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By Rabi Raj Thapa

A “strategy” is a concrete, realistic plan that explains the essential connection between ends and means: it begins from an accurate assessment of what is desired and what tools are available, or can realistically be created, to achieve the desired outcomes. (National Security Strategy of the USA, November 2025)

A strategy must evaluate, sort, and prioritize…the purpose of foreign policies should be the protection of core national interests; that should be the sole focus of National Security Strategy.

These are the sentiments of the National Security Strategy of the United States–2025. This is true and applies to all sovereign nations of the world, including Nepal. In the document, US President Donald Trump first comments on NATO member countries’ rise of defense spending from 2 to 5 percent. Then he always talks of peace that is not easy to understand.

Then the President of France has also come up with its National Strategic Review–2025, where President Emmanuel Macron speaks about the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan and Iran as symptomatic of global instability. In the same way, Great Britain has also come up with its National Security Strategy–2025, which sees “Security of British People in a dangerous world”.

That means no nation is safe in this contemporary world.

Then there are small countries like Norway and Nepal whose national security needs to be more focused on self-defense and preservation from external aggression and intervention. In this regard, Norway has recently come up with its first National Security Strategy after becoming a NATO member state. Norway identifies three strategic priorities in its document: i.e., rapid strengthening of defense capability; increasing resilience of society; and strengthening economic security. Then it outlines six major fixed points as reference – a free and independent Norway; a robust democracy; a safe society with a high level of trust; an open and adaptable economy; allied solidarity and unity in Europe; and a world that seeks solutions based on international law. This is what Nepal needs to learn from.

Like Nepal, Norway also has a big and strong neighbor, Russia, which is directly in confrontation with NATO member countries, including Norway. Therefore, like Norway, when and how can Nepal develop its comprehensive National Security Strategy with precision and without fear and prejudices? This is a million-dollar question.

Regarding Nepal’s national security and strategy, there is delay and dilemma in keeping national secrets hidden from the public domain. Truly speaking, if we Nepalis follow the Dibbya Upades (Divine Counsel) of the Great King Prithivi Narayan Shah sincerely, that alone can preserve and protect our nation for a long time. He had envisioned those eternal Grand Strategies during his last days around 1774–75, which is still appropriate for Nepal.

Nepal didn’t have a documented National Security Strategy for a long time. It was during the mid-1980s that the Nepal Government developed a brief but all-encompassing national security policy strategy called the National (Security) Core Policy or the “Rastriya Mul-Niti” in 2042 BS. But, unfortunately, successive Nepal governments disowned and orphaned such a valuable national policy document for decades until 2016. But this 2016 National Security Policy document could not hold long. (See https://share.google/miAhtBNxK2sYt1Ffw).

The National (Security) Core Policy or the “Rastriya Mul-Niti–2042 BS” was far better in identifying and articulating national ends and means so as to harness core elements of national power, protection, and preservation of those powers. For example, Rastriya Mul-Niti 2042 had set goals and objectives divided into socio-cultural and religious affairs, law and justice, education, culture, social welfare, health, population, and so on. Subsequently, national and natural resources like water, geological resources, forests, and agriculture were given priority and focus. Then land reform and land management were also focused on a priority basis. On external security – enhancing regional and international relationships, policy of non-alignment, bilateral and multilateral understanding and cooperation, Panchasheel, Zone of Peace, foreign aid, and cooperation were carefully and elaborately covered. The government had a well-articulated defense policy strategy, including strong immigration policy and welfare schemes for marginalized and ex-service personnel.

So, can this wave of National Security Strategic papers be a wake-up call to bring about hibernating Nepal’s latest National Security Policy strategy that was already completed almost five years back? Or shall we start going back 250 years to the document and learn from the Great King Prithivi Narayan Shah’s Dibbya Upades (Divine Counsels), encompassing Gen-Z’s dreams and aspirations once again? If we can go back to Sun Tzu of 3000 years ago to study The Art of War, why can’t we start learning Dibbya Upades and start following the “Prithvi-Path” once again?