“The members of the Security Council called on the caretaker government and all political parties to redouble their efforts and continue to work together in the spirit of compromise to fulfill their commitments,” Security Council President Ruhakana Rugunda said in a statement issued in New York on Wednesday. [break]
The call of the 15-member UN body has come at a time when the momentum that the peace process had gained in mid-September has slackened.
Bringing the peace process on track after a year of stagnancy, the government and the UCPN (Maoist) had agreed on September 13 to complete the remaining tasks related to the peace process “basically” by January 14 next year.
Following the four-point agreement, the Special Committee for supervision, integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants had decided to set up a secretariat with the objecting of taking forward the management of the ex-Maoist fighters. The meeting had also decided to bring the combatants under the committee at the earliest. But the decisions are yet to be implemented. The delay in the formation of the 12-member secretariat has led many to doubt if the peace process will be completed by the agreed deadline, which is just 86 days away.
“In this regard, the members of the Security Council underlined the importance of the agreement and implementation of a clear work plan from the Special Committee that includes timelines and benchmarks and arrangements for the management of any of UNMIN´s residual tasks, following its termination,” the Security Council President added in the statement.
The Security Council issued the statement after Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B Lynn Pascoe briefed the council on his assessment of the progress in peace process. Pascoe had visited Nepal in early October to assess the progress in the four-point agreement and had briefed the Security Council last week.
In his briefing to the 15-member body, Pascoe had stressed on the need for swift action to overcome political impasse in Nepal in order to meet the January 15 deadline to wrap up the peace process.
“There is no doubt that the 15 January deadline for UNMIN´s withdrawal has created a new sense of urgency among the parties, and more focused on thinking on how to end the prolonged stasis taking place,” the UN News Center quoted Pascoe as saying in New York.
Pascoe, who may visit again in December to assess progress in the peace process, further noted that no breakthrough had been achieved though some important steps were taken.
“It is too early to conclude that the parties are on a course that would see the four-point agreement of September 13 implemented by the January deadline,” the UN News Center further quoted Pascoe as saying.
“It is still possible for the parties to meet their targets on time but, as I stressed to all those I met during my visit, it will require translating this new-found sense of urgency into decision-making and concrete action,” Pascoe added. “The sooner these decisions are taken the better.”
The Security Council statement further states that the council members also recalled the commitment of the Nepali political parties to implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement besides noting recent developments in Nepal´s peace process, including the renewed efforts of the Special Committee to take forward the process of integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants.
“The members of the Council reaffirmed its support for Nepal´s peace process and underscored the need for continued progress in the remaining three months of UNMIN´s mandate, in accordance with resolution 1939 (2010),” the statement said.
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