Asia

Asia

UN chief presses for continued support for Afghanistan after 2014

21 May 2012 21:18 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pledged on Monday that "Afghanistan’s international partners will not withdraw their support as they draw down their military presence" to pave the way for the withdrawal of vast majority of the NATO-led coalition forces from the war-torn country by the end of 2014, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

The secretary-general made the statement when addressing the NATO summit on Afghanistan, which kicked off here on Monday morning.

"Let us send an unmistakable signal: Afghanistan’s international partners will not withdraw their support as they draw down their military presence," Ban said.

The NATO-led ISAF, a coalition forces whose numbers reached a peak of more than 140,000 troops last year, have already started a draw down. The vast majority are scheduled to leave by the end of 2014, when the Afghan troops are expected to take over all security responsibilities.

The United States, which had about 100,000 service members in Afghanistan, expects to have a third of its troops out of the country by September.

"The commitment of neighbors and other countries in the region will be crucial," he said.

Afghanistan is one of the three major issues to be discussed at the two-day NATO summit, the first on the American soil in 13 years and the first ever outside of Washington.

"I come to this summit with one overriding message: We at the United Nations will continue to support the Afghan government to the maximum of our ability," he said.

"Afghanistan faces clear and difficult security and development challenges," he said, adding "Yet our resources are limited. The UN cannot fill all the gaps. The enduring commitment of every leader here today will be critical."

He urged the summit to reaffirm the timeline for an international troop withdrawal in tandem with the pace at which the Afghan National Security Forces assume responsibilities and provide concrete decisions on funding following that withdrawal.

"Afghan security forces must prioritize the protection of civilians -- including special measures to protect the human rights of all citizens, particularly women and girls in armed conflict," he noted.

"We must focus our efforts more broadly than a technical restructuring of security institutions," Ban said, noting that these efforts must be linked within "a strategic framework and a social contract that is both inclusive and consultative".

The secretary-general also talked about combating drug production and trafficking, as well as health, education and livelihoods.

"Here, too, let us commit to do more for women and children -- including girls’education and women’s participation in the country ’s political life," he said.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is a political mission established by the UN Security Council in 2012 at the request of Afghan government to assist it and the people of Afghanistan in laying the foundation for sustainable peace and development in the war-torn country.

On March 22, the 15-nation Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution to renew UNAMA’s mandate until March 2013. UNAMA, which boasts 1,600 civilian staff at present, is expected to play a key role once the 100,000-plus coalition troops leave Afghanistan.

Guided by the principles of reinforcing Afghan sovereignty, leadership and ownership, UNAMA will continue to lead and coordinate the international civilian efforts with a particular focus on National Priority Programs, cooperation with NATO/ISAF for training, reconciliation, election, regional cooperation, human rights and humanitarian assistance.

In July, the Tokyo Conference on Afghanistan will take up issues concerning the development challenge in Afghanistan, he said. "Success rests on our ability to deliver for the Afghan people."

"By presenting a clear roadmap and offering clear financial guarantees here today on security, and in July on the socio- economic agenda, we will help to reassure Afghanistan of the international community’s commitment to a peaceful and stable future," Ban said.

"At the same time, we recognize the responsibility of the Afghan government to take the often hard political decisions to fight corruption, enhance performance and improve delivery -- all essential to good governance," he said.

Meanwhile, the secretary-general also vowed to "continue to push for a genuine, broad-based political reconciliation process and reinforce the critical role of women in promoting peace and security."

"Through these steps, we can consolidate our gains and ensure that the huge investments and sacrifices over these past 10 years will make a lasting difference," he said.