S/PV.6465 Security Council

I thank Ms. Landgren for her briefing. I now give the floor to the representative of Nepal.

First of all, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on assuming the presidency of the Council for the month of January. I would also like to acknowledge the presence of the new members of the Security Council and wish them all the best in their new responsibilities. We have taken note of the report of the Secretary- General on the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) contained in document S/2010/658, which highlights his assessment of the situation of Nepal’s peace process over the past four months. Likewise, I wish to take note of remarks just made by Ms. Karin Landgren, Representative of the Secretary-General. The way it has been presented, it looks as if we are moving towards a failure. I would like to state here in no uncertain terms that we are not looking at the failure of the peace process; we are working hard to ensure the successful transition towards the consolidation of peace. It is a natural shift from one stage to another. That is why there are certain complexities, which, I think, is only natural in any post-conflict situation, especially when that post- conflict situation is giving rise to an historic transformation. The United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) was established on 23 January 2007 through resolution 1740 (2007) as a special political mission to assist Nepal in its homegrown peace process. The United Nations was invited pursuant to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed on 21 November 2006 between the Government of Nepal and the then- Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist. UNMIN’s planned one-year term has seen seven extensions and now extends to 15 January 2011. I concur with the view of the Secretary-General that UNMIN has been a positive factor in the difficult context presented by the peace process during this period. On behalf of the Government and people of Nepal, we would like to express our sincere appreciation to the United Nations, and in particular to UNMIN and its dedicated staff, for their contributions in the mandated areas to consolidating peace in Nepal. They helped us move towards a post-conflict situation on solid ground. Now, we are preparing for the takeover after a four-year contribution of UNMIN to Nepal’s peace process. The Government of Nepal has made every effort to ensure a smooth handover of all the works of UNMIN to the Special Committee, which is formed under the provision of article 146 of the interim constitution of Nepal. Representation on the Special Committee is comprised of major political parties, including the Unified Communist Party of Nepal- Maoist. Resolution 1740 (2007) mandated the UNMIN to monitor the management of arms and armed personnel on both sides, assist in the monitoring of the ceasefire arrangements, and provide technical support for the planning, preparation and conduct of the election of a Constituent Assembly in a free and fair atmosphere. UNMIN provided considerable assistance to the national authorities in conducting the historic Constituent Assembly elections and, prior to that, assisted in monitoring the ceasefire. In the aftermath of the successful elections to the Constituent Assembly, UNMIN has monitored the arms and Maoist army combatants cantoned in the 7 main and 21 satellite camps in different geographic areas of the country, and chaired the Joint Monitoring Coordination Committee. After the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement on 21 November 2006, Nepal’s peace process has achieved historic progress on several fronts. The promulgation of the interim constitution, the election to the Constituent Assembly and the declaration of a Federal Democratic Republic are crucial milestones in the contemporary history of Nepal. This has been possible with the courage, determination and understanding of the people of Nepal, led by the political parties, with the firm support of the international community. The release of approximately 4,000 disqualified combatants in the beginning of 2010 was another significant step forward in our peace process. Among the released 4,008 disqualified ex-combatants, around 3,000 were identified as minors. I am happy to note that the Security Council team led by His Excellency Ambassador Claude Heller of Mexico visited Nepal in November for the first field visit of the Council’s Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. After the promulgation of the interim constitution of Nepal in 2007 and the Constituent Assembly election, Nepal’s peace process entered into the new stage of peace consolidation. The Constituent Assembly has the primary function of writing a constitution for the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal that guarantees multi-party democracy, human rights, a federal structure and inclusive governance for the historic transformation of Nepal’s political, economic and social landscapes. But at the same time, the Constituent Assembly is also working as a legislature-parliament and is therefore engaged in the parliamentary business, including the formation of a new Government. Nepal’s peace process will reach its culmination following the reintegration and rehabilitation of combatants and the promulgation of a new constitution. We are working hard on both these fronts. I would therefore like to assure the Security Council that we will be doing this with diligence and with devotion. The high-level committee comprised of top leaders from major political parties has succeeded in ironing out many of the