Security Council supports speedy UN assistance for Nepal’s peace process

The United Nations Security Council today expressed its support for speedy UN assistance to Nepal, following the landmark peace deal signed last week between the Government and the Maoists ending 10-years of civil war that killed 15,000 people and displaced over 100,000 others.

The 15-member body said in a presidential statement that it fully backed Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s intention to send an initial assessment team and also an advance group of up to 60 to monitor the management of arms and armed personnel, as well as to give advice on next year’s planned elections.

“The Security Council notes the request of the parties for United Nations assistance in implementing key aspects of the Agreement, in particular monitoring of arrangements relating to the management of arms and armed personnel of both sides and election monitoring. The Security Council agrees that the United Nations should respond positively and expeditiously to this request for assistance.”

The statement read by Council President Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser of Qatar expresses support for the Secretary-General’s intention to send a technical assessment mission “with a view to proposing, following close consultations with the parties, a fully developed concept of UN operations, including a United Nations political mission to deliver the assistance requested, and to dispatch an advance deployment of essential personnel of up to 35 monitors and 25 electoral personnel.”

On Wednesday, while briefing the Council, the Secretary-General’s Personal Representative in the Himalayan country Ian Martin said that last week’s agreement represents “the most promising opportunity for the establishment of lasting peace and far-reaching reform.”

Mr. Martin called on the Council to support Mr. Annan’s recommendations, adding that recent developments in Nepal represented “an opportunity” to be grasped.