Secretary-General's Press Conference in Kathmandu, Nepal [unofficial transcript]

I am delighted to be here today, to congratulate the people of Nepal, in person, for the remarkable historic progress they have made in establishing peace.

I particularly want to commend the Nepalese people for the successful election of the Constituent Assembly in a largely peaceful process this past April that has earned the respect of the international community.

This trip is historic not only for me personally, but also because I have the privilege to be the first United Nations Secretary-General to visit this great country since its Assembly was formed. And just prior to this press conference, I had the honour to be the first Secretary-General to address the Constituent Assembly and congratulate them again for the success.

As mentioned in my speech earlier at the Constituent Assembly, the most immediate challenge ahead is to integrate and rehabilitate the Maoist combatants. In this regard, I welcome the recent establishment of the special committee to supervise, integrate and rehabilitate Maoist army combatants.

I encourage the parties represented on the committee to ensure that it begins its important work as soon as possible. I also call on the Government to move quickly on the formal discharge of minors and disqualified combatants.

The Assembly is proof of Nepal's remarkable progress and collective effort towards a new and better future. I, and the United Nations, represented in Nepal by our political Mission, UNMIN, under the leadership of my Special Representative, Mr. Ian Martin, are proud to be part of this historic change.

As your partners, we are taking many concrete steps. The UN Peacebuilding Fund, for example, has released ten million dollars to the UN Peace Fund for Nepal. This money will finance local peacebuilding programmes. It will also help to reintegrate former combatants, generate youth employment and put other measures in place.

I have been, and will continue to watch with great interest, the peace process and its achievements, and to pledge the UN's continued strong support.

The concerted actions of the political parties, together with civil society and other stakeholders, were vital in bringing about the uniquely Nepalese-driven political and social transformation.

To that end, I encourage the parties to continue to work in a spirit of compromise and cooperation on drafting the new constitution, the future of the Maoist army and other key peacebuilding initiatives.

I am also here to offer my sincere thanks to Nepal, an important Member State of the United Nations, which has contributed so much to the organization. For more than 50 years, Nepal has contributed over sixty-thousand Nepalese troops and police to serve in UN peacekeeping operations around the world.

The United Nations greatly values Nepal's contribution to peacekeeping operations, as well as its continued and enhanced support.

I am proud that the UN has been a close partner in Nepal's development effort, in its struggle to end the 10-year conflict and to implement the 2006 Comprehensive Peace Agreement. I am fully committed to the work of the United Nations in support of the peace process.

Nepal has come a long way, but the journey continues, as there are still a number of challenges to overcome. The people of Nepal have taken a stand for democracy, and it would be especially inspiring for the entire world to see Nepal, which already makes such a tremendous difference in peacekeeping for others, overcome its own conflict and achieve lasting peace at home.

Now, I'd be happy to take your questions.

Thank you very much!

Q: Secretary-General, after meeting the main political actors here, how convinced are you that the Maoists are totally committed to multiparty parliamentary democracy? Thank you.

SG: I have met all the political leaders, the important parties' leaders, and while I congratulated the historic transformation that they have achieved recently, I also urged them to overcome the differences of their positions. They should look beyond their party lines, and look for the future of their own country and people. And I urged and appealed to them that this special committee should be formed and launched as soon as possible, so that they can address these very important issues. And I'm convinced that they heard my appeal, and I hope sincerely that, on the occasion of my visit, they will be able to reconcile and start their work as mandated by their people.

Q: As you have said in your statement –that the immediate challenge is the integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants –as this has become a very crucial issue now, do you think that UNMIN should be provided a more active role in this regard, and have you had any talks regarding this with Prime Minister Dahal and other political leaders?

SG: This process of the special committee and democratization is driven by the Nepalese people. The United Nations, led by UNMIN, will continue to persist and facilitate such a role for the Nepalese Government and political leaders. And if they request any other information, then we can also provide some experiences and know-how of examples of other countries. But I would urge that the Nepalese Government and political leaders cooperate among themselves, overcoming differences of position, in the spirit of compromise and flexibility and political leadership.

Q: The Nepal Government policy document has vowed to complete Maoist army integration within six months. But many days have passed, unsubstantive, since the formation of the army integration special committee. Still there are major differences regarding the composition of the special committee. In this context, how feasible is it to see army integration completed within six months?

SG: That has been a very important part of my consultation with many political leaders, the Prime Minister and Government leaders. I sincerely hope, and I again urge all the political leaders and all Government leaders that they should be able to work in a spirit of cooperation and compromise and also flexibility. They have come a long way until today. Now they should overcome these political party lines; they should work for national unity, going beyond their differences of opinion. The people and political leaders of Nepal are going through a crucially important, historic period. Depending on what they will do, the coming few months will make a huge difference for the long-term future of Nepal and the Nepalese people. The whole world and the United Nations are watching very closely, with a high level of expectations, as we have been watching closely during the peaceful election, and also during the very traumatic transformation from monarchy to federal republic. So please bear in mind all of the historic responsibilities that they have.

Q: During your visit to India, in your talks with authorities there, did Nepal figure in the talks? And if it did, what kind of talks did you have about UNMIN's continued presence in Nepal?

SG: I also had good discussions with Government and political leaders of India. Of course, one of the subjects of our discussions was the very encouraging, positive development of the situation in the Subcontinent, including the one which has taken place in Nepal. We all appreciate the very encouraging development of the situation towards the democratization process here. We also agree that the international community, together with the United Nations, should fully cooperate and assist the Nepalese Government and people's very noble efforts to realize democratization in parallel with socio-economic development.

