Stephane Dujarric, the Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, issues statement urging parties to engage in dialogue.

 The UN Secretary-General is following closely the situation in Nepal and is concerned about reports of violence in recent weeks and saddened by the loss of life in Nepal.   He urges all to refrain from the use of force, denounce violence in all forms and engage in dialogue.

According UN Information Center, as you know, the UN has supported the Nepali-led peace process, of which a new constitution is an important milestone. The Secretary-General is hopeful that the leaders will share again a spirit of compromise.

The UN office in Nepal is in regular contact with Nepali leaders and is urging them to seize this historic opportunity to agree on a dispensation that has the widest popular support.  The Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, has also engaged directly with Nepali leaders and conveyed this message.