Thank the UN for Keeping Afghanistan's Elections Peaceful
- par: Better World Campaign
- destinataire: Helen Clark, Head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
The lead-up to the August 20 elections in Afghanistan were marred by violent efforts of the Taliban to disrupt the democratic process. And since the 2009 elections were the first to be run by Afghan authorities, they served as a critical test of the legitimacy of Afghanistan's democratic government.
But the threatened bomb attacks on polling stations never materialized. Election day in Afghanistan was largely peaceful -- in part because of the work of United Nations in the area. UNDP helped the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) register 4,419,275 voters (38 percent of whom were women) -- including 546,533 in the most volatile provinces -- and also supported election monitoring.
What's more, UNAMA facilitated the removal of more than 10,000 heavy weapons, the clearing of tens of thousands of landmines, the disbanding of 191 illegal armed groups and the confiscation of 5,700 weapons. Thank United Nations leaders for their dedication to ensuring peaceful and stable elections in Afghanistan!
Dear Director Clark,
I am writing to express my appreciation for UNDP's work in keeping the elections in Afghanistan peaceful and stable. The work of UNDP and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) kept democracy in the region strong.
Thank you for supporting UNAMA, which worked predominantly through the Afghan Independent Electoral Commission to offer technical assistance and coordinate international donors, agencies and organizations assisting the elections and channeling funds. Unlike the 2004 elections, which were organized by the international community, the 2009 elections were being run by Afghan authorities and thus served as a critical test of their legitimacy.
[Your comment here]
Thank you for all the United Nations does in ensuring peace, stability and democracy in Afghanistan.