differences — in fact, out of 180, already more than 130 have been taken care of — in the thematic reports of the Constituent Assembly. There are a number of issues that need to be settled in the months ahead by the parties at the Constituent Assembly. If it is taking more time, it is only because of the historic task of transformation that the new constitution is going to usher in the political, social and economic spheres in the days ahead. We are fully cognizant of the fact that there are some concerns that Nepal’s peace process has sometimes stalled or not moved forward as quickly as possible. But we believe that, given the necessary courage, maturity and flexibility, which the political parties have exhibited in times of need in the past, all the parties will muster a high level of maturity and understanding and move towards the logical conclusion of the peace process. This is so because the people of Nepal, more than anybody else, look forward to the full transition to a normal situation at the earliest possible time. That would effectively stimulate rapid and inclusive economic development and accelerate the building of necessary infrastructure within a consolidated atmosphere of peace and security. It would also contribute to strengthening stability and prosperity on a sustainable basis in the economically vibrant neighbourhood of Nepal. We are aware that this is what the international community is looking forward to in Nepal as well. The Government has already made the necessary preparations with a view to making the constitutionally formed Special Committee a body capable of taking over all the works of UNMIN in a seamless manner after the Mission’s withdrawal. The Special Committee will supervise arms and Maoist army combatants as per the guidelines laid out in the directives for supervision, control, direction and code of conduct for the Maoist Army combatants, which were adopted unanimously on 17 September 2010. I repeat that these directives have already been approved unanimously by the Committee. The Special Committee will itself be a place to settle disputes and any other issues that may come up in the course of the peace process onwards. The Government of Nepal has already sent a letter to UNMIN and, through it, to the United Nations on issues related to the monitoring of Maoist army combatants and arms, on the Nepal Army and arms, on the Agreement on the Monitoring of the Management of Arms and Armies, on the dispute resolution mechanism, and on the request for the transfer of the updated records of Maoist arms and army combatants and all the materials, equipment and logistics used by UNMIN for monitoring tasks. The Government and people of Nepal remain grateful to the United Nations, particularly the Security Council, for providing continued support for our peace process from the beginning. I wish to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the Council as a whole and to each and every member of the Council for extending excellent cooperation in Nepal’s peace process. I would like to express my Government’s gratitude and sincere thanks to the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for his personal interest in the success of Nepal’s peace process. He visited Nepal during UNMIN’s mandate in October 2008, and expressed his firm commitment to its success. My sincere appreciation and thanks also go to Under-Secretary-General Lynn Pascoe for his consistent involvement and several important visits that contributed to consolidating Nepal’s peace process. I would also like to thank Ms. Karin Landgren for leading her able team and for their dedicated service in Nepal. I also take this opportunity to thank her predecessor, Mr. Ian Martin, for his contribution in Nepal, first as the head of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal, and later as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of UNMIN during the crucial phases of our peace process. My thanks also go to Mr. Tamrat Samuel for his contributions in his capacity as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Director of the Asia and Pacific Division of the Department of Political Affairs. UNMIN and its leaders will be remembered for their contributions to Nepal’s peace process and contemporary developments. Finally, we are confident that we will continue to enjoy international support and goodwill to consolidate peace, stability and economic development in Nepal. It is incumbent upon me, on behalf of my Government and people, to assure the Security Council that Nepal is committed to the path of peace, stability and development and will remain fully engaged with the international community in the days ahead. Peace, development and human rights are indivisible, and they need to be supported coherently to ensure the sustainable progress of all countries around the world. This is even more true for countries emerging from conflict. We look forward to working together in the days ahead to ensure a better and prosperous future for all the Nepali people within a more peaceful and secure world.

On behalf of the Council, I would like to express our gratitude to Ms. Karin Landgren, who is today making her last briefing to the Council in her capacity as Representative of the Secretary-General in Nepal. We have appreciated her leadership of the United Nations Mission in Nepal, and we wish her every success in her future endeavours. There are no further speakers inscribed on my list. In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council’s prior consultations, I now invite Council members to informal consultations to continue our discussion on the subject.