3 September 2009 - Afghanistan will top the United Nations Security Council agenda later this month when the fifteen member Council is expected to debate the Secretary-General’s quarterly report on the situation in Afghanistan.

The Council is also expected to receive a briefing by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Kai Eide.

Afghanistan went to the polls on 20 August to choose a president and members of 34 provincial councils. These were the first Afghan-led elections in over thirty years. The Security Council welcomed the “historic” poll and condemned the actions of “extremist groups” who sought to disrupt them. UN envoy, Kai Eide, said holding elections across Afghanistan despite significant logistical and security challenges marked “an achievement for the Afghan people”.

The Security Council is expected to hear Mr Eide’s analysis of the Afghan elections and discuss post-election priorities for the international community's work with the next Government of Afghanistan. The UN envoy recently called for a ‘massive institution building’ programme that will enable Afghans to take over the reins of development efforts across the country.

Other topics of discussion for the Council are likely to include the Secretary-General’s plans to strengthen the United Nations Assistance Mission and the benchmarks requested by the Council at their last meeting on Afghanistan held in June . These benchmarks will be used to measure progress of the mission’s efforts in Afghanistan and are expected to focus on institution –building, security, economic and social development issues.

By Aleem Siddique, UNAMA

Security Council website