Time is short for tangible progress, says top UN official in Nepal

With two weeks before the deadline for a new constitution in Nepal expires, and on the heels of a nearly week-long strike in the South Asian country, the head of the United Nations mission there urged the political parties to peacefully agree on a way forward in the limited time available.

“Time is very short for tangible progress to be made, and UNMIN [UN Mission in Nepal] joins the Security Council in calling on the political parties to work together in the sprit of consensus and compromise, and to do so quickly,” Karin Landgren, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Representative in Nepal, told journalists in the capital, Kathmandu.

Today’s press conference was Ms. Landgren’s first public media appearance since she travelled last week to New York to brief the Security Council on the situation in Nepal.

As requested by the Government, the 15-member Council extended UNMIN’s mandate until 15 September. The mission has been assisting the peace process following the end of a decade-long civil war in 2006 between the Government and the Maoists.

“When you read the Security Council resolution, you will see reflected some impatience there that the process has not moved along faster, real concern is there about the tensions and breakdown in consensus,” Ms. Landgren said, while reiterating that there was strong support for Nepal’s peace process.

The tenure for Nepal’s Constituent Assembly ¬¬– a group tasked with writing a new constitution and acting as the interim legislature – expires in two weeks.

“UNMIN has no view on whether mediation is necessary or not, but we would encourage any steps that the parties can take to bring them close to consensus in the very short time that remains before the expiry of the Constituent Assembly,” said the envoy.

Ms. Landgren’s comments come on the heels of a six-day general strike that had shut down activity in the country until 7 May.

She commended the Government of Nepal and the Maoists “for the overall level of control and restraint they showed,” but noted that some clashes had occurred, economic losses were mounting and tensions were high.

Saying it remains in many ways a “model peace process,” Ms. Landgren said she hoped the parties would continue to respect the arms monitoring agreement “in the months to come and at a time when it may be subject to further stresses.”

The Council asked Mr. Ban to report back on the progress made in Nepal before 1 September.