Since the last time we
gathered here in this great Hall, we have passed a year
of great hopes and grave fears. We have witnessed the
hope-inspiring glory of human accomplishment at the
Olympic Games in Beijing but shuddered at crumbling
stock and housing markets around the world. We have
a growing global understanding on climate change and
the issues relevant to it, but seen millions of lives
threatened by the shortage of food in many countries
and witnessed with disbelief the brutal slaughter of
innocent people at the hands of terrorists in
Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Algeria and several other
parts of the world.
Since I spoke at this rostrum in the last session of
the General Assembly, my country, Afghanistan, has
grappled with a number of important challenges, none
more troubling than the problem of international
terrorism. Terrorist forces have significantly increased
their attacks and brutality, and enjoyed freedom in their
sanctuaries.
While Afghanistan has borne the brunt of terrorist
violence, the scourge has now spread like a wildfire
across the wider region. In Pakistan, where, until
recently, extremist circles remained mainly focused on
destabilizing Afghanistan, today terrorist violence is
unfortunately also directed within Pakistani territory
and against the Pakistani people.
Daily acts of intimidation and violence against
communities in Afghanistan and Pakistan, in particular
on both sides of the Durand Line, the killing of
political and tribal leaders and the burning of schools
are the upshots of the continued spawning and spread
of terrorism and extremism in the region.
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The callous attack on the Marriot hotel in
Islamabad over the weekend, the bombing of the Indian
Embassy in Kabul and the terrorist attacks in the Indian
cities of Bangalore and Ahmedabad were the most
disturbing demonstration of terrorists’ growing reach.
Undoubtedly, terrorism will not go away until we
dismantle the elaborate institutional support terrorists
enjoy in the region and eliminate their secure
sanctuaries. That will be possible only if we engage in
sincere regional and international cooperation.
The democratic transition in Pakistan, heralded
by the historic elections of last February, has been a
most promising development in our region.
We in Afghanistan have warmly welcomed the
inauguration of the civilian democratic Government. In
particular, I take the opportunity to once again
congratulate my brother, President Asif Ali Zardari, on
his election as the President of Pakistan. I assure my
brothers, President Zardari and Prime Minister Gillani,
that Afghanistan stands ready to take several steps for
each single step that Pakistan will take to address the
challenge of radicalism and terrorism.
To the extent that terrorism in our region
continues to be a global threat, evolving in nature and
tactics, the struggle against it must continue unabated.
In this context, I recall with appreciation this year’s
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit in
Bucharest, where around 40 countries with existing
military commitments in Afghanistan once again
reiterated their strong resolve to stay the course.
Among the most significant outcomes of the
summit was the emphasis on the Afghanization of the
security sector as a measure to ensure sustainability
and enhanced effectiveness. To that end, I call for a
redoubling of efforts by the international community
aimed at enabling the Afghan national security
institutions, both the army and the police, to take on a
greater share of the war against terrorism and for the
protection of our people.
Above all, Afghanization of military operations is
vital if the problem of civilian casualties is to be
addressed effectively. The continuation of civilian
casualties could seriously undermine the legitimacy of
the fight against terrorism and the credibility of the
Afghan people’s partnership with the international
community.
Whereas the military endeavour at the regional
and international levels remains the primary response
to the threat of terrorism, success will only be possible
if the local population is empowered to confront it.
Therefore, while terrorism and a persistent
environment of insecurity are at work to subvert
Afghanistan’s growth, we must do what it takes to win
the battle of Afghanistan’s economic development.
Last June, my Government launched the
Afghanistan National Development Strategy at the
Afghanistan donors conference in Paris. If the pledges
made at the conference are translated into timely
commitments, I am confident that we will attain the
development goals set out in our Strategy.
On behalf of the people of Afghanistan, I thank
President Nicholas Sarkozy of France for his
leadership in excellently organizing the Paris
conference. I also thank the United States and all the
other countries around the world that pledged
generously towards the implementation of the
Afghanistan National Development Strategy.
As in the security sector, Afghanization of the
development process is the key not just to the goal of
ensuring ownership but also to the effective
implementation of our Development Strategy.
Afghanization of the development process can be
achieved through a meaningful commitment by our
friends and donors to aid effectiveness. In that context,
while urging a shift away from the use of parallel
structures and wasteful mechanisms, I strongly endorse
the role of the United Nations and the special
representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Kai Eide,
in coordinating the international community’s
participation in Afghanistan’s development and State-
building processes.
Thanks to the selfless sacrifices of men and
women of Member States and the determination and
sacrifices of our own people, the journey of
Afghanistan’s reconstruction is resolutely under way.
Today our people are more educated, healthier, better
off and more optimistic about their future. We have
built thousands of new schools and reconstructed many
more, where millions of our youngsters go to school
and prepare for the responsibilities of tomorrow. Our
rapid economic growth, with double-digit growth rates
almost every year, has resulted in higher income and
better living conditions for our people. Our rural
development programmes have improved lives in
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thousands of our villages that had never before seen an
agent of the State among them.
We have also taken a number of legal and
institutional measures to intensify our anti-corruption
efforts, such as establishing the High Office of
Oversight and Anti-Corruption, including special units
in the Office of the Attorney-General and in the
judiciary to oversee efforts aimed at eliminating
corruption through preventive, educational and
enforcement measures. We are committed to ensuring
more concrete results in the coming years.
Also very important, on counter-narcotics, this
year we have registered a 20 per cent decline in total
opium production, while the number of poppy-free
provinces has reached 18, making 50 per cent of the
country virtually poppy-free. The key to sustaining our
success will be ensuring alternative livelihoods for our
farmers, investing to a greater extent in law
enforcement and interdiction and, above all, addressing
the far greater dimensions of the world’s drug trade
that lie outside Afghanistan, such as reduction of
demand in foreign markets and stricter border controls.
Our efforts in counter-narcotics and in other areas
have been complicated by the acute shortage of food
within the country. In collaboration with the United
Nations, we have launched a humanitarian appeal that
we hope will receive a timely response from our
partners in the international community.
The United Nations Charter promises freedom,
justice, a dignified life, security and peace, and it is
incumbent on all of us to work together to ensure that
those promises are kept. Today, there are still too many
corners of the world where conflict and tension are
putting the lives and livelihoods of millions of people
in jeopardy.
We deeply sympathize with our Palestinian
brothers and sisters and their struggle and suffering.
We urge a just and comprehensive settlement that fully
realizes the rights of the Palestinian people, including
their right to an independent State, living in peace, side
by side with the State of Israel.
Today, once again, this Assembly session has
brought us together at a time when our world is poised
between great opportunities and menacing challenges. I
am confident that we will make use of our growing
collective ability as a community of nations to do what
is right for the betterment of our world.