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Security Council backs Afghan authorities' efforts to rebuild country

Security Council backs Afghan authorities' efforts to rebuild country

Giving their full backing to the efforts of Afghanistan's Transitional Authority, members of the Security Council today appealed to the international community to fulfil financial and material pledges for the reconstruction of the country.

In a press statement read by Council President Ambassador Stefan Tafrov of Bulgaria, members reiterated their full support to the Transitional Authority "to speed up, assisted by the international community, the process of rebuilding Afghanistan, and carry forward the political process in accordance with the Bonn Agreement."

In addition, the statement commended the Afghan Transitional Authority, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the emerging Afghan armed and police forces, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and the coalition forces for their "complementary efforts to promote improvements in security in Kabul and throughout the country." It also strongly condemned all attacks against UN personnel and offices, which were directed against the interests of the Afghan people themselves.

The members also reaffirmed their full support for the coordinating role of the UN in Afghanistan and the efforts of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Representative, Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi, in the accomplishment of his mandate.

Earlier Thursday, the Council heard a briefing by Mr. Brahimi on recent developments in Afghanistan and afterwards met in informal consultations to discuss the overall situation in the country and exchange views on ways to continue to support the Afghan authorities to contain instability, improve the humanitarian situation and recover from 24 years of conflict and destruction.