UN Security Council to chart Afghanistan progress

30 May 2009

UN Security Council to chart Afghanistan progress

KABUL - The United Nations Security Council is expected to consider the UN’s latest report on Afghanistan in June.

In the past the UN Secretary-General normally reported on the situation in Afghanistan every six months.

Security Council Resolution 1868, adopted on 23 March 2009, requested reports every three months. The resolution extended the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for a further year.

UNAMA’s current mandate expires on 23 March 2010 and the mandate for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) expires on 13 October 2009.

2009 is a critical year for Afghanistan with a heightened insurgency and presidential and provincial council elections due to take place on 20 August 2009.

Speaking last week at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Meeting in Oslo, Norway, the UN’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Kai Eide said 2009 could be a “turning point” for Afghanistan if “positive trends” in the country were reinforced.

He said “competent Afghan leadership and constant international support” would help further progress.

The upcoming polls in August are seen as a key test of the international community’s reconstruction and democratization effort in Afghanistan since the end of 2001 and the Afghan Government’s efforts to extend its influence across the country.

In Oslo Mr Eide said: “I believe that we will be able to hold elections in August that are credible and that are acceptable to the population at large. Acceptable in the Afghan context.”

UNAMA and the UNDP/ELECT elections project are leading the international support to Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission which is organizing the polls in Afghanistan for the first time.

At its June meeting the Security Council is expected to highlight the importance of the elections.

Website: UNDP/ELECT

Website: Afghanistan Independent Election Commission

Website: Security Council Report