KABUL - In the wake of its Presidential elections and as it faces a number of challenges, ranging from political to economic, a senior United Nations official today reaffirmed the world body’s commitment to helping Afghanistan on its path to peace and stability.

“Afghanistan is facing the political challenge of making sure that a peaceful transition between one elected president and another takes place in a context of the establishment of a government of national unity,” the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan, Nicholas Haysom, said in an interview.

“The United Nations is ready to help the national unity government create stability, deliver services to the people and ensure that the donor community remains committed,” added Mr. Haysom, who is also Secretary-General’s Special Representative-designate for Afghanistan.

Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai was inaugurated as the new President of Afghanistan earlier this week, replacing Hamid Karzai in the country’s first-ever peaceful transfer of power from one elected president to another.
 

The formation of a national unity government was part of an agreement reached on 12 July by the two candidates – Dr. Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah – in the country’s recent presidential election, which included participation in and the acceptance of the results of a comprehensive audit of the ballots cast and the runner-up assuming the post of chief executive officer within the new administration.

“The national unity government is necessary in Afghanistan’s development to create a level of stability in the country,” Mr. Haysom said, noting however that it is “also difficult to manage and it requires a real spirit of collaboration and partnership for it to work.”

In this area, he noted, the UN will attempt to ensure that a spirit of partnership and collaboration is part of the process going forward.

Afghanistan’s pressing economic situation, as well as its peace and reconciliation efforts, were other areas flagged by the UN official as challenges facing the country.

Facing a lack of liquidity, Afghanistan will need to boost its revenues. The prolonged process of the election had hit Afghan economy hard that resulted in deterring investment and depressing revenue collection.

“The UN will be looking to donors to make up something of the fiscal gaps, something between the money that they need and the money that they have in the short term,” said Mr. Haysom.

The United Nations will also provide support in peace and reconciliation efforts. Afghan security forces took over complete security responsibility from US and international combat forces in June 2013. The number of the combat forces has been reduced as the December deadline approaches.

“The war in many senses is unsustainable in the long-term, and Afghans need to find a way to live together in peace and harmony,” Mr. Haysom said. “It is up to them to find process that would enable them to do so.”

“We are looking the way to construct to use good offices and in other ways mobilizing international support groups in this peace process… to find a way of establishing such a process which can work effectively and successfully,” he added.