The reconstruction of Afghanistan will only succeed if proper attention is given to the needs of the country's children, the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said today in Islamabad.
Four Afghan factions meeting at United Nations-sponsored talks in Germany have reached agreement on basic principles for power-sharing, but many details - including the names of those who will participate in that arrangement - still need to be worked out, UN officials said today.
Lauding the dedication of United Nations staff worldwide, Secretary-General Kofi Annan today said that given the UN's key role in Afghanistan, the Organization would be measured by its work in that country.
As United Nations-sponsored talks among Afghan representatives entered their third day in Petersberg, Germany, UN officials reported that the sides were getting closer - but had not yet reached - an agreement on future power-sharing arrangements.
The rapidly changing military developments in Afghanistan have "fundamentally changed" the conditions for the delivery of assistance into the war-ravaged and drought-stricken country, a senior United Nations relief official said today.
As an international conference on the reconstruction of Afghanistan wrapped up its work today in Islamabad, the United Nations official leading the UN recovery effort in the country stressed that a viable political settlement was key to any future economic revival.
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme today announced plans to intensify relief efforts for Afghanistan by setting up a force of experts ready to be deployed on short notice.
Talks among four Afghan factions in Bonn “are off to a good start,” according to Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who addressed reporters in Washington, D.C., today following his meeting with President George Bush.
United Nations experts are working at Kabul airport to clear the area of dangerous mines and unexploded ordnance (UXOs) that could pose serious safety threats, a UN spokesman announced today.
As four Afghan factions began United Nations-sponsored talks in Germany today, Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged the sides to seize this historic opportunity to start the process of finally achieving peace and national reconciliation in the war-torn country.
