TALKING POINTS
SRSG Remarks on Death of Children
in Paktya
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, was profoundly shocked and saddened to learn that yet another group of children was killed as a result of military action by the Coalition forces, this time in Paktya province. Mr. Brahimi sends his deepest condolences to the families of these six children and the people of Afghanistan.
The statement he made last Sunday following the killing of nine children in Ghazni is valid for this situation word by word. The protection of civilians is an obligation that must be observed by all. It is important and necessary that the Coalition adheres to international humanitarian law and is perceived by the population as doing so.
In addition to the terrible loss suffered by the families of these children, this type of incident has a deteriorating and destabilizing effect, as it adds to the sense of insecurity and fear in the country, as the Special Representative noted last Sunday. Unfortunately and worryingly, this type of incident also makes it easier for those who are trying to spoil the peace process to rally support for their cause.
As we said before, we trust that the results of the Coalition investigations into these incidents are made public and that lessons will be learnt so these tragic situations are not repeated.
In addition to this statement, we also have available copies of the statement issued yesterday in New York by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Olara Otunnu.
SG Report on Situation in Afghanistan
On Monday, Secretary-General Kofi Annan presented his annual report to the General Assembly summarizing key political and humanitarian developments in Afghanistan, including the activities of UNAMA from 1 July 2002 to November 2003.
The report highlights the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, outbreaks of factional fighting; activities surrounding illegal narcotics trade; the increase in terrorist activities along the southern and eastern borders; and the significant intensification of attacks against the assistance community.
Strong political will on the part of the Government of Afghanistan and Members States will be required to redress security and ensure a secure environment for the 2004 national elections envisioned by the Bonn Agreement.
The report notes that security is not only needed to create the environment for political activities, but for reconstruction as well. The restriction of development activities in parts of the country affected by insecurity has not been without consequence.
A key issue highlighted by the Secretary-General is the commencement of consultations on a follow-up to the Bonn process. President Karzai raised this idea when he and his Ministers met with the visiting delegation of the Security Council. The Security Council mission report (S/2003/1074) requested the Secretary-General progress this matter and investigate the possibility of a second international conference.
After discussions with President Karzai, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Lakhdar Brahimi, has this week sent a non-paper outlining some initial ideas regarding a second conference ("Bonn II") to the Cabinet of the Afghan Government, and the diplomatic corps in Afghanistan.
Already there is broad consensus that such a conference should address squarely the challenges that lie ahead and threaten to block the path to peace.
The SRSG has identified three pillars such a conference must address; 1) the limited representativeness of the Government and absence of sustained efforts to promote national unity and reconciliation; 2) the prevailing insecurity in many areas; and 3) the slow pace of reconstruction and need for ensuring the availability of adequate financial resources to rebuild a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.
Broad debate on all aspects of a Bonn II is key. All stakeholders, particularly those outside the immediate circle of state, must be allowed to take an active and leading role in deciding the future shape of Afghanistan.
We have copies of the report and non-paper available at the side of the room.
Provincial Reconstruction Team Deploys to Kandahar
Today, a United-States led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) with some 80 personnel is being established in Kandahar. The total number of PRTs currently deployed around the country is eight and by year-end we expect to have nine when an additional PRT is deployed to Jalalabad.
In addition to Kandahar, U.S. led PRTs are currently in Gardez, Ghazni, Parwan, Kunduz and Herat. A British PRT is in Mazar-e-Sharif, while New Zealand commands a team in Bamyan. These teams typically number between 50 -100 members.
By the end of December, Germany will take over command of the Kunduz team. The German deployment will be larger than the existing Teams as they initially intend to field up to 250 persons. It is projected that four other US-led PRTs will be deployed to Assadabad (Kunar), Qalat (Zabul), Khost (Khost) and Tirin Kot (Uruzghan) early next year.
More than 37,000 voters registered
The first box containing voter registration data from Kunduz arrived on 9 December at the UNAMA Electoral Unit in Kabul. The box contains completed registration booklets, each with 500 registration cards. This first box accounts for 3,000 voters. I have an example of a voter registration booklet here for you.
Voter registration data is first reported electronically from each field site where registration is taking place. Then, an International Registration Supervisor at the registration site places the registration booklets in tamper evident bags that are then stored in square metal boxes which carry the name of the regional office and an identification number.
