KABUL, 28 October 2015 – The Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan addressed guests at a reception in Kabul marking the 70th anniversary of the United Nations.

The Minister’s remarks are below:

On behalf of the Afghan government, it is my distinct pleasure to attend today’s reception on the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the United Nations. Let me and take this opportunity and extend my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to my good friend Ambassador Haysom for organizing this gathering.

The very existence of the United Nations is a unique achievement in the history of mankind – one Afghanistan is extremely proud to be a part of, having joined one year after its formation.

We are all thankful to those who have contributed to its successes during the first 70 years and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the men and women who serve the UN. Their efforts and sacrifices have contributed greatly to peace, security, development, and human rights not only in my country but all over the world.

I would also like to pay tribute to Afghan and international UN staff members who have lost their lives serving humanity both here and elsewhere in the world. Their work does make a difference in making this world a better place for all of us.

As such, we must continue to work in pursuit of the ideals enshrined in the UN Charter for peace, development, and respect for human rights. Our common responsibility remains critical in strengthening the capacity of the UN to protect and defend international peace and stability and provide help and assistance to those in need.

The historic adaption of the SDGs last month underscores long standing truth that peace and development are integrally linked – it is impossible to have one without the other under a rights-based paradigm. The 2030 agenda compels us to look beyond national boundaries and short-term interest and act in solidarity for the greater good in the long-term.

In doing this, we must acknowledge that there are challenges to the existing UN mandate including its structure, resources, and traditional approaches to dealing with global issues. The organization has tried its best to keep up and adapt to evolving environment and bring about the necessary reforms to effectively resolve the complex issues we face today.

This celebration today offers an opportunity to reflect back on the UN’s history with Afghanistan and take stock of our enduring achievements. The UN has been a longstanding reliable partner of Afghanistan, even when other member states looked the other way, the UN was here, standing ready to support and help us.

The UN was in Afghanistan helping with development and poverty reduction well before the wars here consumed the country over 30 years ago. And while peace and stability remain the key goals of the UN mission here in Afghanistan, there is so much else that the UN family contributes to that I would be remiss not to mention them – including de-mining, clean water initiatives, and humanitarian aid, which is particularly relevant today, given Monday’s earthquake.

All these programs have had direct impact on helping us improve conditions for all Afghans, since we began this journey in 2001.

Afghanistan has witnessed many defining events in recent past such as the successful security transition, first ever peaceful and democratic transfer of political power, and decrease in donor funding. We have entered into the transformation decade to achieve self-reliance, building on the gains made over the last 14 years of reconstruction and development.

In view of this changing context, the time has come to further strengthen our relationship with UN by making it more focused and result-oriented.

The UN’s engagement in Afghanistan will continue to require a critical component of the International Community’s overall support. And we will need to work with the UN to identify where we need to increase efforts to meet current and future challenges to best serve all Afghans while also aligning UN efforts in the best way to realize our own self-reliance reform plan to ensure the goals of the transformation decade are met – and are Afghan-owned and led.

I take this opportunity, once again, to thank Ambassador Haysom and the UN staff for their support in standing firm with us helping Afghanistan move towards a better future.

The UN can be home for all of us to advance the vision of a peaceful, sustainable, and just world. Let me reiterate our government’s steadfast commitment for promoting the very principles on which the United Nations was founded. We are confident that with the continued support of the family of nations represented in this noble organization; we will realize our shared goal of peaceful, stable and prosperous nation.

We hope to serve as a catalyst for security and prosperity in our region and beyond – and continue to turn our major cities blue in honor of UN anniversaries in years to come.

I’d like to close with words more eloquent than my own, those of a renowned poet Saadi. These words graced the entrance of the United Nations and underscore Afghanistan’s commitment to working with our fellow member states in pursuit of a better world:

“Human beings are members of a whole, In creation of one essence and soul,

If one member is afflicted with pain, Other members uneasy will remain,

If you have no sympathy for human pain, The name of human you cannot retain.”

Thank you.