UNITED NATIONS, July 23 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council voted on Wednesday to endorse UN chief Ban Ki-moon's plan to gradually withdraw the UN mission in Nepal (UNMIN).

    Unanimously adopting a resolution, the 15-member body also decided to extend UNMIN's mandate until Jan. 23, 2009, as requested by the government of Nepal and the secretary-general.

    The mission, which has completed some elements of its mandate, still has "ongoing work on monitoring and the management of arms and armed personnel in line with the June 25 agreement among the political parties, which will support the completion of the peace process."

    The council called on all parties to take full advantage of the expertise and readiness of UNMIN to support the peace process to facilitate the completion of outstanding aspects of its mandate.

    It endorsed Ban's recommendations for "a phased, gradual, drawdown and withdrawal of UNMIN staff, including arms monitors."

    The council urged the government to "create conditions conducive to completion of UNMIN's activities by the end of the current mandate ... in order to facilitate UNMIN's withdrawal from Nepal."

    It called all parties in Nepal "to work together in a spirit of cooperation, consensus and compromise in order to continue the transition to a durable long-term solution to enable the country to move to a peaceful, democratic and more prosperous future."

    Newly elected President Ram Baran Yadav of Nepal, the world's youngest republic, was sworn in on Wednesday at the office of President, Shital Niwas, in Nepali capital Kathmandu.