Name:                                           

Arjun Bahadur Thapa

Date of Birth:                               

12 January 1956

Marital Status:                             

Married with three children.

Academic Qualifications:          

• Secured first class first position in the Certificate Level in Law (72.3%) from Nepal Law Campus (1976) and got Soviet Scholarship through the Ministry of Education of His Majesty’s Government of Nepal (1977)
• Masters in International Law (Honors), Peoples Friendship University, Moscow (1983)
• Diploma in Environmental Management, The University of Adelaide, Australia (1994)

 Work Experience:

• Secretary General of SAARC (1 March 2014 to date)
• Joined the Government Service of Nepal as Section Officer in 1983
• Foreign Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal (July 21, 2013 -15 January 2014)
• Joint Secretary, Head of Regional Organization Division (SAARC & BIMSTEC) and Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal (April 2012- July 21, 2013)
• Joint Secretary, Head of Europe-Americas Division, Administration Division, SAARC and BIMSTEC and Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal (February 2012- April 2013)
• Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Nepal to the United Arab Emirates (December 2007- January 2012)
• Joint Secretary, Head of the SAARC and Administration Divisions and Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal (February 2007- December 2007)
• Deputy Permanent Representative/Minister Plenipotentiary, Permanent Mission of Nepal to the UN, New York (August 2006-February 2007)
• Charge d' Affaires, a.i., Permanent Mission of Nepal to the UN, New York (November 2005-August 2006)
• Deputy Permanent Representative/ Minister Plenipotentiary, Permanent Mission of Nepal to the UN, New York (December 2002-November 2005)
• Joint Secretary, East, South East, Far East and the Pacific Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal (Joined the Diplomatic Service through open competition) (June 1999 - December 2002)
• Under Secretary, International Law and Treaties Division, Ministry of Law and Justice (1994-1999)
• Assistant Secretary, International Law and Treaties Division, Ministry of Law and Justice (1993-1994)
• Section Officer, International Law and Treaties Division, Ministry of Law and Justice (1983-1993)

Countries Visited:

Afghanistan, Austria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belgium, Bhutan, China (including Hong Kong, Macao and Tibet), Egypt, France, Germany, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea (DPRK), Korea (Republic of), Kuwait, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, The Netherlands, Oman, Pakistan, The Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, Uganda, UK, United Arab Emirates, USA.

Publication:

The Nepalese Law of Treaties, Kathmandu(1992)

Decoration:

Decorated with Gorkha Dakshin Bahu (IV Class), 1995