These boxes are sent on a weekly basis to the Data Entry Center in Kabul. At the Data Entry Center, the content of the booklets is checked against the voter forms and data entry operators enter the information into a database. Supervisors are present to check that the data has been entered correctly.
The latest update on figures: 37,066 people have now registered to vote, with the majority of this figure coming from Jalalabad where 10,219 people have registered.
Disarmament Starts in Kabul
Following the disarmament in Kabul on Sunday of 183 officers and soldiers (one unit of the National Guard) and the Ministry of Defence-organized disbandment parade on Tuesday, demobilization of the ex-soldiers has now begun at the Afghanistan's New Beginning's Programme (ANBP) Headquarters on Jalalabad Road. All 183 ex-soldiers will be demobilized within one week. Thereafter they will begin the reintegration programme.
Yesterday was the first day of demobilization for 50 of these ex-soldiers/officers. The next unit from the central corps is due to be disarmed on the 28 December. Six other units will follow sequentially. The regional verification committee is currently undertaking activities to verify the remaining 7 units.
In October, the first of the six planned DDR pilot projects began in Kunduz, followed by Gardez in November and Kabul this week. Pilot projects will also begin soon in Mazar followed by Kandahar and Bamyan. In each of these projects the aim is to disarm 1,000 soldiers. The men are first verified as soldiers by regional verification committees and their names put on a list. They are then disarmed.
During the demobilization phase which follows the ex-soldiers sit with caseworkers to discuss life style changes and career options. Once this process has finished the ex-soldiers, based on their choices, are then placed in jobs or into training vocational programmes.
In Kunduz, the reintegration process has finished with 1,002 ex-soldiers absorbed into the various reintegration programmes. Agriculture continues to attract the largest number of participants, followed by de-mining and vocational training. As of Tuesday In Gardez, 147 demobilized soldiers joined the reintegration programme while a total of 237 ex-soldiers and officers have been placed in jobs or training programmes. Vocational training has so far attracted the largest number of participants, followed by agriculture and de-mining.
In Mazar the regional verification committee is undergoing verification of military personnel affiliated with Jumbesh, Jamiat and Wahdat Mohaqiq. They have so far completed 25 per cent of their work. Disarmament in Mazar will commence once verification is completed.
Update on the Cantonment of Heavy Weapons in the North
Since we last reported on the cantonment of heavy weapons in the north, as of this morning Jumbesh have handed in 15 more weapons. Among these weapons some have been collected from Sar-i-Pul Province where there had been non-compliance by the factions with the collection process.
On Sunday we said that Jamiat at that time turned in 201 heavy weapons and Jumbesh 76. Due, however, to counting discrepancies based on differing definitions of heavy weapons, the Ministry of Defence, the Provisional Reconstruction Team (PRT) based in Mazar and UNAMA are recounting weapons currently held. Jamiat weapons are being held Chahar Bolak while Jumbesh weapons are being stored in Hairaton Junction, both in Balkh province. The recount will provide an accurate total of weapons collected so far. We hope to have that for you in our next briefing.
Bamyan: Road Repair and Buddha Niches Stabilized
The rehabilitation of the Bayman bazaar road has been completed after a month and a half of work. The project, which employed 900 local workers from 7 of the surrounding villages, involved the gravelling of the road from the bazaar to the airstrip as well as the stone paving of the bazaar itself. The project, worth an estimated US $47,000, was an initiative of the Ministry of Public Works with support from the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS).
Another project that has just been concluded is the stabilizing of Bamyan's Buddha niches. This was undertaken by an Italian engineering firm, Rodio, in an effort to save the Buddha niches from collapsing, something that was deemed imminent over the coming winter months (see pictures).
The work was carried out over the last 55 days and involved engineers abseiling down the rock face of the Buddha niches to help stabilize the crumbling rock. They then bored holes and pumped 14 tonnes of cement into the gaping fissures, which had been left behind when the statues were blown up by the Taliban in early 2001. There are still small cracks to be filled at a later stage, but the immediate danger to the niches collapsing over the winter has been removed.
