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News item | 03-04-2008
Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende believes that international efforts in Afghanistan can be more effective and that the United Nations should be given a stronger role.
The Prime Minister expressed these views in an address to young professionals and students at the Young Atlanticist Summit in Bucharest, held in conjunction with the NATO Summit.
Peace, stability, justice and development tend to be abstract concepts, Mr Balkenende told his audience, but he wished to clarify them by focusing on the situation in Afghanistan.
'Our dream of a safe Afghanistan, where all people work together in freedom, without fear, to bring prosperity to their nation, is still a long way off.'
'Many feel that change is not happening fast enough,' he went on. 'But when I consider the size of the task - which entails building a country from the ground up - I think it will actually take several decades. And it will require a great deal of determination from us all.'
The primary responsibility for a safe Afghanistan lies with the Afghan authorities, the Prime Minister said. 'More needs to be done to fight corruption and drug-trafficking.'
Afghanistan's neighbours, too, have a big responsibility, nor must the international community abandon the country to its fate.
Mr Balkenende said that international efforts can be more effective. 'We could achieve better results with the same resources if our activities were better coordinated,' he said. 'It is time for us all to move towards adopting a nationwide approach. After all, Afghanistan is a single country, so let's treat it like one.'
'There's a job here for the United Nations, which should be given a stronger role. Ultimately, we will need a UN-coordinated development programme.'
Mr Balkenende also said that it was important to have 'a realistic picture' of developments in Afghanistan and summed up the progress that has been made there over the last few years.
Infant mortality, for instance, has fallen by 40% and the economy is growing at a rate of 12% per year. Mr Balkenende also called Afghanistan 'one of the most democratic countries in the region'.
'These are positive developments, but they have not removed all of the serious concerns. For instance, last year there were more terrorist attacks and more civilian casualties.' Expressing his concern about human rights in Afghanistan, the Prime Minister said 'Not everyone is prepared to allow others the freedom that they themselves take for granted.'
03-04-2008