UN Political Chief to Travel to India and Nepal Next Month

New York, Nov 24 2010 2:10PM
The United Nations political chief will be visiting India and Nepal from 2 to 4 December, the world body announced today.

Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe will hold discussions on a range of regional and international issues while in India.

In Nepal, he will assess efforts by the country’s political leaders toward concluding the key remaining tasks of the peace process and preparing for the departure in January of the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN).

The Mission was set up in 2007, a year after the Government and the Maoists signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), ending a decade-long civil war which claimed some 13,000 lives.

Its mandate includes monitoring the arms and armies for both the Government and Maoist sides, providing technical assistance to the Election Commission, and assisting in monitoring the ceasefire.

This will be Mr. Pascoe’s second visit to Nepal since the Security Council decided in September to conclude UNMIN’s mandate as of 15 January 2011.

“He will be looking particularly at the status of decision-making and planning for reintegrating and rehabilitating combatants and for ensuring an orderly withdrawal of the Mission that leaves no critical gaps,” UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters.

ENDS

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