The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Afghanistan pledging conference eyes development goals for coming fours years, from 2021-24
A high-level pledging conference on Afghanistan has been confirmed at UN Geneva next week whose objectives include helping to contribute to a peaceful and sustainable future for the country’s people, participants announced on Friday.
The specific aim of event, which coincides with peace talks between the Government of Afghanistan and Taliban leaders in Qatar, is to determine shared development goals and commitments over the next three years for the Afghan government and the international community, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said.
"The 2020 Afghanistan Conference is taking place at a historic and critical moment, both for the Government of Afghanistan and our international development partners," said Naser Sidiqee, Director General of the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, Ministry of Finance of Afghanistan, at a press conference in the Swiss city.
Co-hosted by the Governments of Afghanistan and Finland with the United Nations, more than 70 countries, international organizations and agencies are expected to take part, as well as civil society representatives.
Previous editions have taken place in 2016 in Brussels and Tokyo in 2012.
"We have been investing and we have been cooperating with Afghanistan well, in years,” said Janne Taalas, Finland’s Special Envoy to Afghanistan 2020. “And we have also made a significant contribution to the crisis management in Afghanistan."
The conference comes amid surging insecurity across Afganistan, including an attack on Kabul University earlier in the month that killed dozens of students that was reportedly claimed by ISIL extremists.
"At this critical time, the United Nations anticipates that conference will provide strong support to the people of Afghanistan," said Ramiz Alakbarov, UN Resident Coordinator in Afghanistan, ad interim.
"The decisions that will be taken in the next few days, we also view them as mutually reinforcing to the Afghanistan peace negotiations."
Participants are expected to engage in two days of discussions to pledge “financial support, a new development framework, a joint political declaration and a new aid architecture supporting Afghanistan’s development needs and priorities are the anticipated outcomes of the conference,” UNAMA said on its website.
“(Development assistance) has been significant and it has contributed quite significantly to the development of Afghanistan in different parts of the country,” said Mr. Sidiqee, from the Ministry of Finance of Afghanistan. “And we believe the continuation of the development assistance to Afghanistan will play a key role in stabilizing Afghanistan and also supporting the government on its journey to self-reliance."
Owing to restrictions on large meetings in a bid to restrict the transmission of COVID-19 in Switzerland, the Conference will take place virtually, coordinated by UN Geneva.
n Afghanistan ad interim
- Wide shot, flags, United Nations Office in Geneva.
- Close-up shot, building, United Nations Office in Geneva.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Naser Sidiqee, Director General of the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, Ministry of Finance of Afghanistan: "The 2020 Afghanistan Conference is taking place at a historic and critical moment, both for the Government of Afghanistan and our international development partners."
- Wide shot, journalists at the news briefing.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Janne Taalas, Finland’s Special Envoy to Afghanistan 2020: " We have been investing and we have been cooperating with Afghanistan well, in years. And we have also made a significant contribution to the crisis management in Afghanistan."
- Wide shot, a journalist at the news briefing.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Ramiz Alakbarov, UN Resident Coordinator in Afghanistan, a.i.: "At this critical time, the United Nations anticipates that conference will provide strong support to the people of Afghanistan."
- Wide shot, a journalist at the news briefing.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Ramiz Alakbarov, UN Resident Coordinator in Afghanistan, a.i.: "The decisions that will be taken in the next few days, we also view them as mutually reinforcing to the Afghanistan peace negotiations."
- Wide shot, journalists at the news briefing.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Naser Sidiqee, Director General of the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, Ministry of Finance of Afghanistan: "It has been significant and it has contributed quite significantly to the development of Afghanistan in different parts of the country. And we believe : the continuation of the development assistance to Afghanistan will play a key role in stabilizing Afghanistan and also supporting the government on its journey to self-reliance."
- Wide shot, news briefing.
- Wide shot, news briefing.
- Wide shot, journalists at the news briefing.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
“Deadly attacks on distraught civilians trying to access the paltry amounts of food aid in Gaza, are unconscionable. For a third day running, people were killed around an aid distribution site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. This morning, we have received information that dozens more people were killed and injured,” Jeremy Laurence UN Human Rights spokesperson said at the biweekly press briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA
Gaza ‘hungriest place on earth’ with aid stymied – UN humanitarians
Starving Gazans continue to be deprived of aid as international relief efforts are being severely constrained by the Israeli authorities, the UN humanitarian affairs coordination office OCHA said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNRWA
As a controversial United States and Israel-backed aid distribution plan gets underway in Gaza, the UN called on Tuesday for an “immediate surge” of its own pre-positioned supplies to help prevent starvation.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani today urged Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to reject a bill that was recently endorsed by parliament allowing trials of civilians in military courts. The Uganda People’s Defence Forces Amendment Bill 2025, which was passed on 20 May and now awaits presidential signature to become law, among others broadens the jurisdiction of military courts, authorising them to try a wide range of offences against civilians.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango today warned of a further deterioration in the human rights situation in South Sudan at the bi-weekly briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , WHO
Syria: ‘Staggering’ needs amid insecurity, health care crisis - UN humanitarians
Millions of people in Syria continue to face mortal danger from unexploded munitions, disease and malnutrition and urgent support is required, UN humanitarians said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , OCHA , WHO
UN life-saving aid allowed to trickle into Gaza as civilian needs mount
Amid calls for more humanitarian trucks to enter the food and medicine-deprived Palestinian enclave of Gaza, UN humanitarians have received permission from Israel for “around 100” more aid trucks to cross into the Strip after only five were let in yesterday, But the scale of relief efforts allowed remains entirely insufficient to meet the urgent needs of people there, humanitarian workers say.
1
1
1
Edited News
A war reporter from Lebanon who lost a limb in the line of duty is calling for an end to impunity for attacks against journalists.
1
1
1
Edited News | ITU
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) commemorated 160 years dedicated to connecting the world on Saturday, 17 May in Geneva, Switzerland, during the annual World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO , OCHA
Gazans ‘in terror’ after another night of deadly strikes and siege
Amid reports that Israeli strikes across Gaza into Friday killed at least 64 people, aid teams once again pushed back strongly at allegations that aid is being diverted to Hamas and pleaded for the blockade to end.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Deportations over recent months of large numbers of non-nationals from the United States of America, especially to countries other than those of their origin, raise a number of human rights concerns, the UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Gaza: Over 50 child malnutrition deaths amid aid blockade; entire generation will be ‘permanently affected’ - WHO
In the aid desert of Gaza, malnourished children are dying while survivors can expect a lifetime of dire health problems, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.