Afghan singer Farhad Darya appointed UNODC Goodwill Ambassador in Afghanistan
10 December 2012 – As a three-day regional consultation among celebrities, artists and sports personalities from Afghanistan and her neighbours started in Kabul today seeking “societal solution” to counter problems caused by illicit drugs, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) appointed an international award winning Afghan singer as its Goodwill Ambassador in Afghanistan.
Download UNODC Press Release on the appointment of Farhad Darya as the UNODC Goodwill Ambassador in Afghanistan
Some photos of today's event are online

Jean‐Luc Lemahieu, the UNODC Representative for Afghanistan, made the announcement of singer Farhad Darya’s appointment as the Goodwill Ambassador to a round of applause from an audience comprising artists, singers and sports personalities from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and Tajikistan, journalists, Government officials and members of the international community.

“This is a fortunate event for Afghanistan and the mandates of anti‐corruption and narcotics control our organization stands for,” said Mr. Lemahieu. “The partnership with Farhad Darya and the positive message he imparts, allows us to reach out to all corners of the country.”

Mr. Darya will be serving as a national UNODC Goodwill Ambassador for the next two years.

Award winning singer, composer and peace and human rights activist, Mr. Darya is a founder of a new wave of music in Afghanistan and a trendsetter who introduced Afghan music to the international audience. After the collapse of the Taliban, the revival of freedom announced by Radio Afghanistan on 13 November 2001 awoke the Kabul city with Mr. Darya’s song “Kabul Jaan” (beloved Kabul).

“Our paths crossed in this journey, where we are fighting for the same cause. UNODC and I, we are, both ready for new and creative ways to bridle and tie up the wild horse of crime," said Mr. Darya, who termed the problem of drug in Afghanistan and the region a “hidden enemy”. The singer, who said he has always lived a drug and smoke-free life, also added that the problem of illicit drugs in Afghanistan is bigger than terrorism.

Mr. Lemahieu of UNODC said although regional cooperation at the Government level to counter the problems caused by drugs is necessary, “that is often very disappointing because it never can provide a full solution”. Therefore, he added, a public civic event was organized for the first time to raise public awareness against drugs and bolster the movement.

Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister for Counter-Narcotics, Haroon Rashid Sherzad, said the media have an important role to play to counter the drug problem. “Drug problem is not a national problem anymore,” said Mr. Sherzad, adding that all countries – “the consuming countries, the producing countries, the transit countries” – are affected.

A UNODC survey report released last month said despite a 36 per cent drop in opium production in Afghanistan this year, the country saw 18 per cent rise in the area where the illicit crops were cultivated. The survey confirmed the link between insecurity and opium cultivation observed since 2007.

At today’s ceremony in Kabul, Mr. Darya and Mr. Lemahieu also presented a newly designed anti-corruption campaign, jointly developed with Integrity Watch Afghanistan and the Killid Group, to which Mr. Darya lent his image. The campaign titled “grasshopper” will appear on billboards around the city of Kabul tomorrow. The campaign will be carried out in three phases under the label “Corruption is voluntary, not compulsory. Stop corruption!”.

The Kabul ceremony also saw the UNODC auctioning a graffiti piece of Shamsia Hassani, Afghanistan’s first graffiti artist, as a part of a charity effort aimed to support an NGO called NEJAT which is involved in social development, drug rehabilitation and medical services. Mr. Darya offered the highest price of US$ 1,750 to buy the 3 metre by 1.5 metre graffiti that has an anti-corruption message on it.

One of the six celebrities participating in the three days of anti-drug deliberations in Kabul is Ali Noor from Pakistan’s Noori rock band. He said the music can be a “serious vehicle” to bring a positive change among drug addicts. “Music can be used as an amazing tool to convince people to change their hearts,” said Mr. Noori. “Music triggers that change. Music brings people together.”

Mr. Noori is one of the musicians to perform at a concert in Kabul at the end of the three-day deliberations in Kabul on 12 December.

By UNAMA Kabul