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UN
monitoring of arms and armies to begin
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NEW
YORK, 1 December 2006
Security
Council
5576th
Meeting (AM)
Presidential
Statement Expresses Support for Political Mission To Monitor Arms, Elections;
Advance Deployment of Essential Personnel
Warmly
welcoming the signing on 21 November by the Government of Nepal and the
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) of a Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the
Security Council this morning agreed that the United Nations should respond
positively and expeditiously to the request of the parties for assistance
in implementing key aspects of the Agreement, in particular monitoring
of management of arms and armed personnel of both sides and election monitoring.
In
a statement read by Council President Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser (Qatar),
the Council expressed support for the Secretary-General's intention to
send a technical assessment mission to Nepal with a view to proposing 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.
The
Council issued its statement in response to a letter sent to its President
by Secretary-General Kofi Annan (Publication S/2006/920). In that letter,
the Secretary-General, referring to letters addressed to him from Nepal's
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and K.P. Sharma Oli, Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal, says that the United
Nations should respond positively to Nepal's request for assistance. He
notes that over the past several years, he has been consulting with all
sides in Nepal to encourage a negotiated political solution to the conflict.
"The present circumstances appear to provide the best opportunity yet for
achieving that aim," he states.
The
Secretary-General adds that, despite the tight timelines set by the parties,
it is imperative for the United Nations to be in a position to support
the peace process during the current interim phase by predeploying an appropriate
presence in the field as soon as possible, primarily in the areas of management
of arms and armed personnel and electoral assistance. In line with the
requests by the parties, it is currently proposed to ask the monitors to
serve in civilian clothes. The parties have expressed the hope that urgent
arrangements can be made to facilitate the rapid deployment of United Nations
monitors.
The
meeting started at 10:09 a.m. and adjourned at 10:16 a.m.
Presidential
Statement
The
full text of presidential statement S/PRST/2006/49 reads as follows:
"The
Security Council warmly welcomes the signing on 21 November by the Government
of Nepal and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) of a Comprehensive Peace
Agreement, and the commitment both parties have stated to transforming
the existing ceasefire into a permanent peace.
"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
Security Council welcomes and expresses support for the Secretary-General's
intention to send a technical assessment mission to Nepal 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.
"The
Security Council stands ready to consider the Secretary-General's formal
proposals as soon as the technical assessment is complete."
Source:
United Nations News Service 2006
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