News (Consolidated) - UNSOM

KABUL - The UN’s top official in Afghanistan, speaking to representatives from a Kabul university, stressed the need for women to participate in peace talks. Women should influence the agenda and participate in talks, said Nicholas Haysom, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for…

KABUL - With the security setting in Kunduz remaining fluid and with civilians placed at risk, UNAMA is continuing its mandated work to track and report on the human rights of those caught in the conflict. In line with its protection of civilians brief, officials from United Nations Assistance…

BAMYAN - Achieving sustainable peace in Afghanistan was the focus of the latest gathering, in Bamyan, held as part of the nationwide People’s Dialogue process. The UNAMA-supported gathering in the central province of Bamyan brought together a diverse group including members of provincial authorities…

KABUL - Boosting the position of women as equal partners in the agricultural industry is the aim of a new national strategy that is part of a larger Afghan-UN development project. Afghanistan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the…

KABUL - It is with great sadness that I confirm the loss of a colleague, Ms. Toorpaki Ulfat, who was assassinated in Kandahar city this morning. Ms. Ulfat, who had worked the past five years for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), was a respected human rights defender. Her…

NEW YORK - The Secretary-General is deeply troubled and saddened by the killing of Ms. Toorpaki Ulfat, a staff member of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), on 12 October in Kandahar. He urges the local authorities to undertake a rigorous and prompt investigation into the…

HERAT - UNAMA has brought together a group of Herat-based diplomats to discuss ways of improving the planning and coordination of development assistance in Afghanistan’s Western Region. During the meeting in Herat, representatives of India, Iran and Turkmenistan stressed their support of good…

KABUL - The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) expresses its serious concern at recent statements from the Taliban that identified specific Afghan media outlets and their staff as military targets. UNAMA urges all parties to the conflict to respect and protect the right to…

KABUL - UNAMA wishes to provide some clarity on internal safety and security assessments conducted by the United Nations for the purposes of its operations in Afghanistan. This is necessary following mischaracterisation in the media of UN security assessments. UNAMA regularly analyses the threat…

KANDAHAR - Colleagues and friends of Toopaki Ulfat gathered in Kandahar today to pay tribute to her life and express their sense of loss on account of her murder earlier this week. Staff from across the UN family were joined at the memorial service by Nicholas Haysom, the Secretary-General’s Special…

KABUL - The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) praises the first-ever Ulema National Conference that took place on 12 October in Kabul. Around 500 participants from Ulema councils and independent Ulema, composed of Sunni and Shia religious scholars and different ethnic…

QALAT - The peace process and infrastructure development were among the topics addressed by a UNAMA team during a series of meetings with local authorities and community representatives in Zabul province. Discussions took place in Qalat, the capital of southern Zabul province, located 135 kilometres…