YouSaid · the spoken record

Hâmid Karzai,

lines on the record: 81
first: 2002-09-24
most recent: 2012-09-24
sittings or episodes: 7
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Achieving a reformed Council that is more inclusive, representative and transparent must remain a priority. We welcome the ongoing progress within the framework of the intergovernmental negotiations.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We remain in full support of the realization of the rights of our brothers and sisters in Palestine, including their right to an independent Palestinian State. The time has come for an end to the occupation and for realizing the just aspirations of the people of Palestine. Finally, reform of the United Nations remains an important item on the international agenda. Since its inception in 1945, the United Nations has exercised a key role in promoting a safer and more secure world, improving the lives of citizens worldwide, and safeguarding and promoting human rights. Nevertheless, in view of our ever-changing world, we cannot deny the fact that the Organization is in dire need of comprehensive reform, enabling it to better reflect the new challenges and realities of our time. The reform of the Security Council is long overdue.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We welcome the appointment of the new Joint Special Representative for Syria of the United Nations and League of Arab States, Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi. We know him very well. Mr. Brahimi is well respected in Afghanistan, and he brings vast experience and a unique ability to the task before him. Here, I say to the people of Syria that we Afghans have experienced violence ourselves, and we know what it takes to rebuild a country. I hope very much, on behalf of the Afghan people, that the Syrians will sit down together as soon as possible and find a way to end the violence, since it will be not easy to repair. The continuing plight of the Palestinian people has been a source of deep distress for Afghanistan and the rest of the international community. The people of Palestine have suffered immensely for far too long.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We recognize that Afghanistan’s destiny is tied to the region that surrounds it, with respect both to our common threats, such as terrorism, extremism and narcotics, and to the opportunities we must grasp to grow and prosper. In that context, the Istanbul Process presents a new agenda for security, confidence-building and cooperation across the region of which Afghanistan is the centre. We will spare no effort to build strong and lasting relations with our neighbors near and extended. Turning to the international arena, Afghanistan views the situation in Syria with much concern. Over the course of the past year, thousands of our Syrian brothers and sisters have lost their lives due to an escalating cycle of violence.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“In Tokyo this past July, the international community reaffirmed its strong commitment to Afghanistan’s social and economic development during the transformation decade, for which we are grateful. The Mutual Accountability Framework adopted in Tokyo sets in place a clear structure for a more results- oriented partnership and cooperation. We welcome the international community’s readiness to align aid with our national priorities and channel assistance through the Afghan budget. For our part, we have reiterated our determination to improve governance and to collaborate with our international partners to wipe out the cancer of corruption, whether it is in the Afghan Government or the international aid system.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“For the past two years, our national priority has been to have Afghanistan’s own security forces assume full responsibility for the security of our country and our people. The transition process will be completed by mid-2013 and NATO and International Security Assistance Force forces withdrawn from our country by the end of 2014. Apart from advancing transition and pursuing the peace process, the past year has been one of significant progress for consolidating international commitment and partnership. In Chicago in May, we received the long-term commitment of NATO and other countries to training, equipping and ensuring the sustainability of the Afghan National Security Forces.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“In pursuing the path of peace, we remain hopeful about the critical role that our fraternal neighbour the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has to play. Over recent years, we have engaged our brothers in Pakistan in a close dialogue in support of the Afghan peace process. It is a dialogue that we believe is critical for Pakistan’s own security and for the security of the wider region and beyond. We are deeply committed to our brotherly relations with Pakistan, but we are aware of the challenges that may strain our efforts to build trust and confidence. Such incidents as the recent shelling of Afghan villages risk undermining the efforts of both Governments to work together in the interest of our common security and prosperity.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“I have often said that our hand of peace and reconciliation remains extended not only to the Taliban but also to all other armed opposition groups who wish to return to dignified, peaceful and independent lives in their own homeland. What we ask of them in return is simple: bringing an end to violence, cutting ties with terrorist networks, preserving the valuable gains of the past decade and respecting the Constitution of Afghanistan. To help facilitate the peace process, I am asking the Security Council to give its full support to our efforts. In particular, I urge the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011), the Taliban sanctions committee, to make more active efforts to delist Taliban leaders, as a step towards facilitating direct negotiations.