Ambassador Durga Prasad Bhattarai, the permanent representative of Nepal to the UN in New York, has been unanimously elected the chairman of the “UN Working Group on the Working Methods of the Contingent-Owned Equipment (COE WG)” for 2017. 

The COE WG meets every three years to review the methodology of the UN reimbursement to various countries for their contributions to the UN peacekeeping operations in terms of equipment. 

The report of the COE WG will be the basis for updating of the existing COE manual, according to Nepal’s Permanent Mission to the UN.

BGen Suresh Thapa and other senior officials from the Nepal Army and the Permanent Mission of Nepal in New York are participating in the meeting which is now in session since Monday. 

This is the first time Nepal has been entrusted to chair the COE WG since its establishment in 1996. 

Nepal has been participating in UN peacekeeping operations since 1958 after joining the UN in 1955. 

Major (Navy) KA Andersen of Norway has been elected the vice-chair of the COE WG and its three technical sub-groups namely on major equipment, self-sustainment and medical support will be chaired by officials from Tanzania, Ireland and Germany at the ranks of lieutenant-general, colonel, and colonel respectively.