UN hails 'historic' Myanmar ceasefire

Terming as "historic" the latest ceasefire reached between the Myanmarese government and 16 ethnic armed groups, senior Indian diplomat and the UN Secretary General's special advisor on Myanmar, Vijay Nambiar, has said that the agreement is the first step towards a larger dialogue for settling Myanmar's political and military issues.
After more than a year of negotiations, during which the UN and China functioned as observers, Myanmar's Union Peace Working Committee (UPWC) and Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) agreed yesterday on the text of a Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) for the country, setting up the next stage in the peace and reconciliation process.

The ceasefire agreement, reached after more than 60 years of conflict is a historic and significant achievement, Nambiar said.
"The signing of an NCA is a first step towards a larger dialogue for settling the political and military issues that will pave the way for an inclusive and harmonious future for Myanmar. However it is a crucial first stage that must be crossed before embarking on the next chapter," the UN Special Adviser for Myanmar said.
The UN welcomed the "milestone" in Myanmar's history and congratulated President U Thein Sein and his negotiators as well as leaders of the Ethnic Armed Organizations and the NCCT.

Noting that Myanmar is still in a nascent stage of its transition, Nambiar said the agreement is a signal that "new levels of trust, confidence and cooperation are possible between former enemies and that the seeds of change in Myanmar are beginning to sprout".

Nambiar added that while many concerns and difficulties would nonetheless remain on the ground in the country, the reaching of an agreement on the NCA text is cause for celebration as it laid the groundwork for achieving "a genuine and lasting peace in the country".
The high-ranking Indian diplomat has held the post of Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Myanmar since 2010.

Nambiar has also served as Chef de Cabinet to the Secretary-General at the rank of Under-Secretary-General from 2007-2012.