28 July - The Governments of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) today agreed to endorse the extension of their tripartite agreement on voluntary repatriation until 2012.

They also agreed to work together on extending the Proof of Registration (PoR) cards for eligible registered Afghans in Pakistan that are due to expire at the end of this year.

The tripartite agreement governs the voluntary repatriation operation of registered Afghan refugees. It is due to end on 31st December 2009. The intention is to extend it for another three years (until the end of 2012). It is anticipated that formal approval of the new agreement by the respective governments and UNHCR can be secured before the end of the year. The decision was taken during a regular meeting of the Tripartite Commission in Kabul which oversees policies and operations related to the repatriation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

The three parties met in Kabul for the 17th Tripartite Commission Meeting to discuss a range of issues related to registered Afghans in Pakistan. Despite the rising insecurity in Afghanistan, the parties agreed to explore different approaches to the safe, voluntary and sustainable return of Afghans from Pakistan.

Officials from the both governments and UNHCR reviewed the assisted voluntary repatriation operation of registered Afghan refugees from Pakistan. This year it has experienced several interruptions due primarily to insecurity in the border areas of both countries. So far a total of 50,000 Afghan refugees have been assisted to return this year - a sharp decrease compared to previous years.

Noting that deteriorating security conditions were spreading from Afghanistan’s south and south-east to the east and to the previously calm central and northern regions, the deterrent impact on both repatriation programme and reintegration was clearly recognized. The participants also reviewed the impact on repatriation trends of insecurity within Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province (NWFP) which has caused the displacement of millions of Pakistanis.

The Afghan delegation presented an update on the Government of Afghanistan’s Land Allocation Scheme and continuing challenges to the sustainable reintegration of returnees in Afghanistan.

“Despite limited absorption capacity in many parts of the country, considerable efforts have been made to provide land for landless returnees though the road to complete success is very long” said Hafiz Nadeem, head of the reintegration department of MoRR.

On the sideline of the Tripartite Commission meeting, officials of the two governments also met bilaterally to discuss issues of mutual interest, particularly the management of the undocumented Afghan population currently residing in Pakistan.