BUILDING BLOCKS IN PLACE FOR AFGHANISTAN'S DEVELOPMENT, BAN TELLS PARIS SUMMIT

BUILDING BLOCKS IN PLACE FOR AFGHANISTAN'S DEVELOPMENT, BAN TELLS PARIS SUMMIT New York, Jun 12 2008 12:00PM With the launch of Afghanistan's own blueprint for development, fresh pledges from donors, the commitment of the Government and a strengthened United Nations mandate, the key elements for the rebuilding of the strife-torn nation are in place, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told world leaders gathered in Paris.

"These are the building blocks of our new partnership and of a new deal for Afghanistan," Mr. Ban <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp">told the gathering, which he co-hosted with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The one-day conference witnessed the launch of the Afghan National Development Strategy, the Government's five-year plan to reduce poverty and promote economic and social development.

Mr. Ban stressed the need for the international community to channel its funds more and more through Afghan structures, and for the Government to be able to account for the use of these funds with transparency and deliver results.

"We are here in Paris today because we recognize that the cost of development in Afghanistan far exceed its resources," the Secretary-General stated. "We also recognize that promoting a stable, secure and prosperous Afghanistan benefits not only Afghans, but the entire global community."

More to follow…
2008-06-12 00:00:00.000

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