KABUL - The United Nations’ top envoy for Afghanistan lauded the Afghan people and authorities for their tenacity in successfully completing the peaceful and democratic transfer of power this year, as well as for their vision for the future of the country.

“Let’s understand how big an achievement this is in the life of the country,” said Ján Kubiš on the eve of completing his term as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

The millions of Afghans who voted, Mr. Kubiš asserted, have been honoured through the agreement to form a government of national unity. “The people of Afghanistan are the winners here,” he said.

He characterised 2014 as being a challenging period of ongoing parallel transitions—security transition, military transition, economic transition and political transition, all of which, he said, was critically important for the country.

Mr. Kubiš described the inauguration statement of President Ashraf Ghani as being “full of substance” and the statement of Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah as showing that the government “shares objectives as a common vision for the future.”

While the government will face challenges, UNAMA’s chief stated, such challenges are natural. “In many governments that include different factions, there are almost daily discussions, and sometimes disputes,” he said. “If there is a shared objective and a shared strategic goal, as in the case of the government of national unity, then I have no doubt they will be able to work together.”

Mr. Kubiš highlighted that the people of Afghanistan proved the sceptics wrong.

“Let’s learn from the resilience and determination of the people of Afghanistan,” he said. “I am sometimes surprised how international analysts and also some local analysts are unable to understand the real resilience and determination of the people of this beautiful country.”

Mr. Kubiš was appointed as the SRSG and head of UNAMA in late 2011. On 15 November 2014, he will be succeeded by Nicholas Haysom, the Deputy SRSG (Political) since 2012.