Kathmandu, December 17:

The United Nations Technical Assessment Mission today completed its assessment work on the requirements for monitoring personnel, logistical support and resources for the monitoring of arms and armies. The mission’s report will soon be sent to the UN headquarters for approval, said Ian Martin, Personal Representative of UN the Secretary General.

“The assessment mission has today completed its work, and a report will be dispatched to the UN Headquarters for decision of the Secretary-General,” said Martin. The report will cover detailed proposal of the personnel, logistical support and resources required for the mission to monitor arms and armies, to provide electoral assistance and monitoring as well as to monitor human rights and other ceasefire agreements, he said.

It is for the Secretary-General to decide on the report, following which, he will present his own report before the Security Council proposing the new mission, said Martin at a press briefing here today.

Once the Council endorses the proposal and mandates the new mission, “the door will open to obtain the full budget.”

The 35 monitors of arms and armies will shortly be here in the country, out of whom, the first group will be here in ten days while the second group is expected to arrive by mid-January. Work will begin as soon as the first group arrives and the monitors will undergo a three-day training and will start visiting the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) cantonment sites and Nepal Army barracks and installations, according to Martin.

Furthermore, discussions with the parties are continuing regarding the formation of a Gurkha Interim Task Force comprising Nepali ex-servicemen from the British and Indian armies for the round-the-clock presence at the weapons storage sites until the UN presence is complete, he said. Neither the UN personnel nor the task force will be armed.

The Joint Monitoring Coordination Committee (JMCC), comprising of the Nepal Army, the PLA and Martin’s team, led by General Jan Erik Wilhelmsen, held it first meeting today.

“The tasks immediately ahead include further visits to the sites where weapons will be stored to determine the locations where the weapons containers will be located and where the monitoring personnel will be stationed, as well as visits to the PLA proposed satellite sites,” said Martin.

Expressing concern over reports of the problems faced by the Maoist cadres at the cantonment sites, he said that the United Nations agencies were willing to respond to government’s assistance while it is agreed with the Maoists how to provide such assistance.