S/PV.5576 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. I wish to draw the attention of the members to document S/2006/920, containing a letter dated 22 November 2006 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council. Following consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: “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 United Nations 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”. This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2006/49. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.