reconstruct

As Iraq enters "the period of greatest challenges," relief efforts will have to be adapted in order to succeed, a senior United Nations official told donor nations meeting today in Doha, Qatar.

The United Nations envoy for Iraq is set to lead the UN delegation at a meeting tomorrow of donors seeking to rebuild the war-torn country.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today the Madrid donors' conference on the future of Iraq "is off to a good start," towards helping that country's reconstruction in "a robust and determined manner."

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank today unveiled a study that says Iraq would need some $36 billon over the next four or five years for reconstruction. The figure is aside from the $20 billion estimated by the United States-led Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA).

A wide-ranging international meeting convened by the United Nations and for the first time including the United States-run administration in Baghdad agreed today to hold a donor reconstruction conference for Iraq this autumn after hearing repeated calls for the speedy establishment of an Iraqi political partner for the process.

The United Nations is to host a meeting next month in New York of UN agencies, international financial institutions and Iraqi technical experts to boost the reconstruction and recovery of Iraq.

Nearly one year to the day after various Afghan factions signed a milestone accord paving the way for a political transition in their war-ravaged country, a senior United Nations official today hailed the progress achieved since then while underscoring the ongoing challenge of maintaining security.

In a bid to rebuild Afghanistan's war-ravaged education system, the United Nations today appealed for $27 million to meet the country's urgent need for school supplies, facilities and teacher training.

United Nations conference on the reconstruction of Afghanistan concluded today in New Delhi, India, with several developing nations pledging their available skills and assistance to meet the needs and priorities identified by Kabul authorities.

In an effort to bolster long-term prospects for Afghanistan, the Governments of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan have agreed to pursue a groundbreaking joint partnership for development, economic cooperation and trade, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced today.