The Japanese Government has donated US $1.5 million for the rehabilitation of the Bamyan Buddhas. The overall project is implemented by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). This element of the work - the stabilizing of the niches - cost around US $400,000.
First Payments Made in National Solidarity Programme
The first cash payments of the National Solidarity Programme (NSP) were made this week in four provinces: Kandahar, Farah, Herat and Parwan. This involved a total payout of approximately US $228,000 (11 million Afs) to some fourteen villages, each comprised of at least 100 families. Payouts for each village ranged from US $2,500 to US $45,000 depending on the size of the project.
The National Solidarity Programme is operated out of the Ministry of Rural Reconstruction and Development (MRRD). It is supported by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (Habitat) as well as some 21 national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
The programme is designed to empower local communities to make decisions, allocate resources and manage their own reconstruction projects. The communities elect representatives who then speak on their behalf when requesting money for projects that the community has identified as important. The programme began in August 2003 and is now entering its most significant phase - the phase where funds are disbursed.
For example, in Bala Karz village, which is 12 kilometers east of Kandahar, 330 families participated in electing a council of representatives. These representatives then submitted three projects for funding: road gravelling in two locations and connection with the city's electrical grid. Other projects that communities have initiated include constructing schools, building water reservoirs, and financing carpet weaving and tailoring factories.
For the first year of the project, it is expected that US $150 million will be disbursed to over 7,000 villages, with plans for similar payouts in 2005 and 2006. The National Solidarity Programme, one of the point 6 priority projects, is funded by the World Bank.
Civil Society Makes Recommendations on Women's Rights
A two-day Women's Workshop on the Constitution was held this week in Kabul on 8 & 9 December. The purpose for convening the workshop was to agree on common recommendations for the draft Constitution, particularly as it relates to women's rights.
At 2 p.m. today, the Afghan Civil Society Forum will be holding a press conference at which the recommendations will be announced. Dr. Farooq Wardak, the Director of the Constitutional Commission Secretariat, will attend the press conference and officially receive these recommendations.
For more information, there is a media advisory on the side table.
UNHCR Spokesperson, Maki Shinohara
Winter delivery and rehabilitation in Kabul city
UNHCR and the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation completed the distribution of winter items to displaced people in Kabul city. About 1,000 families squatting in 9 public buildings and 4 tent sites received blankets, soap, plastic sheeting, cooker, heater and charcoal to prepare for the winter. The actual delivery was done by the Ministry staff and a German agency, THW.
Basic rehabilitation of the 9 public buildings is on-going, with THW fixing windows, doors, partitions, latrines and bathrooms. We are still awaiting the government's approval to rehabilitate empty public buildings so that an estimated 400 families squatting in tent sites may be able to move during winter. There are 1,800 families squatting in 17 locations in Kabul city, according to the Afghan authorities. MSF is providing winter items for the other 800 families in 4 locations.
Elsewhere in Afghanistan, winter delivery has begun in all regions. UNHCR is prepared to deliver winter items for over 47,000 returned or displaced Afghan families who may be in need this season.
Shelter/Water
As in last year, the rate of completion of our shelter and water projects is speeding up as temperatures drop. Of the 52,000 homes planned for this year, 34,000 homes have been completed (65%), housing about a quarter of a million returnees. Another 16,000 homes are near completion.
More than 2,300 (62%) wells and water points have been completed out of the planned rehabilitation of 3,700 water points this year. Work is on-going for another 700 water points.
Since 2002, UNHCR has helped build nearly 100,000 shelters -- providing roof timbers, doors and window frames -- and constructed over 6,000 wells and water points providing drinking water for Afghans returning to their communities. About 3 million refugees and internally displaced Afghans have returned to their homes since last year.
Security
Despite the withdrawal of international staff from the southern and eastern border regions following the murder of our colleague last month, our reintegration and life-sustaining programs are continuing with minimum disruption thanks to the ministries, implementing partners and our Afghan colleagues. Assistance to returns from Pakistan, however, remains suspended until security improves in the area not only for the safety of our staff, but more importantly also for the returning Afghans and their communities.
