Security Council mission to visit Afghanistan

The United Nations Security Council is planning a visit to Afghanistan later this month to inspect and reinforce the peace and reconstruction process there.

The 15-member group, to include 10 ambassadors, will visit the capital Kabul, Herat, Kandahar and Mazar-i-Sharif between 31 October and 8 November, and will also visit Islamabad, Pakistan, for briefings and consultations.

According to a letter from the Council President, Ambassador John D. Negroponte of the United States, to Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the mission is "to underscore the international community's unwavering commitment to the peace and reconstruction process in Afghanistan and to promote further international regional support to this end."

Another objective of the mission, the letter said, was "to convey a strong message to regional and factional leaders about the need to reject all violence, condemn extremist, terrorist and illegal drug activities, ensure public order and safety, promote inter-ethnic reconciliation and support the implementation" of international agreements on Afghanistan.