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VOL. 28, NO. 09, Nov 14 , 2008 (Kartik 29 2065 B.S.)
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UNMIN
Extension Necessary
In line with what the UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon had said during his recent Nepal visit, the UNMIN chief briefs Security Council that extension of its tenure may be necessary to sustain the progress made by Nepal peace process
By A CORRESPONDENT
Come January 23, the twice-extended tenure of the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) draws to the final close.
But for the agency that was established in order to monitor the peace process, it would seem like leaving the country half way through its peace process.
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UNSG Moon: Keeping close tab on peace process |
One of the vital components of the peace process – the army integration – has not happened yet.
There are over 19,000 Maoist combatants stationed at seven cantonments spread across the country.
The government has just recently formed a special committee – envisaged by the interim constitution – for the purpose. But the issue has become a political hot potato with parties resorting to public posturing further complicating the process.
As such, many say that the expertise and deft-handling by the UNMIN could be crucial in the coming days to resolve the issue appropriately.
It was, therefore, for the same reason that when the UN Secretary General visited Nepal recently, he said that he felt the presence of UNMIN would be necessary for a certain period of time.
Martin's Brief
Earlier this week, the UNMIN chief and Special Representative of UNSG for Nepal, Ian Martin briefed the Security Council on the peace process here.
Despite the remarkable progress made by the people of Nepal towards peace and democracy, the extended assistance of the United Nations Mission there (UNMIN) and sustained support of the international community was needed, Ian Martin, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the Mission told the Security Council.
Addressing the 15-member body along with the representative of Nepal, Martin noted that the Secretary-General, in his visit to the Himalayan country last week, had said that the recently elected Constituent Assembly was the most inclusive legislative body in the country's history. However, he had added that the political transformation in the Himalayan country must go hand in hand with social and economic transformation; steady progress in the peace process would ensure international support.
He said that, according to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda", the priorities of the
Government were completing the peace process, ensuring the drafting of the new constitution and achieving rapid economic progress. There were major challenges in each area, but UNMIN's mandate related directly to the peace process.
In describing the tasks that remained before the Mission had completed its work, he noted the difficulties in forming a special committee responsible for the supervision, integration and rehabilitation of the former Maoist combatants, which would simplify UNMIN's monitoring responsibilities.
Once the committee began to function, he added, it would face many difficulties because of widely differing views regarding the extent to which Maoist army combatants should or should not be integrated into the State Army. He said that the discharge from the Maoist army cantonments of some 4,000 personnel under the age of 18 in May was not dependent on the special committee, but had been long overdue.
He said he shared the desire of the Security Council to bring UNMIN's mandate to completion as soon as possible. The Secretary-General wanted to drawdown further and close the Mission in a manner that did not jeopardize the peace process and ensured continuing international support for consolidating peace. However, in discussions with the Secretary-General last week, the Prime Minister had said that the Mission's presence at the cantonments would remain necessary pending integration and rehabilitation.
Even under the most optimistic assumptions, that process could now not be expected to end by January, within the Mission's current mandate. The Secretary-General had asked that if a further extension was to be requested by the Government, it should be made as soon as possible.
He envisaged that any recommendation to the Council in response to such a request would be for a substantially smaller presence. Experience in various countries, however, had demonstrated the dangers of failing to address successfully the issue of former combatants and the risks that that could pose to stability.
That key aspect of the peace process and the need for cooperation among Nepal's political parties must be seen in the wider context of their implementation of commitments, he said. The 25 June agreement reiterated many of those commitments, but commissions provided for in the agreements were yet to be formed and compensation of victims of the conflict, as well as investigation into the fate of those who disappeared, the return of displaced persons and property seized and legitimization of youth groups still needed to be pursued. The Madhesi parties also demanded inclusion in all processes, as promised.
"Our aim is the earliest possible completion of the Mission's mandate," he said. "But also the sustained and intensified support of the United Nations system and international community to the peace, development and change which the people of Nepal have demanded."
Nepal's representative, Madhu Raman Acharya, said that the success of his country's peace process lay, indeed, in full national ownership, as well as inclusiveness. The political leadership had taken into account the broader aspiration of the Nepalese people for peace and democracy.
UNMIN's presence would not be required after the process of managing the cantonment of armed forces and weapons was completed, he said. If that process went beyond the end of the current mandate on 23 January 2009, the Government, in consultation with the special committee and the political parties, might request an extension of UNMIN's mandate as soon as such a decision was reached. In that case, UNMIN's presence, which had been already significantly downsized, might be required for another six months maximum, with further adjustment, with a view to allowing it to terminate itself by that time.
Taking note of the Secretary-General's remarks about the consolidation of cantonments in the report, he said that such rearrangement might unnecessarily complicate the process and exacerbate the already poor infrastructure and facilities in the cantonments. It could also unwittingly prolong the rehabilitation and integration process, which were key to logically conclude the peace process.
The Government was committed to taking measures to expedite implementation of the special committee's decisions, so that UNMIN could complete its task in line with the Security Council's mandate.
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Martin: Extension may be necessary |
After those two statements, Saul Weisleder of Costa Rica, which holds the Council presidency for November, took the floor in his national capacity to welcome progress in Nepal, but also to call for bringing to justice those who had committed crimes during the armed conflict. He supported the Nepalese Government's intention to set up a truth and reconciliation commission, and to investigate the whereabouts of missing persons and bolster the rule of law. He urged the Constituent Assembly to do its very best to achieve agreement and move forward in drafting a new constitution.
He also expressed concern over slow progress in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants, expressing the hope that funds provided by the peace building fund would make it possible to speed up the process. Costa Rica, he said, would be ready to consider a limited extension of UNMIN's mandate, if requested by the Secretary-General or the Government of Nepal. He warned against withdrawing the Mission in haste or maintaining a larger mission than was required.
The Council had before it the report of the Secretary-General on the request of Nepal for United Nations assistance in support of its peace process, which commends the parties in the Asian country for their commitment to consolidating democracy, but also states that "understandable" delays in forming the Government have not led to the "hoped for progress" to allow the United Nations special political mission in the country, known as UNMIN, to wind down by its mandate's end next January, as previously called for by the Council.
