UN envoy encouraged by donor response to Afghanistan's security needs

Following a donor meeting on security sector reform in Afghanistan, the top United Nations envoy for the country said he was encouraged by the response by representatives of some 40 nations attending the conference in Geneva.

"I think there is a clear indication that there is a commitment to this project, and we are hopeful that… all this will be followed by concrete action and that the international community will indeed support the police and national army in Afghanistan," said Lakhdar Brahimi, Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Representative for Afghanistan.

"Peace in Afghanistan requires as a priority that security concerns be addressed," he stressed during a press briefing held after the conference. "I think we have enough now to start on all these programmes: police, formation of national police, formation of national army, demobilization, narcotics programmes," he added. "We have enough commitments to start - we are very optimistic that we can go ahead."

During the conference, Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah introduced the Interim Administration's vision and operational plan for the creation of a new armed force, and its strategy for demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants.