General Assembly
Sixty-third session
Security Council
Sixty-fourth year
Agenda item 17
The situation in Afghanistan
I. Introduction
1. The present report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 63/18, as well as Security Council resolution 1868 (2009), in which the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) until 23 March 2010. In its resolution, the Security Council requested a report on developments in Afghanistan every three months. This report reviews the situation in Afghanistan and the activities of UNAMA since my report of 10 March 2009 (A/63/751-S/2009/135) and focuses on key developments over the reporting period.
II. Overview
2. In a strong political manifestation of support for Afghanistan, over 80 countries and organizations met in The Hague on 31 March, at the "International Conference on Afghanistan: a Comprehensive Strategy in a Regional Context" hosted by the Government of the Netherlands and co-chaired by the United Nations, Afghanistan and the Netherlands. I was pleased to attend personally, along with President Hamid Karzai and Prime Minister Jan Balkenende. The Conference called for greater efforts and clearer direction in addressing the challenges of Afghanistan. The priorities agreed at the International Conference in support of Afghanistan, held in Paris in June 2008, were reaffirmed. Statements made at the Conference demonstrated consensus on a more prioritized agenda for Afghanistan. In particular, it was agreed that well-funded and effective civilian capacity- and institutionbuilding programmes were as important as capacity-building programmes in the security sector and had to be given priority attention in a more focused strategy. The Chairmen's Statement presented four priority areas: strengthened security, improved economic growth, good governance and enhanced regional cooperation, with detailed recommendations for each area.
3. The Conference emphasized the central role of UNAMA to coordinate international action and assistance in support of the Government of Afghanistan, as also reiterated by the Security Council in its resolution 1868 (2009) in March. In line with that resolution, which calls for the strengthened and expanded presence of UNAMA in the country, and to meet the expectations expressed at the Conference held in The Hague, the Mission is seeking to expand its presence into as many provinces as possible and to step up its efforts to coordinate international action and assistance. In May, UNAMA opened two new offices, in Tirin Kot and Sari Pul. Additional offices will be opened over the coming months.
4. Preparations for the 20 August elections accelerated during the reporting period. Following the voter registration update, the candidate nomination process was completed and the final list of candidates was published on schedule. Opposition candidates voiced concerns about the levelness of the electoral playing field. The Mission has worked with relevant Afghan institutions and with the international community to address these concerns. Gradually, human rights aspects of the election process are requiring greater attention.
5. The reporting period has seen continued progress in key areas, such as the expansion of the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police, as well as in the areas of agriculture, private sector development and capacity-building. Donor coordination has improved, including through a more effective use of the Joint Coordination Monitoring Board, co-chaired by UNAMA and the Government of Afghanistan.
6. The security situation has continued to deteriorate. While there has been improvement in some areas, notably in Kabul and its neighbouring provinces, the number of security incidents and the number of security incidents and the overall level of violence increased compared with the same months of last year.
