The Special Representative conveys his condolences and expresses his sympathy to the Chinese Government and to the families, friends, and colleagues of these workers. He wishes a speedy recovery to those wounded.

The SRSG notes with great sadness that this tragedy follows other serious incidents against electoral and humanitarian aid workers on 5 May in Nuristan, and 2 and 6 June in Badghis and Paktya. Eight Afghans and expatriates were killed in these attacks.

Preliminary reports indicate that at 1:30 this morning, 10 June, a group of some 20 armed men charged into the Chinese construction workers' compound, some 35km outside the city of Kunduz. The attack, which reportedly lasted only 10 minutes, left 11 killed and 5 wounded, one of them in critical condition. The victims were part of the team working on the Kunduz-Baghlan road, a project funded by the World Bank. The United Nations and ISAF [International Security Assistance Force] are providing support to the Chinese authorities dealing with this tragic situation.

Over the past week, new sites opened in Nuristan and Paktika. In Nuristan, as of 8 June, there were eight sites operating with 16 teams. In Paktika, sites opened for the first time on Tuesday, 8 June. With four sites open, on 8 June 143 men registered and on 9 June, 283 men registered. Not one woman had registered during the first two days that registration sites were open.

As a result of the incident last night, registration sites in Kunduz will be closed today. I should also add that all UN road movements in an out of Kunduz are temporarily suspended until we understand better what has happened. Operations within Kunduz continue but road movements in and out of Kunduz have been suspended temporarily.

[After the briefing, the Spokesman learned that only sites operating in the immediate surrounding area of the incident were closed throughout the day. This includes a registration site operating in Aliabad district of Kunduz, as well as a small number of sites operating nearby, both in Kunduz and Baghlan provinces. The exact area of where the incident took place is called Jalawgir, which is located in Baghlan province.]

The total number of officers and soldiers disarmed in the main phase now stands at 1,960 from some 20 military units in Kunduz, Kandahar, Kabul, Gardez and Mazar-i-Sharif. Some 950 of those personnel have been demobilized and almost 220 have been reintegrated into civilian life.

Under both the pilot and main phase of DDR, 8,200 officers and soldiers have been disarmed. Almost 6,700 of those disarmed have started or are about to start their reintegration options. So far, more than 40 percent (2,716) of the officers and soldiers have chosen vocational training for their reintegration package, while 37 percent (2,446) have chosen agriculture. Twelve percent (833) have chosen the de-mining option and about five percent (341) have chosen the small business package. The remainder of the ex-combatants, some six percent, have chosen to join the Afghan National Police, Afghan National Army or contracting teams.

The Ministry of Defence, with assistance from Afghanistan's New Beginnings Programme (ANBP), which as you know is the institution that is responsible for implanting DDR, will begin a second survey of heavy weapons in the Panjshir Valley this Saturday, 12 June. The first survey was conducted in mid-May but was incomplete. Aside from the new survey in the Panjshir and an on-going survey in Heart, the first step in cantoning all heavy weapons before the elections has been completed across the country. So far in the nationwide survey, 1,436 operational heavy weapons have been located and recorded, as have 1,572 repairable heavy weapons and 1,119 heavy weapons that cannot be repaired. ANBP is in the process of getting equipment to these areas to load the heavy weapons and take them to various cantonment sites.

Since mid-December, when the NSP first began operating, $12 million has been disbursed for 1,152 community projects across the country. The NSP has just committed another $26 million for newly approved projects and expects to disburse these funds over the next two months.

There are now 4,327 locally elected community development councils in 27 provinces across the country. NSP is not active in six provinces: Nuristan, Uruzgan, Zabul, Paktika, Daikundi and Panjshir. Daikundi and Panjshir have just been declared as provinces so the NSP plans to expand to those areas soon. In Nuristan, the social organizers and implementing partners have just been contracted so projects will start there soon. (Not in Paktika, Zabul and Uruzgan for security reasons.)

The main projects are related to providing clean water, building micro hydro dams which generate electricity from flowing water, as well as building new roads, bridges, schools and health clinics. The NSP estimates that some 2.29 million people have been reached so far.

The NSP is managed by the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development with support from the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN Habitat) and some 22 local and international NGOs. Funding is provided by the World Bank.

The new school cost approximately $80,000 and has been financed by European Union. The tables, chairs and blackboards cost $3,200 and were paid for by the Canadian International Development Agency. The project was managed by the French contingent, with implementation by Afghan companies.

The two athletes and their sports are: Ms. Marina Karim who will compete in Athletics (100m running); and Mr. Qaher Hazrat who will compete in Cycling. These athletes were the top competitors in the national trails that were held at Kabul Olympic Stadium on 15 May.

