The United Nations has extended its Observer Mission (UNOMB) in Bougainville by another six month. It has also brought in new staff for the office. The UN political office on Bougainville Mission closed on December 31. The decision to extend the Bougainville mission by six months is contained in a statement posted in the UN Security Council’s official website. In statement, Danilo Türk, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs said the new office would have a six-month mandate, which started on January 1. The office would be manned by half the size of UNOMB, comprising a Head of Mission, one political adviser and two support staff. The scaling down of operatiopns by the UN Office now sees military adviser Clyde Parris returning to work with his Babados Defence Department after serving four years in Bougainville because his position has been scrapped in the restructure of the new mission. Briefing the Security Council yesterday on the peace process in Bougainville, Mr Türk, noted the expiration of the mandate of the UNPOB on December 31 and proposed a successor mission be set up on January 1 for six months, since the peace process would not have reached its “logical conclusion’’, the statement stated. “Responding to increased stability in Bougainville, the UN yesterday proposed replacing its current presence with a smaller observer mission as the island heads towards the establishment of an autonomous government,” Mr Türk said in the statement. “The UNPOB has been in place since June 1998 and its current mandate is due to run out on 31 December.” He proposed that the new UNOMB could monitor the course leading to this year’s scheduled adoption of a constitution for Bougainville and report on the destruction of weapons on the island. The UN Security Council debate of nearly 20 countries, posted in the website, says there was “general agreement” for a replacement observer mission in Bougainville’’. The Post-Courier understands that UNOMB head Ambassador Noel Sinclair and his executives are aware of a successor mission despite word not having been officially relayed to the National Government which last year called for an extension of the UN operation on Bougainville. “While it would continue to work closely with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and other bodies, it should preserve its independent status because it would have a clearly defined political character,” Mr Türk said. (Postcourier)