Just a day after asking the global body to play a subordinate role in order to help a civil society led committee “on issues related to human rights and their observance,” the “summit meeting” between the top leaders of the Seven Party Alliance and the CPN (Maoist) on Friday agreed to urge the UN to help and monitor the management of arms and armed personnel during the elections to the Constituent Assembly.

Matthew Kahane, resident coordinator of the UN system in Nepal

Matthew Kahane, resident coordinator of the UN system in Nepal (File Photo)
Kantipur daily quoted Matthew Kahane, resident coordinator of the UN system in Nepal, as saying that the UN welcomed the decision of both the sides to involve the United Nations in helping and monitoring the management of arms and armed forces in order to conduct the Constituent Assembly elections in a free and fair way. “The UN is always ready and encouraged to help in the Nepal peace process,” he added.

During the second round of talks held at Hotel Himalaya in Lalitpur on Thursday, the government and Maoists negotiating teams during the second round of talks formed a 31-member ‘ceasefire code of conduct monitoring team’ headed by Dr Devendra Raj Panday, a civil society leader.

The two sides also urged the UN OHCHR-Nepal to provide assistance to the Ceasefire and Code of Conduct National Monitoring Committee on issues related to human rights and their observance.

The UN-OHCHR mission arrived in Nepal in June last year with the mandate to monitor the observance of human rights and international humanitarian law throughout the country, to carry out investigations by international human rights officers, advise the authorities of Nepal on the formulation and implementation of policies, programmes and measures for the promotion and protection of human rights in Nepal, provide advisory services and support to the National Human Rights Commission, representatives of civil society, human rights NGOs and individuals and submit analytic reports to the Commission on Human Rights and the General Assembly, among others.

Talking to Nepalnews, leading rights activist Krishna Pahadi said the UN should be given a leading role in the monitoring of ceasefire and peace process in Nepal.

Maoist Chairman Prachanda talking to journalists for the first time publicly after the summit talks between the govt. and the Maoists at the prime minister’s residence Friday evening, June 16 06. nepalnews.com

Maoist Chairman Prachanda talking to journalists for the first time publicly after the ….
He alleged that the Maoists and the Nepal government exhibited a dual character by giving mandate of monitoring the ceasefire to the civil society and asking the UN to assist it.

“By not inviting UN in the supervision and monitoring of ceasefire, both the sides have breached the 12-point understanding between them,” Pahadi added.

He further said that the major role of the UN was essential for the success of the talks between the government and the Maoists and to hold elections to the constituent assembly in a free and fair manner.

Pahadi, who has resigned from the national monitoring committee formed by the negotiating teams on Thursday, said, “I was not informed earlier. We have been asking for the UN involvement in the peace process, not a national committee.”

Talking to Nepalnews, Ram Babu Shah, National information officer at the UN system in Nepal, said that it was up to the government to provide any role to the UN and that the UN stood ready to take up any role assigned by the government in Nepal peace process.

He further said that the government needed to write a formal letter to the UN clearly specifying the role the global body was supposed to play.

“It is positive that the both the sides agreed to invite UN in the peace process of Nepal, but the UN is yet to receive any formal letter to start its work.”

Similarly, general secretary of the Forum for Protection of Human Rights (FOPHUR), Gopal Siwkoti “Chintan” said the UN was the best and credible medium for monitoring ceasefire and supervise the arms of the government and the Maoist rebels during the election for the Constituent Assembly.