Despite this good news, Afghanistan's Paralympic Federation (APF) lacks sufficient funds to send the delegation to Athens this summer. Interested donors are asked to contact APF via email at manager@afghanparalympic.org or by cell phone at 070 262 973. AFP also has a webpage (www.afghanparalympic.org) for those interested in more information.

UNHCR Communication Officer Mohammad Farhad

More than 42,000 Afghans repatriated from Iran last month, 111 percent more than during the same period in 2003. If the security situation remains stable, we expect ever increasing numbers of Afghans to leave both Iran and Pakistan over the coming months as the school season ends and refugees go back to register to participate in the upcoming elections.

In all, more than 108,000 Afghans have left Iran so far this year, while more than 145,000 have returned from Pakistan.

Among the reasons why returns from Iran are on the upswing include the opening of seven dispute settlement committees by UNHCR to help refugees resolve problems with landlords, employers or other issues. In addition, UNHCR is funding at a cost of $2 million an additional truck to accompany each busload of refugees returning under the Iranian government-managed repatriation programme in order to help participating Afghans leave with more of the property they have accumulated over the last 20 years.

UNHCR is also fielding mobile teams in Iran that are going into remote areas to register refugees seeking to go back. We have also brought Afghan leaders from regions like Bamyan Province to Iran to meet with refugee communities, we're starting targeted group returns for groups like teachers to encourage them to go back to regions where their skills are needed, and we've opened a new easy to reach transport terminal in Tehran for the registration and loading of returning refugees.

In Pakistan, UNHCR on Sunday began a week-long initiative to give refugees in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) first-hand information on conditions with the help of a group of officials we've brought down from Afghanistan's eastern provinces.

Provincial-level authorities from Afghanistan's Nangarhar, Kunar, Nuristan and Laghman provinces are currently touring the region around Peshawar, meeting with refugees so they might make more informed decisions about return and know what to expect in the way of economic and education opportunities, as well as health care, shelter and other needs.

The week-long mission is particularly aimed at informing the some 200,000 Afghans residing in NWFP's new refugee camps, which were established in the wake of the 2001 US-led war to topple the Taliban when a quarter-million Afghans crossed in to Pakistan.

We believe that this "go-and-talk" visit by the provincial officials, combined with the High Commissioner's recent decision to close the new camps in Pakistan's border belt and the end of the current school year will spur a further surge in return movements over the coming months if security does not deteriorate in the refugees' home areas.

Nangarhar Province has received the second highest number of refugee returns since the UN-facilitated operation got underway in 2002, with more than 816,000 returnees - second only to Kabul Province including the prosperous Shomali Plain.

More than 3.6 million Afghan refugees and displaced persons have gone back since UNHCR and its partner agencies began facilitated return movements in early 2002.

Another up to 1 million Afghans are expected to return from Pakistan and Iran this year if the security situation and economic environment remain stable. Afghans returning under the UNHCR-facilitated voluntary repatriation programme receive funds to cover the cost of transportation - ranging from $3 to $30 per person, plus $8 apiece in place of food aid and other items that were provided to returning refugees in previous years.

There are some 2.3 million Afghan refugees in neighbouring Pakistan and Iran, as well as a substantial number of Afghans settled in cities and not counted in the governments' refugee statistics. UNHCR's budget this year for repatriation and reintegration activities in Afghanistan and refugee assistance in neighbouring countries totals $122.5 million, of which we have received $ 67.5 or 55 percent.

UNICEF Spokesman Edward Carwardine

The workshop, which is being hosted by the Ministry of Information and Culture with support from UNICEF, is the first of its kind in Afghanistan; over the three days journalists will discuss issues such as the rights of children, protecting children's dignity and privacy in media reporting, media ethics, children's participation in the media, and the role of journalists in promoting nation building through children.

Child rights and media experts from Australia, Nepal and Iran, as well as Afghanistan, will held lead the discussions, and the programme also includes a roundtable discussion with the Deputy Minister for Information and Culture, the Deputy Minister of Women's Affairs, and leading Afghan journalists. At the end of the workshop, journalists will be invited to draft a Declaration of Intent, underlining their professional commitment to upholding children's rights in their reporting.

UNICEF hopes that provincial level workshops will be possible in the future, to increase opportunities for journalists all over Afghanistan to enter the discussion. The national workshop this weekend includes participants from 14 provinces, but UNICEF recognizes the need to reach out to every province as the Afghan media continues to grow and develop.

This is just the beginning of a process. The media has a vital role to play in promoting and protecting the rights of children, and we are delighted to be working with the Government and journalists themselves to build an environment in which children's issues can take a central place on the media agenda in Afghanistan. The expansion of the media in Afghanistan has been phenomenal in the last two years. UNICEF wants to provide real opportunities of the media to develop their capacity and extend their role to be advocates for change, and not just the reporters of change.

