Good morning everybody. I had a very warm welcome when I came a week ago. And some of you had been at the airport. I am very sorry that I could not answer all your questions except one agency in German. Because setting foot in Afghanistan for the first time impressed me very much. At this moment I did not want to answer questions but today I will.

You will realize in the next weeks or months I want a very active cooperation with the press. And this will not be the last roundtable with the press. I think that the free press is the best monitors of people’s rights and transparency is the best precaution against lack of professionalism on our side. So be free to address me, be free to ask for meeting and interviews and I will try to accommodate. The free press is the cornerstone for democracy.

In the first week here I had a very busy agenda. First I met with the UN staff and the UN agencies to know the UN family present. Then I met with the diplomatic community and quite a lot of the ambassadors here, not only the US and the UK but also ambassadors from India, Japan, Germany, Canada and Italy. I will meet others. Last Sunday I met the president in his palace. He was together with the president of the upper house.

And I was extremely impressed by the warm welcome I recieved. The Secretary-General of the United Nations presented me to the president of Afghanistan in London some two weeks before so it wasn’t the fist time I met him, but I was overwhelmed by the warmth and the friendliness of his welcome. We have spoken basically about the follow up of the London Conference and what challenges this will pose to both of us, the government of Afghanistan on one side and United Nations and UNAMA on the other side.

The London Conference has given us an important task in forming a coordinating and monitoring board together with the Afghanistan government and the United Nations representing the donor community. We have to form this board as an institution soon.

The Security Council has acknowledged and praised the results of the London Conference so we really have to implement what has been said there. We have spoken about the composition of this monitoring board on each side, the government side and the international community side, on the proceedings, how we will meet, how often and about the start. We have agreed that it would be helpful if this body would start in April this year. We share the sense of importance this Afghanistan Compact has for the immediate future and for the longer future. The Afghanistan Compact brings together the international community on one side and the Afghan government on the other side to a cooperation at lest for the coming five years.

The challenge is not only for the international community coordinated by United Nations and the institutions of Untied Nations here in UNAMA but also for the government in all levels including the provincial levels. It is the challenge for the provinces with their governors and the provincial developing committees.

The day before yesterday I paid a visit to Kandahar because for me it was clear coming to Afghanistan is not only coming to Kabul but also seeing the other provinces and major towns and certainly Kandahar is from the history one of the most important town here to visit and I was extremely impressed. I was received warmly by at the airport by the head of our office in Kandahar and by the governor and in the course of the day I have seen a lot of government officials and the provincial council.

The same day later on (that was yesterday) I came to Herat there again our office and the governor and then authorities of the province received me. Later I have met the provincial council that wanted to see me I wanted to see them because they are the newly elected democratic authorities in the province.

There is a great expectation that with the Afghanistan Compact the situation in the provinces produces visible and tangible results for the population. I took the opportunity in both cities (Herat and Kandahar) to see some of the monuments and beauties of cities I think the cultural heritage in Afghanistan is outstanding.

Talking further I will happily take your questions, I want finally make one point, one concern which was raised during this visit but also is a concern of mine. When I came here I knew that security situation is concern of all, the population in the country, the visitors and the international community working here. I have heard I have read the papers, I have listened to the radio about one thing, which I simply cannot understand. These are the attacks on schools and teachers. I cannot understand why anyone would target schools and teachers. These attacks amount to denial of human rights to education for Afghanistan’s children. I can only appeal to those who apparently disagree with the development Afghanistan takes, leave Afghanistan’s children alone. The United Nations, this is UNICEF, the responsible agency’s policy will help to reopen schools that have been attacked as soon as it is possible.

Before you put your questions, I want to say something you certainly will understand. I am here since one week and there are quite a few of questions I cannot answer. I will tell you if I do not know and I will be frank but I am with Richard Bennett, the senior human rights officer, he might answer other questions, more questions we might answer on a different occasion but be free to ask.

Questions and Answers

Question: You just mentioned your concern about the security situation in Afghanistan. Recently we have witnessed attacks from the Taliban and Al-Qaeda members. How do you assess the security situation across the country? We have been witnessing attacks on ISAF in the northern part of the country? Do you think that the attacks will increase?

