A delegation of the United Nation”s Security Council arrived in Kabul on Monday to push for regional cooperation as it takes stock of the situation on the ground in Afghanistan, the United Nations said in a statement.
Among the 15-member delegation is Zalmay Khalilzad, the Afghan-born U.S. ambassador to the U.N. who is often mentioned as a possible candidate in next year”s presidential elections in Afghanistan. Khalilzad, who served as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan following the 2001 U.S. invasion, has said he does not plan to run.
The delegation will “underscore the importance of regional cooperation for governance, security, and development,” a U.N. statement said. It will have three days of meetings with top Afghan and international officials.
“An additional aim of their trip is to underline the role of the United Nations in promoting peace and stability,” the statement said.
The visit comes as Afghanistan has faced records level of violence. U.S. officials have said their forces have seen a 30 percent increase in attacks this year compared with 2007.
Since the ouster of the Taliban”s hard-line Islamist regime from power following the 2001 invasion, the U.N. has been tasked with leading the civilian effort for the international community.
The U.N. Security Council also legitimized the presence of some 65,000 NATO-led and U.S.-led troops, who are involved in daily battles with insurgents, mainly in the country”s south and east.
