial event, with the next edition planned for 2027, thus institutionalising Nepal's leadership in mountain diplomacy. This shift promotes Sagarmatha Sambaad, initially a one-off event, to a sustained diplomatic platform, providing Nepal with regular opportunities to host global discussions and to reinforce its leadership on mountain climate issues.
16Participants acknowledged that sustaining such an initiative will require stable funding and international partnerships. Like other small-state forums, Sagarmatha Sambaad may face resource limitations and 'forum fatigue' unless it can show clear-cut outcomes. Experts emphasised the importance of establishing complementarity rather than competition with existing mechanisms, such as the UNFCCC and the Mountain Partnership.
17Several voices from civil society cautioned that high-level declarations have to translate into tangible benefits for the communities affected. Continued engagement with local municipalities and indigenous groups was recommended to maintain credibility and inclusiveness. A clear thematic focus and practical follow-up – such as establishing a network for mountain-region adaptation projects – were proposed to ensure relevance and continuity.
18Despite these concerns, participants largely regarded Sagarmatha Sambaad 2025 as a pioneering moment in mountain diplomacy. The forum’s emphasis on multi-stakeholder engagement reflects a shift in climate governance, acknowledging the shortcomings of purely state-centric negotiations. By bringing together scientists, civil society, indigenous communities and private-sector actors, the forum’s message is clear: effective climate action requires a level of participation that goes beyond what traditional diplomacy typically allows.
19The inaugural Sagarmatha Sambaad demonstrates how a small state can use its moral authority and environmental identity to promote global dialogue. Its focus on mountain ecosystems fills a notable gap in climate discussions and reminds the world that the Himalayas – often called the ‘third pole’ – are vital to planetary water security.
20By establishing this biennial, Nepal has created an ongoing institutional platform for its climate diplomacy, providing a model for other countries with unique environmental assets or climate vulnerabilities to pursue similar strategies. As mountain ecosystems face an accelerating climate impact on the cryosphere, Sagarmatha Sambaad offers essential space for focused attention on these critical yet often underrepresented issues in global climate negotiations.
21If sustained, the Sagarmatha Sambaad could evolve into the cornerstone of a Himalayan climate agenda, linking scientific research, policy innovation and South–South cooperation. For scholars of Himalayan and environmental studies, it offers a valuable case of how small-state diplomacy, environmental leadership and inclusive governance intersect in the context of global climate change. As one participant remarked during the closing session, ‘Protecting the mountains is protecting the planet’.
The author would like to thank the organisers of Sagarmatha Sambaad, colleagues from the Institute for Rural Development and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal for facilitating access and providing insights. Any errors that remain are the author’s sole responsibility.
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