Prachanda invites UN to play role in Nepal peace process

Guterres’ conditions came after Prachanda had lobbied at home and internationally for securing general amnesty for himself and Maoist combatants for human right violations. About six weeks ago, a draft bill was scuttled by a House committee that opposed the blanket amnesty.

The United Mission to Nepal, a special office of the UN, was created after the peace accord was signed in 2006 by the then Nepal government and the Maoists. Its objective was to oversee weapons of the Maoists and the country’s army. However, it departed in 2011 after triggering controversy over its confrontation with the regular UN system, and alleged bias and overstepping of mandate. The Prime Minister’s invitation to the UN, therefore, is not likely to go down well in the country.

The UN Secretary-General arrived in Kathmandu in the early hours of Sunday, almost three weeks after a prior meeting was stalled in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack.

Guterres condemned the attack, noting that it claimed the lives of ten Nepal nationals. He appealed to the militant group for the return of Bipin Joshi, a Nepali youth who is still missing.

On Tuesday, Guterres will address a joint session of Nepal Parliament, something his predecessors haven’t done.

The visit by the top UN official, who is in Nepal for the first time after assuming the post in 2017, will also focus on the impact of climate change. He is likely to fly to the Annapurna base camp and speak with locals about the issue. Nepal, he said, has lost one-third of its snow in the past three decades.

Guterres will also visit Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, as a continuation of UN’s interest in its development, right from the time of U Thant, the third secretary-general of the UN.

(With PTI inputs)