Security Council votes to end UN mission in Nepal in January

The Security Council today voted to wind up the United Nations mission supporting Nepal’s peace process in January next year after the country’s opposing political groups reached agreement earlier this week on completing the final tasks of the stalled process by that date.

The UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) was set up in 2007, one year after the end of a bloody decade-long civil war pitting Government forces against the Maoists.

After conducting Constituent Assembly elections in May 2008, the South Asian country abolished its 240-year-old monarchy and declared itself a republic. But the peace process has slowed since then, threatened by tensions and mistrust.

On Monday, Nepal’s caretaker Government and political parties reached an agreement to complete the remaining tasks of the peace process by 14 January 2011.

In response, the Security Council decided unanimously to extend UNMIN’s mandate – set to have expired today – until 15 January 2011, after which the mission is to leave Nepal.

In his latest report to the Council on the mission, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon indicated that he is not in favour of repeated extensions of UNMIN’s mandate in an atmosphere of persistent and unfounded criticism that complicates its ability to function.

“As I have stated before, the United Nations interest is to see UNMIN complete its mandated tasks and bring closure to its work in Nepal,” he wrote.

Mr. Ban pointed to resolving the future of the two armies – that of Nepal and the Maoists – and completing the drafting of the constitution as some of the main outstanding tasks in the peace process.

The deadline for finishing the constitution has been extended by one year until 28 May 2011.

The report also noted that Nepal’s major parties are “preoccupied by profound internal fissures and the question of power-sharing,” adding that “over three months have passed without notable headway in the peace process.”

Today’s Council resolution called on the Government and the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (UCPN-M) to set up an action plan with clear targets for the rehabilitation and integration of Maoist army personnel.

It also called upon “all political parties in Nepal to expedite the peace process, and to work together in a spirit of cooperation, consensus and compromise in order to continue the transition to a durable long-term solution to enable the country to move to a peaceful, democratic and more prosperous future.”

Last week, Karin Landgren, Mr. Ban’s Representative for Nepal, appealed to all parties to urgently tackle the existing climate of mistrust and the problems in forming a government, stressing that the stalled peace process must be brought back on track as soon as possible.

“Nepal’s peace process has not failed, even though it has moved far more slowly and unevenly than anticipated by either the parties or the Council,” she told the Security Council.

“The process can be brought back on track if the political leadership is ready to reassess priorities and place this process at the front and centre of their political activity, recognizing that only through continued and persistent negotiation can it move forward.”