Tom Koenigs: The security situation changes everyday because every incident puts a new threat. Yesterday a bomb was detonated in front of Compound B. It was a controlled explosion [by ISAF] but somebody had put a device [IED] there, not attacking us but maybe others. Then we hear everyday in the news of threats. So the picture changes every moment. I have no idea when finally the totality of the people discover that one of the main blockages, the main problems for economic and social development is the security situation. Attracting investment from abroad, bringing trade to the levels it has been, developing agriculture, all these decisive elements depend on security. I don’t make a guess on how security will develop. I do hope that this problem will be resolved. It is basically a political problem. People on all levels have to understand that security is most needed for all other developments. I do hope, and I am always optimistic that those who disagree pronounce their disagreement in a peaceful form, because the election has given the possibility to oppose in a democratic and peaceful form and make the point of somebody who disagrees in a legal way. I don’t know what information others have, certainly the military and the intelligence have information how things might develop, nevertheless I come with a great deal of optimism.

Question: What will be your most significant priorities?

Tom Koenigs: You know that the Afghanistan Compact, which has been agreed by the international community and the Afghan government, sets priorities. These are in the field of human rights and governance, in the field of security, and in the field of development. These are my priorities too. If you want to boil it down more to two major points, I would say I have always had in this career, and that is the cornerstone of the UN action, I have a priority for the implementation of human rights and I think in the development field what is most needed is capacity development. I will work to orient our action to these two directions which does not mean I will neglect anything else. I think these two topics are the two major driving forces in all human development all over the world and the United Nations has been established for bringing forward these two elements through the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, on one side which is very far reaching and signed by the 191 nations in the world, and the commitment through the different agencies of the United Nations to development. That’s why I focus so much on these two elements. These are my priorities.

Question: There seems to be very slow economic progress over the last five years, especially when you consider the rehabilitation programme of the refugees with which the UN has been worried about. It seems to be directionless. All the refugees who have come back from Pakistan and Iran now want to go back to those countries to find work. There are reports that hundreds of thousands of people want to leave the country. They have their passports, they are waiting in queues and are ready to leave the country because the programme is not going well. Do you want the UN rehabilitation programme to just offer them some supplies, or do you want to go beyond that?

Tom Koenigs: Certainly economic development is slow. I knew before I came here that I was coming to one of the poorest economic countries in the world. Not poor in culture. Not poor in human qualities, but poor in average income, health services, and education, to name a few deficits. Development from there is extremely difficult and that after a decade long war and the destruction which strikes one when coming into Kabul. Nobody can expect that this economy will recover quickly. I would like to say something on work and unemployment. It is one of the most difficult things to have economic and job growth. The state can only create a climate which is positive for job development. But again one of the deficits is capacity development, lack of schooling, and lack of proper state institutions. Nevertheless, with the Compact signed in London, I am optimistic that Afghanistan comes out of the depths of war economy into a peace economy. There is one element which is additionally necessary and that is having a good relationship with Afghanistan’s neighbours. The United Nations will do everything to improve the relation between the immediate and regional neighbours because for the development of the economy of Afghanistan, being in the middle of six immediate neighbours, the development of trade and relations to these neighbours is vital.

Question: (from Dari) You said in your remarks that the UN will try to improve it’s relations with its neighbours. One of the neighbours is Pakistan, which is believed to be interfering in Afghanistan’s internal affairs which it is believed that Pakistan is a source of instability for Afghanistan. What is your assessment of the role that Pakistan is playing in Afghanistan?

Tom Koenigs: The day I came [in Kabul] the President of Afghanistan visited the President of Pakistan. I think that he spoke about that when he received me I think this was a very fruitful visit and views have been exchanged and apparently this improves cooperation. I hope that a result of it will be that the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan improve because certainly from all aspects Pakistan is a very very important neighbour and has a lot of exchange possible and necessary in trade, in capacities, in tourism even, in economy, everything possible is important so the cooperation is necessary. I have no opinion on interferences or allegations of interferences from one or the other side. I have only a strong conviction that the opportunity that Afghanistan has to have only friends around is unique and should be used from both - the six neighbours toward Afghanistan and Afghanistan towards the [six] neighbours.

Question: The challenges are not just being faced by the international community but also the Afghan government. We know that Europe has helped a lot for the Afghan government. How will the UN strengthen the assistance for the government and also do you think there are any new fields that the UN will begin cooperation between the government?

