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Afghanistan

I want to praise the work of my hon. Friend in linking up with women in Afghanistan to encourage the emerging process of democracy in the country. She is right that we need the UN co-ordinator appointed for February, and we need that role to better than the current one in co-ordinating the development efforts of all the different countries involved in Afghanistan and in building a strong relationship that is supportive to the Afghan Government. We also of course need the international effort she talks about to be expanded. We will, as a result of this statement, make all our efforts to do that.