Thirteen UN monitors arrive, Martin to leave for New York today

Of the 35 already authorised, 13 UN monitors have arrived in the country. The training of the first batch of this group of monitors ends on Saturday and they will start operating in two teams – one from Kathmandu and another from Nepalgunj.

According to Ian Martin, Personal Representative of the UN Secretary General, the 35 monitors will be available for deployment from January 15.

Addressing a press conference in the capital on Friday, Martin said the recruitment and selection of the 111 members of the Interim Task Force (ITF) – being carried out on the basis of consensus among the Nepali Army, Maoist army and Joint Monitoring Coordination Committee (JMCC) - will be completed on Friday. The ITF consists of ex-Gurkha soldiers.

"My military adviser will be advising the commander of the ITF on the planning, organisation, training and equipment of the ITF," said Martin, adding, "Subject to the logistical arrangements being made by the government, we expect the ITF to deploy to the seven main cantonment sites late next week, so they and the UN arms monitors will work in cooperation from the outset, under the coordination of JMCC."

Martin also informed that the weapons storage containers are now in place at six of the sites, while the one for the Rolpa site remains to be transported there.

"Registration teams provided by UNDP are on stand-by to begin registration by 15 January, initially of weapons and later of combatants," he said.

He informed that the report of the Secretary General based on the recommendations of the Technical Assessment Mission, has been finalised. He said that he expects the Security Council to consider Nepal on January 11. "But the agenda of the SC is always subject to last minute changes," he added.

Meanwhile, Martin is leaving for New York on Friday with the mission of updating the progress of Nepal peace process to the member states of the Security Council and to help in finalisation of planning and budgeting.

Martin also expressed his confidence that the support given by former Secretary General Kofi Annan to the Nepal peace process will be continued by the new SG Ban Ki Moon.

Martin also informed that Dr. Fida Nasrullah, a Lebanese citizen, has been appointed as UN Chief Electoral Adviser, to help in the Constituent Assembly elections. nepalnews.com sd Jan 05 07

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