Tom Koenigs: The challenges of the Afghan government are huge. Much more major to challenges in western countries. This is a democratically elected government but it comes after a war of practically complete destruction of all institutions here in Afghanistan. I had the privilege to know quite a lot of government members in the London Conference. And the impression I had is this government is extremely capable, and knowledgeable and represented Afghanistan very well. There was great respect they imposed on the 60 other governments that were present. Referring to the assistance to this government, I have to state first that the United Nations in the terms of quantities of money with our agencies are reporting only a relatively low percentage, between 10 and 20 percent. The great majority in financial terms is done by bilateral donors of the international community so we are only in a coordinating role. There is a great number and a great quantity of programmes which is support for good governance which is a capacity development, because the aim of this help is that in due time the government, and all the civil servants here, have enough capacity on their own to govern and administer their own country. This includes the capacity to generate finance through tax and other revenues because in the long run no country can live on foreign support. I am just one person in a very big team of those in the United Nations who come to help. So don’t expect that on the day I set foot on Afghanistan we have a whole new field of cooperation. It happened to be the 15th of February, which in the future will be a holiday and I’m very happy about it, but it’s not for my arrival that this will be a holiday (laughter).

Question: (from Dari) One of the priorities set out in the Afghanistan Compact is human rights and the improvement of human rights, but the fact that during the last four years human rights has been connected to political issue because some of the political figures who are holding power in the current government are accused of past crimes and any sort of action against these people will lead to political instability and this has been one of the reasons for which the government has been unable to tackle. What is your assessment of this connectivity between the human rights issues and political issues and how do you think this issue can be tackled in the future?

Tom Koenigs: Coming to what I focus on particularly – human rights – and your question. There is certainly, all over the world, tension between transitional justice. Justice of those perpetrators of past violations of human rights and stability. That is not new for Afghanistan. All the countries that have gone through a process of peace treaty, peace building and development, have this problem. Each country has to deal with it. Nobody can expect fast results. We all want justice. The people want it. The international community wants it. Nevertheless we have to strike a balance between these two elements. I have been working in two crisis regions – one in the Balkans and one in Latin America. Both countries ask themselves this question. What I’ve learned is that a certain patience is necessary. A permanent push for transitional justice but on the other hand a certain patience. Again that patience in my country, because in my country it took us nearly 50 years, maybe even more, to come to just judgment for those perpetrators during the war and during the period of gross violations of human rights. At the end of the day, I know that truth and justice is a condition for stability and that truth and justice is what the victims ask from us – the international community and the national authorities - and we will continue to push for justice. Nevertheless we know that it is difficult and the best justice is the one which is organized and imparted by the national and local authorities. Nevertheless, the United Nations is engaged in international justice for those cases where a national justice is not possible for one or the other reasons.

Question: (from Dari) Two questions. One, at the London Conference the German Foreign Minister said that Germany would lead UNAMA in Afghanistan. Does this mean that it is within your mission in Afghanistan or it has more widespread meaning to it? My second question, is that there is a lack of dialogue between people in the government and people in the international organizations, between the government and the parliament. It seems that UNAMA can play a coordinating role in this issue. How do you assess the role of the UN as far as this particular problem is concerned? Because even the free press has not been able to fill the gap and provide a bridge between these different elements that I referred to. People do not know what the government is doing. People do not know what the international organizations are doing and yet these are the audiences for both the government and the international community?

Tom Koenigs: First of all I am very happy that the German Foreign Minister applauds a German leading UNAMA. In the United Nations we are multi national teams and just one of them. I have worked only one year, the last year, for the German government. My loyalties, as of the 15th of February, goes to the United Nations and the Secretary-General and to add that Kofi Annan in person gave me this mandate and I will be absolutely impartial to all 191 member nations. Our commitment is with the people of Afghanistan, the government of Afghanistan and the international community as a whole. So I’m not going to be very German and neither of my three colleagues from UNAMA. We are under represented in UNAMA. What you said between a lack of communication between parliament and government I have not experienced that. I had the pleasure to see in the two provinces I’ve visited [Kandahar and Herat], in one day each, a very good cooperation because I had a meeting with the governor in Kandahar for example, then a meeting with provincial council and that is positive. In Herat I went to the Governor and I went to the provincial council and I didn’t see a rift between them.

Question: (from Dari) We are far away from when the Bonn Agreement was launched and finally reached. Now there is another joint work between the international community and the Government of Afghanistan with the recent signing of the Afghan Compact. What are your experiences and what kind of changes will you bring to this team to improve the situation, and who do you think are to blame for the challenges that Afghanistan is now facing because it is not only Afghans that are to blame, it is also to some extent the international community that there is to blame.

Tom Koenigs: Reference to the Bonn conference, yes, the Bonn process has been completed. The Bonn process focused in its benchmarks and its achievement on political issues and theses have been achieved with the elections, the parliament on the national and provincial level.