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Since peace is the greatest desire of the Afghan people, and since we are convinced that military efforts alone are not an adequate strategy for ensuring security, we have initiated a peace and reconciliation process, which aims to induce all elements of the armed opposition to take up peaceful lives in our country. At this time last year, my visit to the General Assembly was cut short by the tragic assassination of Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani, the then Chairman of the High Peace Council. A terrorist posing as a peace emissary took his life, and by doing so dealt our peace process a serious blow. This year, however, and fortunately, the late Professor’s son, Mr. Salahuddin Rabbani, who stepped up to take the Chair of the High Peace Council, is part of the Afghan delegation and present in the Assembly today.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“As the global fight against terrorism continues unabated, the Afghan people continue to pay a bigger price than any other nation, in both life and treasure. Terrorism is not rooted in Afghan villages and towns; it never was. Its sources and support networks all exist beyond Afghanistan’s borders. Thus while the security of the international community is being protected from the threat of terrorism, the people of Afghanistan must no longer be made to pay the price and endure the brunt of the war. It is in deference to the immense sacrifices of the Afghan people, and to the precious lives lost from the international community, that the campaign against terrorism must be taken to the sources of terrorism and be results-oriented. Today in Afghanistan, we are pursuing the cause of peace and an end to violence as a matter of great urgency.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“For decades we had suffered, unnoticed, from violence, deprivation and sinister foreign intervention. Long before terrorism became a security threat to the whole planet, Afghans were victims of atrocities inf licted by terrorist networks from various parts of the world that had made Afghanistan their haven. Looking back 10 years, Afghanistan has undergone a remarkable transformation. Democracy has taken root; health services are accessible to the majority of the population in every corner of the country; millions of students, boys and girls, are enrolled in primary and higher education. Our achievements have not come about easily, though. The aspirations of the Afghan people for security and peace have yet to be realized.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“I call on leaders in the West, both among politicians and in the media, to confront Islamophobia in all its many forms and manifestations. It is incumbent on us all to advance the cause of dialogue and cooperation, to fight the forces of division and hatred and to fulfil the promise of a better and brighter future for future generations. We must work to defeat the forces that foment conflicts among civilizations, and to support the voices of tolerance and understanding. My country, Afghanistan, is testament to the benefits of multilateral cooperation and international solidarity. It was a little over a decade ago that many countries from around the world joined the Afghan people in our struggle for peace and against the forces of extremism and terrorism. At the time, Afghanistan was a country decimated in every way.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“As we speak today, the world is being shaken by the depravity of fanatics who have committed acts insulting the faith of more than 1.5 billion Muslims. We strongly condemn such offensive acts, whether they involve the production of a film, the publication of cartoons or indeed any other insults and provocations. Such acts can never be justified as manifestations of freedom of speech or expression. Equally, they cannot become a reason for genuine protests to be used to incite violence and terrible losses of innocent lives. It is a matter for grave concern that our world remains strewn with daily outbreaks of violence, hatred and injustice. In particular, the menace of Islamophobia is a worrying phenomenon that threatens peace and coexistence among cultures and civilizations.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“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.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“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.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“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.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“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 08-51749 30 thousands of our villages that had never before seen an agent of the State among them.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“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.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“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.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“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.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“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.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“29 08-51749 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.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“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.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“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.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“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.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“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.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“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.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“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.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“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.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“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.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“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.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“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.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“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.