April 30, 2008
No. 102
The Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Kai Eide, is visiting Ottawa on April 30 and May 1, 2008.
"Canada pushed hard for the appointment of a UN Special Representative to bolster international cooperation in Afghanistan," said Minister Bernier. "Mr. Eide has our full support as he takes on a critical role in coordinating efforts on the ground, including among UN agencies."
Mr. Bernier expressed strong support for UN education, food, governance, immunization and counter-narcotics programming in Afghanistan, which has received significant funding from Canada.
The Minister also welcomed strong international momentum on the file, as evidenced by the NATO Summit in Bucharest and the UN Security Council's renewal of the mission in Afghanistan. Canada is committed to working closely with the Special Representative on governance, development and security issues in Afghanistan, including the strengthening of national and regional security and increasing the ability of the Afghan government to deliver basic services to its population.
While in Ottawa, Mr. Eide will meet with members of the newly formed Cabinet Committee on Afghanistan. In addition to Minister Bernier, this includes the Honourable David Emerson, Minister of International Trade and Chair of the Cabinet Committee; the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence; the Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety; and the Honourable Bev Oda, Minister of International Cooperation.
Kai Eide was appointed Special Representative to Afghanistan by the UN Secretary-General on March 10, 2008. As the top UN official in the country, he is responsible for coordinating the international civilian effort in support of the Afghan government.
For Mr. Eide's biography, please visit www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/sga1123.doc.htm.
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