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Security Council hails Afghanistan's recent moves towards political transition

Security Council hails Afghanistan's recent moves towards political transition

UN Security Council in session
Unanimously adopting a resolution on Afghanistan's recent steps towards a transition to democracy, the Security Council today hailed the country for selecting a leader and consolidating recent political gains.

Unanimously adopting a resolution on Afghanistan's recent steps towards a transition to democracy, the Security Council today hailed the country for selecting a leader and consolidating recent political gains.

The Afghan people were commended for the success of the Emergency Loya Jirga, which earlier this month fostered the election of President Hamid Karzai and the establishment of the Transitional Authority - moves which the Council hailed.

Offering its full backing for the new Government, the Security Council stressed the importance of continued international support to complete the process according to the Bonn Agreement, a UN-brokered accord which outlines steps in the transition towards democracy. The resolution called on all Afghan groups to cooperate fully with the Transitional Authority in order to complete the process according to the Bonn Agreement and to implement the decisions of the Emergency Loya Jirga.

Donor countries were called on to make good on their pledges to Afghanistan, while all States were urged to help fund both the Transitional Authority and the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Afghanistan.

On the humanitarian situation, the Council called for "significantly greater and more rapid international assistance to the vast number of Afghan refugees and internally displaced persons to facilitate their orderly return and effective reintegration into society in order to contribute to the stability of the entire country." All Afghan groups were called on to support full and unimpeded access by relief organizations to people in need and to ensure the safety and security of aid workers.

Pointing to specific tasks facing the new Government, the Council urged the Transitional Authority to build on recent efforts to eradicate the country's poppy crop and to promote the welfare and interests of Afghan women and children while providing education to both girls and boys.

Looking to the wider international context, the Council commended the role of both the UN and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan and reiterated its strong support for Lakhdar Brahimi, the Secretary-General's Special Representative there.