Nepal and the UN: A Peacekeeping Story

Nepal became the 60th member of the United Nations on 14 December 1955 — four years after emerging from the Rana oligarchy's closed-door isolation.

Overview

Nepal's engagement with the UN began tentatively but evolved into a defining feature of its foreign policy. Recognising that a small landlocked country between two major powers needed to cultivate international goodwill, successive Nepali governments embraced UN peacekeeping as a strategic tool. Today Nepal is consistently among the world's top three or four contributors to UN peacekeeping, deploying over 5,000 soldiers and police in a typical year across missions in Lebanon (UNIFIL), South Sudan (UNMISS), the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), Liberia, Sudan, and other conflict zones. The economic dimension matters: Nepali peacekeepers receive UN daily allowances that far exceed domestic military pay. The difference accrues to the Nepal Army and, through official channels, to families. Remittances from peacekeepers are a significant income source for military families. The training and experience gained on UN missions has also professionalised the Nepal Army in areas from mine clearance to humanitarian law. Nepal's peacekeeping deaths have totalled over 100 since deployments began — a sacrifice the government commemorates on UN Peacekeeping Day. Sajilo travellers often interact with returned peacekeepers who serve as guides, drivers, and lodge owners across Nepal.

FAQ

When did Nepal first send peacekeeping troops? Nepal's first UN peacekeeping deployment was to Lebanon in 1978. The programme has expanded continuously since.

Do Nepali women serve as UN peacekeepers? Yes — Nepal has specifically worked to increase female peacekeeper deployment, responding to UN incentives for gender-balanced contributions. Nepali female police units have served in Haiti and Liberia.