Afghanistan, 2005

I have the honour

to inform the members of the General Assembly of the

successful conclusion of the parliamentary and

provincial elections that took place in my country two

days ago. As stated by President Karzai, “the holding

of these elections was a major success for the people of

Afghanistan and a major defeat for those attempting to

derail the political process”. In defiance of the threats

posed by the enemies of peace and stability in

Afghanistan, Al-Qaida and the Taliban, millions of

men and women enthusiastically travelled to polling

stations to cast their votes. With the conclusion of

these elections, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

has now completed the final phase of the Bonn

Agreement, sponsored by the United Nations in

December 2001.

The determination and political will expressed by

the people of Afghanistan have made possible the

gradual, yet arduous, transition towards stability and

democracy in Afghanistan. During the course of the

transition, Afghanistan successfully convened two loya

jirgas, adopted a new Constitution enshrining the

principles of democracy, held its first-ever presidential

elections and, most recently, concluded its

parliamentary and provincial elections.

In this context, allow me to express on behalf of

the people and the Government of Afghanistan our

most sincere gratitude and appreciation to the United

Nations, the NATO-led International Security

Assistance Force, coalition forces, Provincial

Reconstruction Teams, international observers and

other international partners for the assistance rendered

towards achieving this objective.

Allow me to highlight briefly some of the other

achievements that have taken place during the past four

years. The Government of Afghanistan continues to

make significant progress with regard to the reform of

the security sector and the formation of the national

army and police in order to further extend and

consolidate peace and authority throughout the country.

The disarmament and demobilization of 60,000 former

combatants has been completed. In that regard, the

Government of Afghanistan reaffirms its commitment

to complete the reintegration of ex-combatants as the

final phase of a successful disarmament, demobilization

and reintegration process.

Significant progress has been made in the

promotion and protection of human rights and

fundamental freedoms. Our new Constitution

guarantees equal rights for men and women, freedom

of expression, freedom of press and political pluralism.

The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission

has been institutionalized as an independent body in

accordance with our Constitution. The Commission

continues to fulfil its mandate.

We have also witnessed the enrolment of more

than 5 million children, both boys and girls, in school.

Repatriation of millions of refugees from neighbouring

countries has also taken place during the past four

years. The significant increase in the role of women in

the social, political and economic life of the country is

also worth mentioning.

The cultivation of opium poppy and the

production of narcotic drugs in Afghanistan remains a

prime concern of my Government. The establishment

of a counter-narcotics ministry, the creation of a

special tribunal to prosecute those associated with the

cultivation, production and trafficking of illegal drugs

and the formation of the Committee on Counter-

Narcotics, chaired by President Karzai, are only some

of the initiatives taken by the Afghan Government

aimed at combating and eliminating the scourge of

narcotic drugs.

I am pleased to refer to the recent report of the

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which

rightly reflected a 21 per cent decrease in the

cultivation of opium poppy in Afghanistan during the

current year. However, in order to build on this

achievement, we must offer alternative livelihoods to

rural communities. A successful strategy in combating

illicit drugs requires additional measures aside from

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asking farmers to plant substitute crops. We have to

provide them with agricultural assistance, invest in

irrigation, build roads and provide electric power and

assistance in generating non-farm employment in rural

areas.

Many of the achievements realized in

Afghanistan since the signing of the Bonn Agreement

would not have been possible without the vigorous

support of the international community. I take this

opportunity to extend our deep gratitude to all

international partners and lead nations which offered

generous support throughout the process. In this

context, we emphasize the importance of the sustained

engagement and support of the international

community over the coming years for the rehabilitation

and reconstruction of Afghanistan, as well as for the

consolidation of peace and security.

Despite the achievements to which I referred

earlier, the people of Afghanistan continue to face

many challenges in their daily lives. Extreme poverty,

a high rate of infant and maternal mortality and a lack

of resources necessary to ensure basic social services

continue to exist.

The outcome document adopted on 16 September

2005 (resolution 60/1) has laid the foundation for a

more effective and efficient United Nations better able

to address issues relating to development, peace and

security, human rights, reform of the United Nations

and achievement of the Millennium Development

Goals.

The Government of Afghanistan welcomes the

proposal adopted in the outcome document with regard

to the establishment of a Peacebuilding Commission.

As a country emerging from years of conflict,

Afghanistan fully understands the need for a

coordinated, coherent and integrated approach to post-

conflict peacebuilding. My Government also supports

the decision that the Commission should begin its work

by no later than 31 December 2005.

As a result of ongoing efforts by Afghanistan and

the international community to combat international

terrorism, my country no longer serves as a base for

Al-Qaida and the Taliban. However, the people of

Afghanistan continue to suffer from the scourge of

international terrorism. Terrorism remains one of the

main challenges to peace, stability and sustainable

development in Afghanistan. The continued infiltration

of Al-Qaida and Taliban extremists in the south and

parts of the east of the country remains a factor

contributing to insecurity in my country.

We therefore reiterate the importance of a sincere

commitment by all the countries of the region to

combating that scourge. The Government of

Afghanistan once again vehemently condemns

terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. In that

context, we support every effort aimed at the

successful conclusion of a comprehensive convention

on international terrorism by the end of the sixtieth

session of the General Assembly.

The Secretary-General clearly highlighted the

interrelationship between development and security in

his report “In larger freedom” (A/59/2005), which, in

paragraph 2 of the annex, states, “There will be no

development without security and no security without

development”. The case of Afghanistan could not be

more relevant in that respect.

Achieving the Millennium Development Goals in

Afghanistan is not just a desirable humanitarian

objective, but a necessity for the security of the

country, the region and the world. Attaining the Goals

will require a substantial amount of international aid,

provided in a coordinated and sustained manner.

My Government is in the process of preparing

Afghanistan’s national development strategy, which

will be presented at the donor conference on

Afghanistan scheduled to take place early next year.

The national development strategy encompasses a clear

approach to achieving our national development goals

and addresses vital areas such as capacity-building,

fiscal sustainability, building infrastructure and

prioritizing projects. The Afghanistan national

development strategy will also present Afghanistan’s

overarching strategy for promoting growth and

reducing poverty, and will serve as the country’s

overall strategy for attracting international assistance.

The national development strategy will be

prepared in a consultative process with all

stakeholders, including donors, civil society, the

private sector and provincial councils. Through a post-

Bonn compact, Afghanistan will subscribe to a new set

of timetables and benchmarks for providing security,

building democratic institutions, protecting human

rights and reducing extreme poverty in accordance

with our MDG targets, reforming the administration,

eliminating corruption, ending the production of and

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traffic in narcotic drugs and developing cooperation

with our neighbours.

As a landlocked country, Afghanistan will not be

able to achieve its intended economic goals without the

support and mutual cooperation of its neighbours. The

Government of Afghanistan emphasizes the importance

of regional economic cooperation for the benefit of all

countries in the region. Trade plays a major role in

promoting economic growth, employment and

development for all. The volume of trade between

Afghanistan and its neighbours has been growing

steadily. Just last year, the estimated value of trade

between Afghanistan and its neighbours amounted to

$1.5 billion.

I would like in conclusion to express

Afghanistan’s full commitment to the implementation

of the outcome document. We are of the conviction that

the adoption of that historic document will further

enhance the central role of the United Nations in

addressing the threats and challenges facing humanity

at the dawn of the twenty-first century.