We continue to monitor the security situation in the area. We have sent this week a security assessment mission to Kandahar, following a similar mission to Jalalabad earlier this month. We are taking different measures to keep our programs going, but full re-deployment of staff and full resumption of all operations, which require unimpeded field access, are not foreseen in the near future unless measures are taken to improve security along the border.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Information Officer, Etienne Careme
Celebrating International Mountain Day in Afghanistan
Today, the Ministry of Irrigation, Water Resources and Environment (MIWRE) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) mark International Mountain Day.
The UN General Assembly has designated 11 December, from 2003 onwards, as 'International Mountain Day' in recognition of the crucial role that mountains play in our lives.
Following the example of other countries, the Afghan Minister responsible for Environmental Affairs, Ahmad Yusuf Nuristani, has created a National Committee on Mountains chaired by the Minister for Irrigation, Water Resources and Environment.
"The main focus at the moment of the National Committee would be to create a National Park in the Nuristan region, east of Afghanistan, as well as to develop and to preserve the Wakhan Corridor, located north-eastern of Afghanistan", said Deputy Minister for Irrigation, Pir Mohammad Azizi.
"The idea of a national park in this region is important to protect Afghanistan's biological diversity and to prevent degradation of its natural resources", confirmed Minister Nuristani, who is appealing to the international community to assist Afghan authorities in the establishment of the park.
Several institutions are developing initiatives in the protection and the preservation of the environment in these two areas. A joint MIWRE - FAO mission took place in July 2003, funded by the Government of Japan, to assess the forests of Afghanistan. The mission went to the Nuristan province and assessed the wild logging of oaks and cedars. UNEP, in its report from February 2003, Post-Conflict Environmental Assessment in Afghanistan, revealed that forest cover has decreased by 53 per cent in the province between 1977 and 2002, according to satellite imagery.
The Wakhan Corridor receives a special attention from several organisations. A publication entitled Afghanistan Wakhan Corridor Technical Report was recently jointly released by FAO and UNEP, providing new information on the overall state of the environment in the Wakhan and identifies the key social, economic and institutional pressures that impact directly or indirectly on the Wakhan's environment.
Mountain Wilderness International, a private organization, is keen to develop the tourism potential of the highest peak of Afghanistan: the Nowshakh. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has developed a project aiming at revitalizing Afghanistan's protected areas.
Each day too, deforestation, unsustainable agricultural practices, urban sprawl and global warming take their toll on mountain watersheds. By taking care of the world's mountains, we help to ensure the long-term survival of all that is connected to them, including ourselves.
UNICEF Communication Officer, Edward Carwardine
State of the World's Children Report
The annual flagship report of the United Nations Children's Fund - the State of the World's Children - is launched today, focussing on the issue of girls' education and development. The 2004 report, which provides a snapshot of progress for women and children around the world, recognizes the advances made in Afghanistan in bringing 1.2 million girls back to the classroom over the last two years.
But the report warns that without accelerated action to get more girls into school over the next two years, global goals to reduce poverty and improve the human condition will simply not be reached. Conversely, it says that bringing down the barriers that keep girls out of school will benefit both girls and boys - and their countries.
The report shows that girls denied an education are more vulnerable to poverty, hunger, violence, abuse, exploitation and trafficking. They are more likely to die in childbirth and are at greater risk of disease, including HIV/AIDS.
But according to The State of the World's Children, the positive impact of educating girls is equally dramatic: As mothers, educated women are more likely to have healthy children, and more likely to ensure that their children, both boys and girls, complete school.
In example after example, the UNICEF report details how bringing down the barriers that keep girls out of school makes schools more welcoming for boys as well as girls. Those barriers include schools that are too far from home, lack of clean water and separate toilet facilities, and where the threat of violence is ever-present both in and around the schoolyard.
In Afghanistan, efforts to bring more girls back to school have been led by The Ministry of Education, with support from UNICEF and other partners. Since the reopening of schools in March 2002, the number of girl students has increased continually to 1.2 million - 30% of all students enrolled.
Despite the advances made, UNICEF estimates that some 1.5 million girls in Afghanistan are still not attending school. The organization cites factors such as distance between homes and school buildings, lack of adequate sanitation facilities, shortages of women teachers and community attitudes towards education as potential barriers to universal girls' education in the country.
