LONDON - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a conference on Afghanistan that the single biggest impediment to progress in the country is insecurity.

Mr. Ban, who is co-hosting the London conference along with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, said the long and complex recovery and institution-building in Afghanistan must foster an environment conducive to justice and accountability, and an environment where corruption cannot thrive.

"We must see corruption for what it is: an assault on the integrity of the state and people's well-being. Afghans have suffered for far too long from a culture of impunity and the lack of rule of law. If we are to achieve a stable and secure Afghanistan, these ills must be remedied, starting with improving the electoral process ahead of this year's parliamentary elections."

The Secretary-General also stressed that the process of recovery and institution-building must include the full range of Afghan stakeholders, strengthen governance, respect human rights and meet the basic needs of the Afghan people.