The workshop is being held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul. A special inauguration ceremony attended by His Excellency Abdul Hamid Mubarez, Deputy Minister of Information and Culture and Dr. Waheed Hassan, Representative a.i of UNICEF Afghanistan, will begin at 8.45 a.m. on Saturday 12 June.

Note for journalists
Due to space limitations, the working sessions of the workshop are only open to registered participants. Other media are welcomed for the inauguration, but there are no available places left to participate in the workshop itself. UNICEF hopes to stage future workshops for those interested journalists who could not be accommodated on this occasion.

Questions and Answers

Question: Different figures have been given for the estimate of eligible voters in Afghanistan. I have heard 10 million and 10.5 million. Is there a definite figure?

Spokesman: It is all based on estimates and both of the ones that you sites are incorrect. Of course, in Afghanistan statistics are very difficult because after so many years of war during which a census and data collection did not take place, exact figures and even an exact estimate are hard to come by. We do not even know for sure how many people live in this country. What the Electoral Secretariat is working with are estimates provided by the Central Statistics Office, which is the institution that is responsible for statistics in Afghanistan. The Central Statistics Office works with the support of the United Nations Populations Fund.

Next year, following the calendar of the Bonn Agreement, a census is to be held. But the census, just as in every country, is preceded by a pre-census, which is known as a household listing. This is when the staff of the Central Statistics Office go to every household in every province of the country. Their goal is to find out where the houses are and how many people live in these houses. This is not the census but just a rough indication of people and where they live.

The estimate for the potential number of voters came from this household listing. The figure of 10.5 million came from this but at the time that figure was put forward, the household listing had not advanced as far as it has by now. As the work proceeded and staff reached more provinces - I think by now they have reached 22 or 25 provinces - they revised the original 10.5 million estimate downwards to about 9 to 9.5 million. This is now the estimate for the number of eligible voters in the country.

Question: There has been a lot of talk about the lack of funds for the election. Where do the lack of funds stand and who has to step forward? If somebody does not step forward, is that going to effect the date for September's election?

Spokesman: We hope not but it is a problem. The election budgeting process is divided into two areas. One is the budget for voter registration and this is covered; there is no problem with this. There are many other problems, including security, access and logistics, but that is separate. The shortfall of funding for voter registration is very small. The money is in the bank for voter registration to take place.

The area that is of concern is the budget for the elections. The total budget is $101 million. Donor countries have made pledges that are very close to $70 million. This would mean a shortfall of $30 million. We have two issues with the elections budget. One is the shortfall in pledges; the other aspect is that of the money pledged - not one dollar has come into the bank account yet. We need between now and 1 July, $87 million to initiate procurement and to initiate hiring staff for the planning of elections.

We are confident that the money is on its way. Like the United Nations, donor nations also have their own bureaucracies. Between the time of making the pledge, formalizing that pledge into a firm commitment, and then turning the firm commitment into money in the bank, Governments have a number of steps to take. We do have firm commitments, which total $30 million. It is encouraging and we hope that money will come into the bank in the next few days but it is not there yet.

The issue is a shortfall of $30 million in pledges, and disbursement of money related to the pledges and firm commitments already made by donor nations.

Question: Regarding the incident in Kunduz, was there any engagement with the attackers? And any idea who the attackers are?

Spokesman: I don't know. As you know, these are not United Nations personnel. We have no involvement with their security. The information that we received from the Chinese this morning was that these people broke into the compound, started firing and killed eleven people and wounded five all within ten minutes. I do not have the details of how it happened or who they are.

Question: I have heard from a few sources that countries consider it a successful election when 70 percent of the voters are registered. Is that a figure that you agree with? When will voter registration end? And when will you set a date for the election?

Spokesman: The date for the election will be determined by the Joint Electoral Management Body. They are working on it. Of course they needed to wait for the Electoral Law to be adopted which happened a week or so ago. The date is forthcoming.

I don't have a percentage that would be a target if that is what you are talking about. Our target is to make opportunities available for Afghans who want to register to do so in as many places as possible. We have told you that there are difficulties. Security is a major problem. Logistics is another one. Access to far away places, some traditional patterns, and years of war also have an impact. We know that men and women need to register separately. They cannot stand next to one another in line or go to the same registration booth. This requires that female registration sites be staffed by women and the staff need to be educated and literate in order to be able to absorb the training and run the actual process. It is very difficult to find women who meet these requirements when women in this country have not been encouraged - to say the least - to attend school and to play a role in social life. That is one of the constraints. I mention it because I think it helps us to understand the unique nature of the many elements we are dealing with here. I don't know if the countries that you are referring to with the 70 percent reference have the same kind of difficulties that exist here.

As for when voter registration will end, we don't have a fixed date. We don't have a fixed date because the reference is to offer as many opportunities as we can for as long as we can in as many places as possible. There will be a limit because at one point you have to cut it off. Once an election date is finally determined, the electoral experts will need to work backwards to determine how late voter registration can go in order for them to process all that needs to be processed in advance and in preparation for the elections.

