HERAT - Herat’s Governor lauded the United Nations at a reception to celebrate the world organization’s enduring partnership with Afghanistan.
An audience of around 60 people, including members of Parliament and the Provincial Council, government representatives, civil society representatives and United Nations officials, gathered at the UN70 event Herat.

Mohammad Asef Rahimi, the Governor of Herat Province and Mark Bowden, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan addressed the guests.

“There are serious challenges around the world and the UN plays an extraordinary role in helping tackle them,” said Mr. Rahimi, who noted that the people of Afghanistan appreciate the services delivered by the UN.

The Governor recalled the 1990s, when Kabul was under siege and the UN provided vital services, while when the Taliban were in power, the UN was the only international authority to negotiate for women to get access to health and other services.

“As the governor of Herat I’d like to appreciate and recognize the good services of the UN in the areas of peace, security and good governance in Herat,” said Mr. Rahimi.

“Afghanistan is still facing deep challenges [but] the people of Afghanistan are committed to overcome the challenges to have a country that is peaceful and in peace with its neighbors.”

Mr. Bowden said that Afghanistan has been a full, active and vibrant member of the United Nations, including being one of only 48 countries to adopt the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

The Deputy Special Representative said that the UN has been in Afghanistan for over 60 years and “will stay for many more years if that’s what is needed to accomplish the aspirations of the Afghan people, a stable and prosperous Afghanistan.”

The centerpiece of the reception was the UN70 photography exhibition that spotlights the work and achievements of a group of Afghan professionals who the UN has work with or supported.

One of the Afghan professionals featured in the exhibition – cultural heritage director Habib Noori – also addressed the audience.

Mr. Noori is Director of the Afghanistan Cultural Heritage Consulting Organization, an NGO focused on preserving Afghanistan’s rich cultural heritage for future generations.

“We try to raise awareness of the importance of preserving history: we need to protect the history and culture of our ancestors,” said Mr. Noori, whose organization receives input from the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on work to preserve the country’s heritage. Mr. Noori previously worked with the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).

The touring UN70 exhibition, which was earlier shown in in Kabul, Mazar-e-Sharif and Jalalabad, brings together a series of specially commissioned panoramic photographs. Each of the giant photos – measuring 4 metres wide – contains three main scenes, highlighting key aspects of the professionals’ work in areas such as improved healthcare, support for returning refugees and environmental protection.