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“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.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“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.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“3 06-52879 To conclude, I thank the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his exemplary leadership in serving the cause of global security and prosperity. I thank him especially for his interest in and commitment to Afghanistan and for his contribution to making our world a more secure place. I also thank the members of the international community for their steadfast and generous support for Afghanistan over the past five years. I convey the gratitude of the Afghan people for the sacrifices that the men and women in uniform from about 40 countries throughout the world have made in the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan. We will honour those sacrifices by remaining true to our vision of building a secure, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan that will contribute to the progress of our region and to the security of the world at large.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“As a Muslim nation, Afghanistan is committed not only to safeguarding the interest of our Holy Faith but also to building bridges of understanding and friendship among followers of all faiths. The situation in the Middle East, including the question of Palestine, remains a source of great concern to us in Afghanistan. Afghanistan strongly supports the full realization of the rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to sovereignty and an independent State of Palestine living side by side in peace and coexistence with the State of Israel. Afghanistan also shares the pain of the people of Lebanon as they suffer a terrible relapse into destruction caused by war. We hope that the international community will step in with concern and generosity to address Lebanon’s needs so that it may recover.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“We also express our support for the proposal to convene a high-level conference on international terrorism with a view to concluding the draft comprehensive convention on international terrorism at the earliest possible opportunity. Afghanistan also attaches great importance to the various initiatives undertaken to promote understanding and cooperation among civilizations. Afghanistan stands ready to contribute to further enriching these initiatives with our knowledge and experience of international cooperation and interdependence. Meanwhile, we remain deeply concerned at the increased incidence of Islamophobia in the West. This trend does not bode well for the cause of building understanding and cooperation across civilizations.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“A combination of factors — mainly the lack of a security environment conducive to our counter- narcotics efforts, the absence of a comprehensive alternative livelihoods programme and clandestine credit flows to poppy farmers — is behind the narcotics trade. Afghanistan is committed to fighting narcotics, alongside terrorism, with strength and determination and through a combination of law enforcement and economic measures. We expect that the international community will continue to support us in this fight by enabling us to provide meaningful alternative livelihoods to our farmers. In the context of the United Nations role in enhancing global security we endorse the recommendations of the Secretary-General for a comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy and welcome the recent adoption of the strategy by the General Assembly.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“We must look beyond Afghanistan to the sources of terrorism. We must destroy terrorist sanctuaries beyond Afghanistan, dismantle the elaborate networks in the region that recruit, indoctrinate, train, finance, arm and deploy terrorists. We must ensure that political currents and entities in the region are not allowed to use extremism as an instrument of policy. Fighting terrorism effectively is also tied to our fight against narcotics. The menace of narcotics feeds terrorism and threatens the foundation of legitimate economic development in Afghanistan and also, of course, in the region.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“That is why they decapitate elderly women, blow up mosques full of worshippers and kill schoolchildren in indiscriminate bombings of civilian areas. That is why they are killing international soldiers and civilians who have come to Afghanistan to help the Afghan people, such as the four Canadian soldiers who were killed four days ago while distributing notebooks and candies to children in a village in Kandahar, or the Turkish engineer who was building roads in Helmand. Clearly, unless we confront them more decisively, terrorists will continue to take lives and inflict greater damage. To be sure, terrorism does not emanate from within Afghanistan; Afghanistan is its worst victim. Military action in Afghanistan alone, therefore, will not deliver our shared goal of eliminating terrorism.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Terrorism sees in the prosperity of the 06-52879 2 Afghan people its ultimate defeat. That is why our schools and clinics get burned down, and our ulema, our teachers and our doctors get killed. That is why today 200,000 of our students who went to school a year ago are no longer able to do so. It is also sobering to know that polio, the children’s disease, increased from only four cases in 2005 to 27 this year. All those cases occurred in some areas of southern Afghanistan where terrorists are preventing children’s access to vaccination and health care. Terrorists are prepared to cross any boundary and commit horrific acts of violence to try to derail Afghanistan from its path to success. They want the international community to fail in its collective endeavour to help Afghanistan to rebuild.