Over the 62 years of its
existence, the General Assembly has witnessed many
moments of historical reckoning. It was one such
moment, five years ago, when Afghanistan returned to
the Assembly as a country emerging out of a long, dark
era of war, violence and terror. As I stood before the
Assembly in September 2002, the challenges of
restoring security to the lives of the Afghan people and
of rebuilding Afghanistan into a stable and democratic
country seemed all but insuperable. The fate of a
nation swayed between the promise of a safer and more
prosperous future, on the one hand, and the enormity of
the tasks, on the other hand.
Today, efforts in support of stability and
reconstruction in Afghanistan are proceeding resolutely
apace. The Afghan people continue to make the best of
the new opportunities. Our economy is surging ahead.
The legitimacy of our newly founded institutions is
gradually taking root. Our society is brimming with
freedom and activity.
For too long, Afghanistan was in an unenviable
position in terms of most human development
indicators. That situation is no longer acceptable, and
is changing rapidly. Today more Afghans enjoy access
to health and education than ever before in our history.
We have very fortunately cut our child mortality rate,
which was one of the highest in the world just two
years ago, by 25 per cent. As a result, over 85,000
more children have a chance to live today.
For the first time in 40 years, Afghanistan is set
once again to become self-sufficient in food
production. Already, the fruits of relative stability and
increased prosperity in Afghanistan are spilling over
the borders to the wider region. Having enjoyed
unprecedented growth in our regional trade over the
past six years, we are now moving to consolidate
Afghanistan’s role in the economic integration of the
region. Earlier this year, we assumed membership of
the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
(SAARC). The significance of that step lies in the
potential for Afghanistan to connect South Asia to
Central Asia and the Middle East in commerce and
interaction.
Last month, President Rahmon of Tajikistan and I
were joined by the United States Secretary of
Commerce to inaugurate a transit bridge financed by
the United States that connects Afghanistan with
Tajikistan and beyond. That bridge, alongside many
other infrastructure projects we have completed, is to
play a significant role in the further economic
integration of the region.
Make no mistake: despite our achievements, a
safer and brighter future for Afghanistan still hinges on
many serious challenges. Poverty, underdevelopment,
climatic hardships and, above all, the menaces of
terrorism and narcotics, are challenges of global
proportions that continue to be shared by Afghanistan
as a member of the global village.
To the extent that terrorism remains a threat,
world citizens will never be safe. Six years after
Afghanistan’s liberation from the grip of international
terrorists, we are still grappling with this threat on a
daily basis. Terrorists continue to kill innocent people,
including those who have come from the outside world
to help. The past two years have witnessed a
significant increase in terrorist attacks carried out with
new and brutal tactics such as beheadings, kidnappings
and the burning of schools and clinics.
Terrorism can only be overcome if it is addressed
appropriately across its regional and international
dimensions. We are monitoring with deep concern the
continued presence of a terrorist infrastructure in our
region, and condemn, in equally strong terms, the
atrocities that terrorists are committing in places
beyond our borders.
Recognizing that constructive regional
cooperation is vital to a successful counterterrorism
strategy, we proposed the holding of a joint jirga, or
council, between Afghanistan and Pakistan. We are
pleased with the support that that initiative has
received from our friends in the international
community. The first joint peace council between
Afghanistan and Pakistan was held in Kabul last
month. It was a promising step in harnessing the
unequivocal support of civil societies in both countries
in our common fight against terrorism and extremism.
We expect that the outcome of the council will
translate into concrete action.
While we continue our struggle against terrorism,
we will also focus on reconciliation with those that are
not part of Al Qaida and other terrorist networks.
I also note, with deep concern, the particularly
heinous use by terrorists of local populations as human
shields, resulting in the loss of civilian lives. While
condemning such deliberate targeting of civilians in the
strongest possible terms, I would like to emphasize the
need for maximum caution on the part of the
international forces operating in Afghanistan, as well
as for increased coordination with Afghan authorities,
in order to avoid civilian casualties.
Narcotics is another global peril that, like
terrorism, seriously undermines the stability and well-
being of our societies. In Afghanistan, that scourge is
the legacy of the decades of misfortunes that befell our
country — from the widespread despair induced by war
and oppression, to drought and climatic hardships. We
are working with our international partners to tackle
the menace. We will prioritize the provision of
alternative livelihoods to farmers and expedite
implementation of other strategies, including poppy
eradication and the interdiction of traffickers.
However, addressing the world’s drug challenge must
involve focus on the far greater dimensions of the drug
trade that lie outside Afghanistan, such as fighting the
international drug mafia, ensuring stricter border
control, and reducing demand in foreign markets.
Climate change has rightly been recognized as a
serious challenge facing the entire world. No country,
developed or developing, is immune to its impact.
Yesterday’s high-level event on that important topic
was an essential step forward in strengthening the
resolve of the international community to address that
global threat with unity. We fully support the
recommendations of the Chairman’s summary.
We are also watching the situation in the Middle
East with deep concern. In particular, we remain
concerned about the situation in Palestine and call for
the full realization of the rights of our Palestinian
brothers and sisters, including their right to an
independent State, living side by side with its
neighbours in peace and coexistence.
The adoption of the Iraq Compact, sponsored by
the United Nations and the international community,
was an achievement marking Iraq’s new partnership
with the international community to consolidate peace
and promote social and economic development. We,
the Afghan people, wish our brothers and sisters in Iraq
every success in achieving their aspiration of a
peaceful and prosperous Iraq.
Allow me to thank our partners in the
international community, the United States, Japan,
members of NATO, the European Union, our brothers
in the Islamic world, our neighbours, China, India,
Australia and all other countries for supporting
Afghanistan during these years of challenge to our
country. We appreciate the role that the United Nations
and the Secretary-General are playing in coordinating
the international community’s role in the development
process in Afghanistan. I am particularly thankful to
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his initiative, two
days ago, of calling a high-level international meeting
on Afghanistan, at which our partners once again
reaffirmed their commitment to Afghanistan’s
rebuilding and reconstruction.
Six years ago, in an unprecedented convergence
of interests, the international community united behind
Afghanistan, facing up to the inescapable reality that
the world’s security had come to depend on stability
and progress in Afghanistan. Today, many of the
nations represented here can rightly take pride in what
we have achieved together. I thank them all for their
commitment and for the steadfast support they have
provided to Afghanistan over the past six years.
Without that support, the progress we have made in
Afghanistan would be simply unthinkable.