In 2004, UNICEF will place continued emphasis on tackling these barriers, including additional accelerated learning course for girls during the winter vacations, investment in community-built schools, teacher training and a commitment to improving water and sanitation in all primary schools. The agency is also investing nearly US$ 500,000 in developing a communication programme to encourage families to send all their children to school.
Lack of education for girls is believed to be one factor behind poor development statistics for women and children in Afghanistan. Illiteracy amongst women stands at nearly 80%, while the maternal mortality ratio is one of the highest in the world, at 1,600 per 100,000 live births. Under-five mortality rates indicate that one in four children will not survive to celebrate their fifth birthday.
UNICEF's education budget for Afghanistan in 2003 was US$ 44 million; in 2004, the organization plans to spend US$ 34 million on priority education programmes including the provision of learning and school materials for 5.5 million children, programmes for 196,000 out-of-school girls, teacher training for 50,000 teachers and support for a national Teachers' Academy and ten Teacher Training Colleges.
Key donors to UNICEF's education programme include Japan, the United States, Canada, Germany, Sweden and Norway.
Questions and Answers
Question: Has Mr. Brahimi been in direct touch with the US Ambassador or the Coalition regarding his unease about the killing of the children in recent operations? And will this factor into the UN's own security review?
Spokesman: All elements that effect security are taken into consideration by us and by those looking at measures to improve security conditions in the country. And yes, Mr. Brahimi has been in contact with the US Ambassador.
Question: What sort of specific recommendation is the UN making to the Coalition? Expressing unease is one thing but are you making any specific recommendations? Is there a lack of intelligence?
Spokesman: We do not know the details of their military planning. We do not know the details of their military operations so we are not competent to make military comments. Our comment is on the impact of such incidents and on the fact that any military organization has a responsibility to protect civilians. We also, as I said earlier today, believe that the observance of international humanitarian law would help in avoiding these kinds of situations.
Question: Are you saying that the Coalition is ignoring humanitarian law?
Spokesman: No, I did not say that. What I said is that international humanitarian law needs to be adhered to. It is up to the Coalition to assess whether or not they are observing it in all of its aspects.
Question: Just on the second Bonn Conference - how receptive were the people in Karzai's cabinet to holding another conference?
Spokesman: I think there is very wide support to the idea of looking at what has been done so far, what achievements have been made, what errors were made and what needs to be reviewed in order to take action from this point onwards. We have been with the Bonn Agreement for about two years now - the second anniversary was on 5 December - so it's a good time and good practice to take stock of what is happening, identify key problems and take it from there.
Question: Would there be the same participants?
Spokesman: I don't even know if a new Bonn Conference will take place. There is only a suggestion. We believe that debate of this idea is very important - not only of the idea but also of the substance that comes along with it. We think it is of utmost importance that people who are not in the immediate circle of the State be allowed to be part of these discussions and participate in the meeting.
Question: Is 1,080 the number of IDPs in Kabul?
UNHCR: 1,800 families, not people, were identified by the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation to be living under tents and squatting in destroyed buildings in Kabul. These are not just returnees or refugees, but also include the poor population. What we decided to do after discussions with the ministries and the government is really to look at the different reasons why they are there. We agreed to help these people to get through the wintertime. We hope that many of these people who have returned, as the situation improves in the country, will be able to return to their original homes or start earning an income and renting their own apartments. There is also an idea by the government to build low cost housing apartments on the outskirts of Kabul. All of these ideas are under discussion but right now the priority is to help these people get through the winter.
Question: How is ISAF [International Security Assistance Force] organizing the security for the CLJ?
ISAF: For the Loya Jirga, ISAF will have an assistance role. The main role for securing the area will be undertaken by the Afghan National Army and Kabul city police. ISAF will have some soldiers at the site to give them advice.
Questions: How many journalists will be allowed into the Loya Jirga site? I had heard it was 35?
CLJ Media Office: There will most likely be around 40 spaces available to journalists within the Loya Jirga tent. The office of media operations for the Loya Jirga will be responsible for arranging entry for the journalists. The Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the press office of the President will be advising us. We are working on the criteria for the journalists who will be allowed in the tent. Press kits, including the criteria for entry into the tent, will be available on Saturday morning at the press centre at the Intercontinental Hotel.