The Afghanistan Compact base is on the successes of the Bonn process and focuses much more on the other sectors. It focuses again on security. But now come human rights, governance, rule of law, the social sector and economic development. The new compact has new development-oriented focus.

I have not come because my predecessors have not done well. It is the opposite. I have come in the tradition of those who have led United Nations mission in Afghanistan particularly Mr. Brahimi and Mr. Arnault. I know both and I appreciate their work extremely. So the will not be a rift nor a break, there will be continuation. Sure there are people who think that or the other person or donor has made mistakes. I am sure they have made mistakes but will be absolutely sure that I will make mistakes too.

Question: Two Questions. First one is that women of Afghanistan have some concern to raise with the international community, lot of late service has been paid to the promotion of women’s right and status in society but in reality the violators of women’s rights have been given positions in the government and in the parliament. Especially the fact that by overthrowing Taliban the extremist groups were weakened. Recently they have become strong again and expressing the same extremist views towards women.

Tom Koenigs: Certainly Afghanistan has a history of women’s discrimination which is appalling and unique so each and every donor, each and every organization who supports human rights and the equality has to support the women’s rights in Afghanistan. Particularly the United Nations will always promote women’s right and I think we’ll all stand to do our best to do so. I don’t agree with your evaluation that extremists are advancing and women are losing rights in Afghanistan. I think it is very well done that women took position and elected bodies and they are improving their situation in the society which is still far from equality. Nevertheless I share your concern, we must not re process we must prevent elements who are responsible for discrimination to regain power.

Question: Second question is that the Afghan women worth working for Afghanistan through civil society are not being assisted by the international community but much of the attention is given to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and very little attention is given to the women working in the civil society, therefore, they feel that they losing their position and becoming weaker and weaker. What will you do to restore the situation and to address this issue?

Tom Koenigs: In the assessment of women’s groups in the civil society on one side and the authorities who look after women rights in the government on the other side, must say that it is always a difficult balance and I would support a balanced approach to this point because on one side the civil society has to be strengthen because they are the organizations of the victims of the human rights violations, victims of discriminations. On the other hand the institution to prevent violation of human rights, to prevent discriminations have to be strengthen at the same time. I would not weigh the one against the other but I would say we need the both. The UN has an explicit policy to cooperate with women’s group and to observe the non-discrimination law, the non-discrimination attitude in all their programs. If we failed to do so we have to correct ourselves.

Question: question was inaudible

Tom Koenigs: In the London Conference the point has been made by the Afghan delegation that most of the bilateral aid is channeled through non-government entities and was that by continuing doing so it will not lead to a capacity building but a reducing capacity of the government to administer Afghanistan. I think the call has been made rightly because we cannot at one side say we support the legally elected government and on the other hand we channeled the aid through a parallel system so if we want to support, to in courage, to help the legally elected government we have to make sure that major part of the development assistance is channeled through the government. It does not mean that the donor doesn’t have a say on what is this money is being spent for. The other way around it challenges the government to be transparent and countable for the money. Since the Ministry of Finance and the institutions responsible for finance are very developed and very professional here, I think an increase portion of the aid money should go through the budget, you asked me for the percentage I wont give you any, I would say ever increasing portion should go through the government accompanied by a ever increasing transparency of the allocation of this money.

Question: In your remarks you mentioned to change from a war economy to a peace economy. What did you exactly mean by that because the current situation is that half of the economy of Afghanistan is based on the drug economy? And the second part of the question is with regards to the lack of effectiveness in combating the drug economy and the main reason is that some major trafficker are positioned inside the government and therefore the government has not been able to tackle this issue as effectively as it could have.

Tom Koenigs: Still there is a lot of illegal economy in this country and it is certainly a concern and also a challenge put in the Afghanistan Compact to reduce this illegal part of the economy. They are strong decisions to be taken and nevertheless it is necessary to promote rule of law and the drug enforcement, the fight against the drug cultivating and drug traffickers, the drug economies has to continue.

Finally I would like to comment from the question that people who might have been involved in illegal activities that threaten the security, threaten the legal economy which have been involved in illegal actions during the war and after the war might be elected to parliament, that is a challenge for the Afghans, that is a definite challenge for the voters, that is a challenge for everybody. I don’t think that international community can say “you may be elected, you may not, and the others are not or around” it is that the Afghans as a whole has to believe in the rule of law, a legal government and people who obey to the law to be in their parliament and government. That is a development, which will take sometime but it’s worth engaging in this field.

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