Ban Ki-moon may propose ending UNMIN's Nepal mandate

KATHMANDU, Sept 4: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that he will propose termination of the mandate of UNMIN, the United Nations Mission in Nepal, if parties here fail to reach consensus on fulfilling their commitments on the future of the Nepal Army and the Maoist combatants and the phasing out of UNMIN.

Ban´s warning relating to the future of UNMIN, whose next term extension beyond September 15 is under discussion, appears in his new report to be submitted to the UN
Security Council. The Council is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, September 7.

An advance copy of the report has been circulated to Nepal and UN Security Council members only.

“Should these discussions [on UNMIN´s mandate] offer neither clarity over the role of the Mission [UNMIN] nor any prospect of consensus among the parties to the CPA [Comprehensive Peace Agreement] and AMMAA [Agreement on Management and Monitoring of Arms and Armies] regarding a realistic and time-bound fulfillment of their commitments concerning the armies and the phasing out of UNMIN monitoring, then I will propose alternative measures to the Council, including the possible termination of UNMIN´s mandate,” Ban said in the report.

Established in January 2007 by the Security Council, UNMIN´s sixth term expires on September 15 and its next term has become a matter of controversy among political parties. The government is likely to take a decision on the future of the UN´s political mission next week, according to Peace Minister Rakam Chemjong.

Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, who received a copy of the report on Friday, is currently busy in consultations with parties and ambassadors representing the UNSC countries in Kathmandu over what should be done about UNMIN.

Earlier in the 10-page report, Ban expressed his concern over Nepal´s request for short term extensions and frequent attacks on UNMIN by the government and other agencies at different times. Ban has further said that the mission has been repeatedly made a “scapegoat for matters which lie beyond its mandate”.

"I am not in favor of repeated extensions of the Mission´s mandate in an atmosphere of persistent and unfounded criticism that complicates its ability to function.
-- Ban Ki-moon"

“Since January 2010, the Council has acceded to two requests for four-month extensions of the mission. I am not in favor of repeated extensions of the Mission´s mandate in an atmosphere of persistent and unfounded criticism that complicates its ability to function,” Ban has said.

Politicians and senior ministers representing non-Maoist parties have often criticized UNMIN for its role in monitoring the peace process. Since its last term extension in May alone, the mission has been dragged into two major controversies.

It was widely criticized after its 60-week plan of action for management of Maoist combatants was leaked to media. UNMIN was accused of doing something that does not fall under its mandate. Second, the army recently accused the mission of being tilted toward the Maoists.

In the past, UNMIN was accused of not properly monitoring the Maoist combatants in cantonments.

Ban, in his report, further expressed dissatisfaction over the parties failing to implement their commitments on the peace process that, he said, has made no notable headway since his last report to the Council in April.

“The six extensions of UNMIN´s mandate have taken place on the unfulfilled expectation, and the commitment of the government, that remaining key tasks of the peace process would be brought to a close,” he said, adding that the commitments have become unrealistic in the absence of a consensual approach.

Stating that Nepal is being governed by a caretaker government and the parties are paying more attention to the formation of a new government, Ban has recommend that the Security Council roll over UNMIN´s current mandate in order to permit the necessary discussions to take place with a duly formed government.

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