The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security

A/63/892 – S/2009/323 (UNAMA – Afghanistan) A new Report of the Secretary-General on „The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security“ is now online:

… „Introduction
1. The present report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 63/18, as well as Security Council resolution 1868 (2009), in which the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) until 23 March 2010. In its resolution, the Security Council requested a report on developments in Afghanistan every three months. This report reviews the situation in Afghanistan and the activities of UNAMA since my report of 10 March 2009 (A/63/751-S/2009/135) and focuses on key developments over the reporting period.

II. Overview
2. In a strong political manifestation of support for Afghanistan, over
80 countries and organizations met in The Hague on 31 March, at the “International
Conference on Afghanistan: a Comprehensive Strategy in a Regional Context”
hosted by the Government of the Netherlands and co-chaired by the United Nations,
Afghanistan and the Netherlands. I was pleased to attend personally, along with
President Hamid Karzai and Prime Minister Jan Balkenende. The Conference called
for greater efforts and clearer direction in addressing the challenges of Afghanistan.
The priorities agreed at the International Conference in support of Afghanistan, held
in Paris in June 2008, were reaffirmed. Statements made at the Conference
demonstrated consensus on a more prioritized agenda for Afghanistan. In particular,
it was agreed that well-funded and effective civilian capacity- and institutionbuilding
programmes were as important as capacity-building programmes in the
security sector and had to be given priority attention in a more focused strategy. The
Chairmen’s Statement presented four priority areas: strengthened security, improved
economic growth, good governance and enhanced regional cooperation, with
detailed recommendations for each area.
3. The Conference emphasized the central role of UNAMA to coordinate
international action and assistance in support of the Government of Afghanistan, as
also reiterated by the Security Council in its resolution 1868 (2009) in March. In
line with that resolution, which calls for the strengthened and expanded presence of
UNAMA in the country, and to meet the expectations expressed at the Conference
held in The Hague, the Mission is seeking to expand its presence into as many
provinces as possible and to step up its efforts to coordinate international action and
assistance. In May, UNAMA opened two new offices, in Tirin Kot and Sari Pul.
Additional offices will be opened over the coming months.
4. Preparations for the 20 August elections accelerated during the reporting
period. Following the voter registration update, the candidate nomination process
was completed and the final list of candidates was published on schedule.
Opposition candidates voiced concerns about the levelness of the electoral playing
field. The Mission has worked with relevant Afghan institutions and with the
international community to address these concerns. Gradually, human rights aspects
of the election process are requiring greater attention.
5. The reporting period has seen continued progress in key areas, such as the
expansion of the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police, as well as
in the areas of agriculture, private sector development and capacity-building. Donor
coordination has improved, including through a more effective use of the Joint
Coordination Monitoring Board, co-chaired by UNAMA and the Government of
Afghanistan.
6. The security situation has continued to deteriorate. While there has been
improvement in some areas, notably in Kabul and its neighbouring provinces, the
number of security incidents and the overall level of violence increased compared
with the same months of last year.“…

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