News (Consolidated) - UNSOM

NEW YORK - The Secretary-General has received the final report of the Board of Inquiry (BOI) into the 28 October 2009 terrorist attack on the Bakhtar guest house in Kabul where 34 UN staff were residing. The four-member BOI, set up in December 2009 was led by Andrew Hughes, a former senior…

KABUL - The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, Staffan de Mistura met today with Fazel Ahmad Manawi, the new Chairperson of the Independent Election Commission (IEC). دری و پشتو Mr de Mistura congratulated Mr Manawi on his appointment, noting that it had been broadly…

KABUL - Nowruz is a very important moment of festivity that has been celebrated for 2,500 years. And it is a sign of hope for peace which Afghans need. We hope that this year will bring peace and also progress. We will be with if you want us to be with you. The United Nations and all its staff wish…

NEW YORK - The General Assembly’s decision this year to recognize the International Day of Nowruz is evidence of a growing global awareness of the holiday’s significance not only in the regions where it is celebrated but around the world. For millennia, when the sun crosses the equator and the…

NEW YORK - The Secretary-General strongly condemns the attacks that took place in Kabul this morning, which caused the death and injury of many Afghan and foreign residents and for which the Taliban claimed responsibility. This deliberate targeting of civilians demonstrates once again a senseless…

KABUL - UNAMA Spokesperson Dan McNorton, responding to today's incidents in Kabul, said: "The attacks we witnessed this morning in Kabul have killed and injured many people." "The United Nations condemns these attacks unreservedly. The perpetrators behind these attacks have again shown total…

KABUL - The largest military offensive since 2002 is now underway in the Helmand province in Afghanistan. At the same time, a consensus is emerging that the conflict in this country can ultimately not be solved by military means. I have consistently advocated the need to prepare the ground for a…

KABUL - I am deeply saddened at the reports of the terrible loss of civilian life on Sunday in southern Afghanistan. According to government figures, at least 27 civilians, including women and children, were killed and numerous others wounded during aerial operations of the international military…

ISTANBUL - We had a successful London Conference last week – more so than was expected in light of the very limited time for preparations. It marked the opening of a new phase in our relationship; a transition to greater Afghan responsibilities, which is what the Afghan government wants and what the…

KABUL - I respect the Independent Election Commission’s (IEC) decision to postpone Afghanistan’s Parliamentary elections until 18 September 2010. Dari and Pashto This decision is based on Article 55 of Afghanistan’s electoral law which allows the IEC to postpone elections on the grounds of security…

KABUL - This morning, insurgents carried out coordinated attacks against government institutions in Kabul. The details of the attack and the number of people killed and injured are still emerging. The location of the attack, in central Kabul, at a time when many civilians were present, demonstrates…

KABUL - This morning there have been coordinated insurgent attacks in several locations of Kabul city. While details remain unclear early reports indicate the involvement of numerous suicide bombers attacking Government buildings close to the Presidential Palace and the Ministry of Justice. We are…