UN conference on Afghanistan begins

Pramod de SILVA at the United Nations in New York

UN: Top diplomats from 18 countries participated in a conference at the UN yesterday to discuss ways to boost international efforts towards stabilising and rebuilding Afghanistan.

The talks were led by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Other top leaders including US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, European Union foreign affairs chief Javier Solana and NATO General Secretary Jaap de Hoop Scheffer were due to discuss the security situation, the reconstruction of infrastructure and efforts to curb drug trafficking.

UN special envoy for Afghanistan Tom Koenigs said that global pledges of assistance had been mostly met, but he sought continued support.

‘All the promises had been met, the commitments have been increased and Afghanistan is still on the first phase on the agendas of any of these states,’ he said.

He said the meeting would reinforce their commitment to Afghanistan.

The UN Security Council last week approved a year’s extension of the UN mandate for the NATO-run 6,000-strong International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) there.

The United States also has nearly 11,000 troops, who are trying to contain the Taliban and al-Qaeda insurgency.

Afghanistan the newest member of the SAARC.