UN Will Continue to Work In Nepal If Asked for: Tamrat
TAMRAT SAMUEL, a UN envoy, says the UN will continue to play its role in Nepal despite growing needs elsewhere.
The following is the address by Tamrat Samuel, a deputy special representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in Nepal. He delivered the address in Kathmandu on 24 October, 2007, on the occasion of United Nations Day:
Distinguished Guests, UN Colleagues,
Ian Martin, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in Nepal, is currently in New York preparing to introduce the third quarterly report of the Secretary-General on the peace process in Nepal and the work of UNMIN. So I am very pleased to join you today, in what is an opportunity for the United Nations and our Nepali partners reflect on the impact of our work to help foster both peace and development in Nepal, and to consider what we can do better in the year ahead.
United Nations Day comes each year at a time of the important religious festival of Dasain, when many people in Nepal return to their families in villages across the country. This too is a time of reflection for many people, of the year past and of the hopes for the year to come. Nepalis have been through an important year in terms of consolidating the peace process, and while many people are disappointed at the postponement of the Constituent Assembly election for a second time, it is important that all Nepalis recognize how far they have come in building the foundation for permanent peace – and take inspiration from these joint efforts to re-commit to strengthening the peace process in the months ahead.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Just over a year ago, the historic Comprehensive Peace Accord was signed, fulfilling one of the greatest demands of the Jana Andolan of April 2006 – to bring the armed conflict to a permanent end. Since that time, major achievements include: the agreement governing the management of their arms and armed personnel and the development of joint mechanisms for working together to manage this process; the Interim Parliament-Legislature was constituted, including representatives of the CPN (Maoist); the Interim Constitution was negotiated and brought into effect; an Interim Government was formed though the Maoist Ministers have tendered their resignation, which we hope will be reversed through a new consensus; agreements were reached between the Government and representatives of both the Janajati and Madhesi peoples. And Nepal’s Election Commission worked through the complex task of preparing the ground for a credible Constituent Assembly election with technical skill and political objectivity.
The people of Nepal are keen that political leaders work together to put the peace process back on track, after the postponement of the Constituent Assembly election. In his recent statement to the press, Ian Martin emphasized that the current crisis has come about not just because of failure to reach agreement on two issues in the lead-up to the election, but as a reflection of deeper differences in perception and approach, and as a result of weaknesses in the overall management of the peace process, particularly the failure to implement agreements on certain key issues. This requires dialogue not only among the seven parties but with marginalized groups, civil society and all democratic forces; cooperation at the local level to establish effective governance and public security; addressing the future of Maoist combatants and the security sector in general; more effective organization of the process of making peace and implementation mechanisms; a renewed commitment by all to non-violent and democratic political activity and the guiding principles as enshrined in the Twelve-Point Understanding and the CPA; and independent monitoring of all peace process commitments.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The political parties, in their 5 October statement, urged the international community, and specifically the United Nations, to continue supporting Nepal’s peace process, to further the development of democracy and hold the Constituent Assembly election. The Secretary-General stated that the UN will indeed continue to assist the efforts to establish durable peace in Nepal, and the Security Council has also expressed its commitment to assist Nepal in creating conditions conducive to a credible election. This week, the Security Council will consider the Secretary-General’s report on Nepal and receive a briefing from the SRSG, Ian Martin. The international community remains committed to assisting Nepal’s peace process. UNMIN will continue to fulfill its function and be of even greater help if required.
As you are no doubt aware, the United Nations operations in the area of peace and security are expanding at a major rate. The United Nations is playing and will play the roles that are asked of it. The commitment of the United Nations – the Security Council, the Secretary-General, UNMIN, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and all UN agencies in Nepal – to support the process will remain firm, despite growing demands elsewhere, if the political leaders of Nepal now rise to the challenge before them.
Thank you.
Posted by Editor on October 25, 2007 10:47 PM