Q: What is going to be the UN's approach in dealing with those officers in the Nepal Army who have been implicated in human rights scandals? We have heard unofficial reports that that the UN has informally told the Nepal Army that it is not open to recruiting these officers for international peacekeeping operations. Could you confirm what is going to be the future approach?

SG: As I said, the United Nations is deeply grateful to the contribution of the Nepalese Government to UN peacekeeping operations –you are the fifth largest troop contributing country. Currently, one very distinguished Nepalese general is now serving as a force commander in Sudan. We would welcome more contributions from the Nepal Government, but we would welcome again if they are nominated by the Nepal Government as peacekeepers to the UN peacekeeping operations; we would welcome it but, at the same time, those soldiers should be part of Nepalese national army. This is the basic position and principle of UN peacekeeping operations –and there were many such cases, even in peacekeeping operations, in which even former rebels, when they were integrated into the national army of Member States of the United Nations, were recruited as part of UN peacekeeping operations. So, therefore, integration of former combatants with the regular national army of Nepal, that would have to be decided and carried out by the Nepalese Government. There is a standard criteria, all peacekeepers should meet all of this criteria and standards of UN peacekeeping operations.

Q: Your visit to Nepal was very important. We have seen a dramatic change in Nepal, so we have a mass representation of women –190 women. This is due to the contribution of Ian Martin and also the United Nations and the present leadership. So, the United Nations has given 10 million dollars, I think this is peanuts, because we have floods in the east and west. Are you, Ban Ki-moon –it has been mentioned that due to the fuel crisis we have a famine in the mountain; the transportation of food grains is very difficult. So I request your contribution, the United Nations Development Programme needs much more help for women's upliftment, because we have 33 percent women in the Parliament. I request you that.

SG: Thank you very much for your very valuable suggestions. In fact, gender equality, gender balance, gender empowerment is one of the top priorities of the United Nations, and also of myself as Secretary-General. You must have seen how much of a difference I have made since I became Secretary-General in the United Nations system, to have more women employed at senior positions. And also, I have seen women's participation and integration into every level of Nepalese society. But, as you said, I would hope there should be more such distinguished women participating in every level of your society. This is important not only for Nepal but for all balance, progress, prosperity, and to peace all around the world. The United Nations takes it to be very important, and we will carry on this very important principle of gender equality and balance and empowerment in the future.

Q: On army integration, the politically indoctrinated Maoist army is being integrated into the national army, and there are also reports that the Maoists want their deputy commander to be army chief of the combined army. So, don't you see a danger of Maoist takeover? And the Maoists are also talking about establishing a communist republic, so don't you see that as a threat to democracy?

SG: As I said, I think the integration of all the people for national unity is a very important policy, but who is to be integrated, how to be integrated –that is what the Nepalese Government and people should decide. As I said earlier, the United Nations will be ready to provide necessary information and support in your efforts to do that.

Q: First of all, thank you for the visit, Your Excellency. My question is –I leave it to the political historians, ten years down the road, to decide how much difference UNMIN has made –but I can see, as a casual analyst, that it has made a difference in bringing the two warring parties together and taking the peace process forward. My question and concern is, as UNMIN begins to downsize, it's been a major political player in town. Don't you think such a large Mission, when it leaves, will leave behind a political vacuum that will have repercussions on the larger peace process while it is still at very, very fragile stage? Thank you.

SG: Now, when UNMIN was established, there was a clear mandate, authorized by the UN Security Council, and a large part of that mandate, I think, has been fulfilled through this very successful democratic election, which was held last April. And UNMIN has been supporting and facilitating and providing necessary know-how and experience and assistance through that. Now that you are going through all this very important historic political peace process and transformation, I think in some other areas there may still be areas where UNMIN should continue to assist. I have discussed this matter about the future role of UNMIN with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister and the President, and I understand that the Nepalese Government wants to see the extension of the mandate of UNMIN for a certain period of time, which needs to be determined and discussed by the UN Security Council. I will continue to discuss this matter with the Nepalese Government, and bring the positions of the Nepalese Government to the Security Council for consultation. But at this time I believe that, for a certain period of time, the UN will have to continue to assist the peace process of Nepal, for peace and stability and the democratization process, as well as development projects in Nepal.

Q: I've been doing “Radio for Peace” for the last couple of years. I have a question. Let's say, as you mentioned in your statement, that there will be continued strong support to Nepal after the peace process comes to a logical conclusion. So, could you just specify, will there be any special package for Nepal, for its reconstruction as well as socio-economic development, in the coming days? Thank you very much.

SG: We will continue to discuss how the UN can support your very noble efforts. Even with the downsizing, or even with or without UNMIN in the future –after all, this process should be Nepal-driven, particularly when it comes to the peace process, and also reintegration, rehabilitation of former combatants. That should be driven by the Nepalese Government and people. But the United Nations has a broader responsibility, again, to help Nepal; as one of the landlocked countries and as one of the least-developed nations, the United Nations has a broader responsibility and role to play to help your Government and people so that you can have socio-economic development in the broader framework of the Millennium Development Goals. And we also have a broader responsibility to ensure that human rights are promoted and protected properly in Nepal. We will continue to be part of this process, and continue to be part of this help to the Nepalese Government and people. Thank you very much. Dhanyabad.