Question: How will the incident in Kunduz affect the electoral process in the province?

Spokesman: Today, the registration sites in Kunduz will close but this is a standard procedure that we need to take every time there is a serious incident. We suspend road movements and if there is an activity that involves many people we suspend it temporarily until we have a better understanding of what happened and what the possible implications are. That is true for the immediate vicinity and it is also true for the larger area.

Today, registration sites are suspended in Kunduz and tomorrow is Friday so of course they don't open. We hope that whatever we learn will enable the Electoral Secretariat to reopen sites by Saturday. We will need to see what they learn in the course of the day about this tragedy last night.

[After the briefing, the Spokesman learned that only sites operating in the immediate surrounding area of the incident were closed throughout the day. This includes a registration site operating in Aliabad district of Kunduz, as well as a small number of sites operating nearby, both in Kunduz and Baghlan provinces. The exact area of where the incident took place is called Jalawgir, which is located in Baghlan province.]

Question: How big was the role of the Chinese in the reconstruction of the country? If this attack causes them to stop working, how big of an effect would it have?

Spokesman: I don't have this information. I am afraid that you will have to check with the Chinese embassy.

Question: Have open registration sites for nomads?

Spokesman: I believe that that is already happening. The sites are being dealt with differently that the others. A couple briefings ago, I mentioned to you that this is being decided in coordination with the Kuchi leadership. The decision is based on where to have sites that are on the nomad route of movement, and if there is a problem with that to identify fixed sites that people can go to. I don't have specific locations to give you but they would be a part of the sites in the different provinces where there are nomad populations.

Question: What are the latest findings from Badghis following the attack on MSF? Are registration sites open again?

Spokesman: In the last briefing I said that they had reopened.

Question: You have said that the UN has concerns about DDR. What does this mean? Are there new obstacles?

Spokesman: It means that is it not moving fast enough. As you know we expressed our concern about a month ago. There has been a lot of attention paid to it by a lot of different actors involved and responsible for this process and this is good. The main phase has started. The commitment of the Government is to have 60 percent of the forces disarmed and demobilized by the elections. Forty percent of the 60 percent should be by July. It is already 10 June so there is a lot of ground to be covered but that is not something that the ANBP colleagues can do on their own. It requires the initiative, involvement and participation of the different military components. It has started so lets trust that it will pick up momentum. The important aspect is that it began.

Question: What about the hand over of the lists of soldiers. In his latest briefing, [US Ambassador] Khalilzad said he was hopeful that the commanders would hand over lists, and after Mr. Arnault met with some of the commanders, he released a statement that said the issue of the lists was solved.

Spokesman: Mr. Arnault' statement did not refer to lists. It referred to cooperation, which you can interpret as that - it is a fair interpretation. But just for the record, he did not use the word lists. I don't have with me the status of each individual list. What I think is important is that the main phase began. As soon as more lists become available, the faster the process will be and the wider it will be. You tell me that the US Ambassador said he was hopeful. I think that hope is a word that we should never lose site of when we are dealing with a complex operation like the one we have here.

Question: If these disarmament targets are not met, is there a chance that the elections will be delayed?

Spokesman: You want me to speculate. All the work is being done for the targets to be met. That is what we are working with.

Question: Is there still the opportunity to delay past September?

Spokesman: This process is alive and kicking. You just heard about the number of people who are registering despite all the difficulties. Sixty thousand people are registering every day. That is what those who are trying to delay or spoil this process must have in mind. They are going against the trend. The population of this country wants to register, wants to vote. What they want this is because they want to have change. They want to have a representative government, they want to leave in the past these episodes of violence and they want to leave the lack of institutions. All of the effort that is going on in this country has to do with building an Afghan state and strong institutions. This takes time but work is ongoing and the people are giving all the signals they can that this is what they want. This is the reference that we must have and must work for. There is a commitment with the people of this country that all of us, including those thinking of spoiling the process, should not lose site of.

Question: Which are the donor countries that are not coming forward with money? Is it the EU countries?

Spokesman: There is not a list of donors that you check in terms of who has made a pledge and who has not - it is a voluntary process. There are 191 member states to the United Nations, not all of them are donor countries.

Question: Quite a few have pledged, can you tell us which ones?

Spokesman: I don't have the list with me. Each country has a different process in terms of pledging and then turning this into a firm commitment. For some, it is a just a matter of the executive branch of the government. For others, it involves the legislative branch or it involves dates referring to their fiscal yea. At the end of the day, almost each country has its own individual process. We are very careful not to go into detail and run the risk of not being sensitive to each countries own internal requirements. What we will do though is as contributions come into the bank, we will announce them.