The extension will give the UN more control in coordinating humanitarian activities being carried out by various bodies in the war-ravaged country.

The aim of the Council’s unanimous action is to ensure best utilisation of aid money being brought into the country by different parties, including many NGOs.

Active role

The UN will now play a more active role in working with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force engaged in a fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.

About 30 national embassies, bilateral development agencies, UN agencies, among others, are involved in rebuilding Afghanistan, said American UN Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad.

Opposing NGOs

Diplomats say these organisations sometimes work independently of one another and create problems for the Afghan government in day-to-day functioning of various departments. The uncoordinated activities lead to waste or under-utilisation of resources.

However, they agree that some non-governmental organisations might not be happy with the new arrangement as they would prefer to function independently rather than going through the United Nations.