The Nepali government has decided to ask the United Nations to extend the term of United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) by a year, a source close to the prime minister said.
According to a leading website, eKantipur.com Saturday's report, the government has, however, decided not to ask for any expansion of UNMIN's mandate.
"A decision has been taken to ask for the extension," the source was quoted by the website as saying.
In his recent report on Nepal, UN Secretary-General Ban-ki Moon had highlighted the need to extend UNMIN's mandate, the report said.
Outlining several issues "critical for the success of the peace process", the Secretary-General said, "The United Nations is well placed and at the disposal of the Nepalese parties to assist in their effort to tackle these issues. The limited focus of the mandate of UNMIN has constrained its ability to adequately assist the overall management of the peace process, whose weakness has now become evident."
Meanwhile, the chief of the UNMIN, Ian Martin, returned here Friday after attending a meeting of the UN Security Council in New York.
Talking to journalists upon arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport, Martin said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council were committed to extending all manner of support for the ongoing peace process in Nepal.
Martin said the Security Council was positive about extending UNMIN's tenure.
He said he asked the Security Council for greater role for UNMIN in Nepal. He said if the Nepali government wanted, UNMIN could play further role, in reforming the security sector, implementation of the peace process and civilian security, among other things.
He said members of the UN Security Council had expressed concern over the indefinite postponement of CA polls and insisted on a new poll date being fixed.
The UN Security Council in January unanimously adopted Resolution 1740 to establish UNMIN for one year to help oversee the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Nepali government and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).
Source:Xinhua
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