AGREEMENT SIGNED BETWEEN UNITED NATIONS, NEPAL ON ESTABLISHMENT

IN KATHMANDU OF UNITED NATIONS REGIONAL CENTRE FOR DISARMAMENT

On 20 July 2007, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Sergio Duarte, and Madhu Raman Acharya, Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations signed the host country agreement and a memorandum of understanding on the establishment in Kathmandu of the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific.

According to the relevant General Assembly resolution (61/94 of 6 December 2006), the Regional Centre should be relocated to Kathmandu within six months of the date of the signature of the host country agreement.  The host country agreement and memorandum of understanding provides for the Government of Nepal to undertake to assist the United Nations in securing all necessary facilities for the establishment and functioning of the Regional Centre.  The Government of Nepal shall make an annual contribution to cover the renting and maintenance of office premises, meeting United Nations security standards, as well as the operations of the Centre.

The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, assisted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) country office in Nepal, is working in close cooperation with the Government of Nepal on the detailed arrangements for the relocation with a view to ensuring the physical operation of the Regional Centre from Kathmandu within six months as requested by the General Assembly resolution 61/94.

Background

General Assembly resolution 42/39 D of 12 December 1987 established the Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific, with its Headquarters in Kathmandu, Nepal.  The Regional Centre became operational in January 1989 and has since been operating from the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The consultations between the United Nations and the Government of Nepal on legal and financial issues related to the relocation of the Centre over the past few years came to fruition this year when both sides agreed on the terms of the host country agreement and the related memorandum of understanding.

The Regional Centre relies entirely on the voluntary contributions made by the Members States for its operation and activities.

The Regional Centre provides, on request, substantive support for initiatives and other activities mutually agreed upon by Member States of the Asia-Pacific region for the implementation of measures for peace and disarmament, through appropriate utilization of available resources, and coordinates the implementation of regional activities in Asia and the Pacific.

Main goals of the Regional Centre include:

-- Promote disarmament and addressing security concerns in Asia and the Pacific;

-- Encourages regional dialogue on specific disarmament matters through the organization of disarmament meetings in Asia and the Pacific;

-- Encourage regional and subregional dialogue for the enhancement of openness, transparency and confidence-building in military matters;

-- Provide substantive advice and assistance to States in the region upon request on issues related to disarmament.

For more information please contact Tsutomu Ishiguri, Director, Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific, United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, tel:  212 963 5580,  email: ishiguri@un.org.

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For information media • not an official record