KABUL - Twenty-one white doves soared up into the blue sky from the lawn of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) today in celebration of Peace Day on 21 September 2009.

As part of the International Day of Peace, the UN’s top envoy in Afghanistan Kai Eide, UN Resident Coordinator Robert Watkins and representatives from 21 UN agencies joined together to release peace doves and support the peace campaign in Afghanistan.

Five days before Peace Day Mr Eide stressed: “It is much more than a symbolic day. It is a day which goes to the heart of why we are here to serve the Afghan people.”

“Stop the fighting on 21 September and demonstrate that there is a readiness from all of us to move into a peace process,” Mr Eide said.

He appealed “to all to turn their attention away from how to fight the conflict and instead focus on how to bring the peace.”

"Afghan people cannot afford this anymore…. We need peace now. We need to bring this terrible conflict to an end,” he added.

The Resident Coordinator of UN agencies in Afghanistan Robert Watkins said: "I would like to say one dove for one United Nations in one united and peaceful Afghanistan."

Twenty-one UN agency representatives also spoke at the event to read out one sentence on what their agencies were doing for peace in Afghanistan.

Among the messages were:

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization: "UNESCO supports education, science, culture and communication for peace building in Afghanistan."

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime: "UNODC contributes to peace by shining lights in the darkness of drugs and crime."

The United Nations Office of Project Services: "UNOPS is very proud of being involved in the infrastructure effort and in particular we feel we are helping build peace mile by mile."

The Mine Action Coordination Centre for Afghanistan (MACCA): "Mine action is clearing the way for a peaceful future."

The United Nations Children's Fund: "UNICEF promotes a space of peace where Afghan children can grow up protected from all forms of violence. Let us unite for children."

At the end of the event, the UN’s Special Representative Kai Eide and UN agency representatives freed the peace doves into the clear blue sky and their wings shined in the light of peace.

The UN has called for a ceasefire to be observed in 21 September.

By Kangying Guo, UNAMA