UN Security Council renews mandate of mission in Afghanistan

UNITED NATIONS, March 19 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution to renew the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for another year.

"The Security Council decides to extend until 19 March 2014 the mandate of UNAMA," the resolution said.

The 15-nation council also voiced its "appreciation for the United Nations'long-term commitment, including beyond 2014 and into the Transformation Decade, to support the government and the people of Afghanistan and reiterates its full support to the work of UNAMA and the special representative of the secretary-general," the resolution said.

The council established UNAMA in 2002 in order to help Afghanistan achieve peace and development in the country.

In early December, the Afghan forces took over the full security charges of six eastern provinces from the NATO-led forces. The transition of security control from foreign troops to Afghan forces which began in summer 2011 is due to be completed by the end of 2014.

The Security Council recognized "that the renewed mandate of UNAMA takes full account of the transition process and is in support of Afghanistan's full assumption of leadership and ownership in the security, governance and development areas, consistent with the understandings reached between Afghanistan and the international community in the London, Kabul, Bonn and Tokyo Conferences and the Lisbon and Chicago Summits," the resolution said.

The Security Council stressed "the importance of a comprehensive approach to address the security, economic, governance and development challenges in Afghanistan, which are of an interconnected nature," and recognized that "there is no purely military solution to ensure the stability of Afghanistan," said the resolution.

The Security Council also reaffirmed its "continued support for the government and people of Afghanistan as they rebuild their country, and strengthen the foundations of sustainable peace and constitutional democracy," the resolution said.

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