UN General Assembly
2004

Nelson Mandela once described his countryís transition to democracy as a long journey to freedom comprising many milestones, each a realization of new opportunities for him and his nation. We, the Afghan people, started our journey to stability and democracy almost three years ago. I am delighted to report that, 18 days from today, our people will go to the polls for the first time to elect their President, marking the most significant milestone in our journey. As the presidential elections will mark the end of the transitional period set forth in the historic Bonn Agreement, I would like to outline some of Afghanistanís achievements over the past three years and discuss our challenges. Much has changed in my country, but no change is more visible than the confidence of the Afghan people in the future of our country. We have seen that confidence in the return of more than 3.5 million refugees who are now rebuilding their lives. We have seen that confidence in the enthusiasm of families who are sending their boys and girls to school, rebuilding