An agreement and related Memorandum of Understanding to relocate the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific from New York to Kathmandu have been concluded between Nepal and the United Nations Secretariat, the Nepal mission to UN said.

Amid a brief ceremony held on Friday at the United Nations Headquarters, Nepal’s mission chief to the UN Madhu Raman Acharya and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs of the United Nations Sergio de Queiroz Duarte signed the Host Country Agreement and the Memorandum of Understanding, on behalf of the government of Nepal and the Office for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations respectively.

With the conclusion of these agreements, the Office for Disarmament Affairs will now be able to expedite the process to physically move the centre to Kathmandu and start its works from there within six months as required by a resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly during its 61st session last year.

According to the agreement, Nepal shall provide some initial and operational costs of the centre, including the salaries of locally-recruited personnel. The centre will be headed by a full-time international Director.

The centre, established as per the resolution of the General Assembly of November 30, 1987, has so far been operating from New York.