UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urges strengthened commitment to Afghanistan at Brussels Conference

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon joined senior European and international officials at the Brussels Conference on Afghanistan aimed at expressing strong continued political and financial support for Afghanistan for the next four years.

"I urge all partners to commit to an agenda to deepen and strengthen development opportunities for the Afghan people and address endemic poverty," the Secretary-General told representatives of all European Union member states as well as other European countries, including Iceland and Norway.

In total, seventy-five countries and twenty-five international organizations were participating in the Conference that was co-hosted by the European Union and the Government of Afghanistan to chart assistance for Afghanistan through 2020.

"We must continue to work together in support of a peace process for Afghanistan and the region," the Secretary-General told the Conference.

Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the European Union, expressed appreciation for the role that the United Nations was playing in coordinating assistance for Afghanistan. She also thanked Mr. Ban, who will step down at the end of 2016, for the leadership he demonstrated during the two terms he served as Secretary-General during the past ten years.

Senior representatives from the United Nations family, including from the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), UN Women, and the World Food Programme (WFP) participated in the Conference.

"The United Nations looks forward to working with all of you to support Afghanistan, and reinforce Afghan leadership and ownership of the sustainable reform agenda," Ban told the Conference. "Let us all make the most of today’s opportunity to chart a way forward that truly betters the lives of all of the Afghan people."

Additional links:

• Brussels Conference on Afghanistan (EU Council webpage) | #AfghanConf
• United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)
• Federica Mogherini (webpage)
• UN Agencies: FAO, IOM, OHCHR, UNDP, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNODC, WFP & UN Women