The Office of the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament was officially opened in Kathmandu on Monday.

The ceremony was attended by Vijay Nambiar, Chef de Cabinet of the UN Secretary General and other senior government officials and members of diplomatic corps in Nepal.

The regional centre serves 43 countries in the Asia and Pacific region and will rely on voluntary contributions from donors for its operations and activities.

Formerly, based in New York, it was relocated to Kathmandu after the UN and the Government of Nepal signed an agreement and Memorandum of Understanding in July 2007, a release said.

The main objectives of the office are to promote global disarmament and non-proliferation norms and to enhance regional dialogue on disarmament and security matters.

The Centre's activities span nuclear proliferation, the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons, the hazards of landmines and explosive remnants of war, the cost of armed conflict and the rise of organised crime and terrorism, said Nambiar in his opening address.