United Nations, Dec 5 : UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has expressed concern over the security situation in Afghanistan, telling President Hamid Karzai that the peace process in the war-torn country should be inclusive and ensure respect for human rights.
Ban met Karzai in Bonn, Germany ahead of tomorrow's international conference on Afghanistan, according to a statement from his spokesperson here.
The Secretary-General “expressed concern about the security situation in Afghanistan and noted that the United Nations, through its mission will continue to work with the Afghan government towards sustainable peace,” the statement said.
Ban insisted that the Afghan ownership of the peace process should be inclusive and called on Afghanistan to “continue on the road to full inclusion of all, especially women, in all aspects of life, and that respect for human rights must be a cornerstone of government policy.”
Extending his gratitude to Karzai for convening members of the international community to the Afghanistan conference, Ban stressed the unity of the international community in supporting the country for the long term. He also commended the Karzai government for its effort towards national reconciliation.
The Bonn conference is being held a decade after another meeting was held in the German city that had created Afghanistan's first post-Taliban government. Senior officials from nearly 100 nations, including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would be attending the crucial meet.
