Nepal’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva has said at an international conference that voluntary repatriation of refugees to their home countries was the most durable solution to the problem.

Addressing the Intergovernmental Ministerial Event convened in Geneva on December 8, Dinesh Bhattarai said it was the prime responsibility of countries of origin to establish conditions to make dignified repatriation of refugees possible. 

“Our efforts to resolve the Bhutanese refugees problem through bilateral process has been stalled because the government of Bhutan is not implementing past agreements,” he said in a statement. 

Over 800 participants, including ministers from more than 70 countries, attended the two-day event organised by the United Nations.

Published on: 10 December 2011 | The Himalayan Times