SCOPE OF UN CONVENTIONAL ARMS REGISTER TO REMAIN UNDER REVIEW, BY DRAFT RESOLUTION APPROVED IN FIRST COMMITTEE

Fifty-sixth General Assembly

First Committee

20^th Meeting (PM)

SCOPE OF UN CONVENTIONAL ARMS REGISTER TO REMAIN UNDER REVIEW,

BY DRAFT RESOLUTION APPROVED IN FIRST COMMITTEE

CORRECTION

On page 8 of Press Release GA/DIS/3215 issued 31 October, the statement in explanation of position by Nepal should read as follows:

Speaking after action on the text, the representative of Nepal said that, given the consensus on the draft, which contained an operative paragraph calling on the Secretary-General to ensure the Centre’s physical operation in Kathmandu, he deemed it appropriate to brief delegations on the latest status of the host country agreement.  His Government, as the Centre’s host, had communicated firmly to the Department for Disarmament Affairs its willingness to sign the host country agreement, as proposed by the United Nations.  It was looking forward to signing that Agreement in the first week of October.

He said his Government, fully aware of its obligations as a host to the Centre, had formally communicated to the Department for Disarmament Affairs on

2 October its willingness to sign the host country agreement as proposed by the United Nations.  The Government had been looking forward to signing that agreement in the first week of October, at a time when his delegation was formulating the contents of the draft resolution suggesting that the host country agreement would have been signed by the time the Committee took action on the text.  The original draft contained a separate paragraph to welcome the host country agreement and, consequently, a specific date for the start of the physical operation of the Centre from Kathmandu, namely 31 December.

To his country's utmost disappointment, he said, the Department informed it on 17 October about some revisions, one of which was unacceptable to any host country, in particular, provision of immunities and privileges to United Nations officials, irrespective of their nationalities.  No host country, so far as the other two hosts were concerned, had agreed to such provision.  "The new provision of giving immunities and privileges to even nationals of the host country can hardly be accepted by any Member State; there is no reason why Nepal should be an exception."

The Permanent Representative met with the United Nations Legal Counsel, he said, and the latter was requested to agree to go ahead with the text proposed

before 17 October and to start negotiations for new provisions, so that the process of the physical operation of the Centre could move forward.  Despite assurances that the Legal Council would take up the issue with the Department for Disarmament Affairs and help facilitate early signature, the Permanent Mission had not been provided any information on that so far.  The revised text communicated to Nepal on 17 October could not be agreed upon without being reviewed by the concerned authorities in Kathmandu.  The delay in signing the host country agreement was, thus, not at all the result of a lack of commitment on the part of his Government.

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