Senior UN envoy urges more coordinated assistance for Afghanistan's development

United Nations, New York, 9 December 2009 - The Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Kai Eide, met with the US Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates in Kabul today. Eide presented his civilian agenda proposals for Afghanistan. He outlined the need for a more compact structure for coordinating civilian assistance in order to move forward in Afghanistan.
He called for the United Nations, the International Security Assistance Force, (ISAF), the European Union, (EU), and key donors to ensure they all work together in a more coordinated and streamlined way. "There is no other choice. We all have to change our mindset and be more geared towards a coordinated approach", he said.
The Special Representative also underlined the need to avoid a situation where pressure for immediate results leads to an acceleration of quick-impact projects and draws attention further away from long-term sustainable solutions

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