UN official urges Nepal to consolidate gains of peace process

New York / Sept 24: A senior UN official has urged Nepal to work on the solidification of the achievements made in the peace process so far for early conclusion of the transitional justice process.

Talking to journalists at the UN Headquarters in New York on Sunday, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary General, said the UN has been also involved in accompanying the people in Nepal to conclude the transitional justice process.

The remarks of the UN official comes at a time when the government is struggling to appoint the heads and office bearers for the two transitional justice mechanisms, formed in line with the Comprehensive Peace Accord reached between the government and the Maoist rebels after a decade of civil war, due to political differences within the ruling party and the opposition parties.

Transitional justice mechanisms, including the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Commission for the Investigation of Enforced Disappeared Persons, have remained defunct for the last six months without their heads and other office-bearers to carry out their mandated tasks.

“The United Nations has been accompanying the people of Nepal in concluding their transition for a couple of years. It is very important for the solidification of what has been achieved so far in terms of peace in the country,” Dujarric said. “We will work with the government of Nepal and the people on that issue.”

The UN had mediated the disarmament of Maoists in Nepal and was also involved in the democratic elections that followed.

Address of Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali in the UN General Assembly has been keenly awaited in Nepal, given the repeated failure of the government to fulfill its promises to conclude the peace process. While addressing the 73rd session of the UNGA last year, Prime Minister KP Oli had said that Nepal’s peace process will be a lesson for other countries.