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Afghanistan and its international partners also entered into a compact, the Afghanistan Compact, which provides the framework for continued international cooperation in Afghanistan. Under the compact we Afghans committed to continue to work towards a stable and prosperous Afghanistan, with good governance and human rights protection for all under the rule of law. In return, the international community pledged continued and long-term political, military and financial assistance. Regrettably, it is not all positive news that I have to share today. Over the past year our efforts to build Afghanistan into a stable, prosperous and democratic polity have also encountered setbacks. We have seen terrorism rebounding as terrorists have infiltrated our borders to step up their murderous campaign against our people.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Millions of Afghans have participated in two general elections, one for the president and another for the parliament. With the inauguration of our National Assembly last year all three independent branches of a democratic state were completed. We have continued to build schools and clinics and create employment opportunities for our people. Our trade with the region and beyond is growing very rapidly. Industrial activity is gradually taking root. As a result, Afghanistan’s income per capita has doubled since 2002. At the London Conference earlier this year our Government presented Afghanistan’s National Development Strategy for the next five years, which the international community endorsed.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Every year our gathering under this roof does homage to the foresight of our predecessors, who, by founding the United Nations, envisioned the unity of nations. Today, this Assembly embodies that vision: the vision of our interdependence as members of a single community of nations. This vision has a strong resonance in Afghanistan, where both our past troubles and our recent accomplishments are, in large part, related to the outside world. When I last addressed the Assembly in 2004 I spoke about the tremendous progress that Afghanistan had achieved since 2001. Today that story of success continues. Over the past two years we have taken further significant steps forward, attaining all the milestones in Afghanistan’s post-war transition.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Lakhdar Brahimi, whose wisdom and leadership have guided us throughout the journey. Afghanistan is on the road to recovery from the devastation of more than two decades of war. Much has been accomplished in the past three years. Yet establishing a stable, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan requires sustained and collaborative efforts by the Afghans, by our neighbours and by the international community. We, the Afghan people, will do our share. Working together for a stable and 3 prosperous Afghanistan not only is a good example of successful international cooperation, but will also contribute to regional prosperity and global security.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“The valuable role of the international community has been crucial to our success. Nations from different continents with different cultures and religions have come together to help rebuild Afghanistan. That is a clear example of cooperation among civilizations. On behalf of the Afghan people, I thank all the nations that have supported us with their troops and resources, especially the United States of America, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Spain, France and Turkey. We are most grateful to the United Nations for the commitment and engagement of United Nations agencies and employees during the past three years. We especially appreciate the personal commitment and dedication of the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan; his Deputy Special Representative, Mr. Jean Arnaud; and his Special Representative, Mr.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We still have the second-highest infant and maternal mortality rates in the world, and we have one of the highest illiteracy rates. Very few Afghans have access to safe drinking water, and only 6 per cent of the Afghan population has reliable access to electricity. Our achievements have not come without a cost. During the elections for the Constitutional Loya Jirga, terrorists did everything to disrupt the process, including bombing an elementary school and killing more than 20 children. During the registration for the elections, terrorists showed their desperation by intensifying their attacks. They bombed vehicles carrying women registration workers, killed civilians who carried registration cards and bombed religious schools, killing children. Those attacks have not stopped our people from passing one milestone after another.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Eliminating the remnants of terrorism in Afghanistan and in the region requires not only continued support from the international community, but also strong and sincere commitment from other countries in the region. To stop the movement of terrorists across borders, the countries in the region must cooperate closely. The cultivation and trafficking of narcotics is another major challenge to Afghanistan and to the rest of the world. Drug profits finance terrorism and undermine our efforts to build a healthy and legitimate economy. Afghanistan is fully committed to eliminating this menace. However, we cannot succeed without the strong partnership of the international community. Poverty remains another serious challenge. Even though we have made considerable progress over the past three years, we are still one of the poorest countries.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Eradicating poverty and meeting the educational and health needs of our citizens will continue to remain among our top priorities. We will continue to focus on building our roads to re-establish Afghanistan as the land bridge for transcontinental trade. Upon completion of Afghanistanís ring road, every major Central Asian capital will be less than 32 hours from the Persian Gulf and the port of Karachi. While our achievements are significant, we continue to face challenges. Terrorism remains one of our main challenges. The remnants of terrorism continue to attack our citizens and to threaten our security. As long as terrorism continues to exist in our region, neither Afghanistan nor our neighbours nor, indeed, the rest of the world can be safe.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)