Washington, DC looks at the plight of women in the Democratic Republic of Congo this week, in the form of a hearing tomorrow that will be held by women's rights advocate Senator Barbara Boxer.  The panels feature State Department reps, playwright and V-Day founder Eve Ensler, and Enough's John Prendergast, among others, and is aimed at addressing the staggering problems of rape and sexual violence in both DRC and Sudan.

Washingtonians can also literally see the situation faced by Congolese women in a photo exhibit on display this week called Congo/Women, featuring these stunning images of life and women in Congo.  Be sure to check it out if you're in the District.

Even facing increasingly dangerous levels of violence in their country, Afghans are as vocal as ever in their desire for peace. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reports on the incredible enthusiasm with which the Afghan people are preparing for the upcoming International Day of Peace.

"The aim is to give voice to those who want peace in this country," UNAMA spokesperson Adrian Edwards told a news conference in Kabul today. "And what we are seeing is that the demand for peace is overwhelming."

He said the scale of events being planned for this year's celebration of Peace Day, marked annually on 21 September, is "unprecedented" and involves citizens, educational institutions, businesses and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as UN agencies.

"In contrast to the conflict and violence around us, the peace campaign in Afghanistan in 2008 is potentially the biggest this country has seen," Mr. Edwards stated.

Celebrating peace won't change the reality on the ground by itself, of course, but this level of popular commitment is by no means insignificant, particularly when it comes to winning the "hearts and minds" campaign that Mark alluded to earlier. And it's reports like these that remind me that the goal in Afghanistan should not be so much winning a war as winning a peace.<!--break-->

Visiting Washington a little over a month into his new job as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Afghanistan, Norwegian diplomat Kai Eide -- whose candidacy only emerged after renowned British negotiator Paddy Ashdown's was shot down by the Afghan government -- is being received with wide open arms here in the U.S. After speaking at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace today -- where he cited the confidence that the "highest authorities of the U.S. administration" have in him -- Eide will be meeting with the top levels of the U.S. foreign policy brass: Secretary of State Rice, National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and even President Bush.

The red carpet being rolled out for Eide is indicative of the importance that the administration has recognized in an increased role for the United Nations in Afghanistan. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad testified to this importance himself, in a New York Times op-ed last month, in which he praised the nomination of Eide and outlined the roles that the UN should be fulfilling in Afghanistan.

The expanded responsibilities that Khalilzad envisioned for the UN in Afghanistan line up closely with those identified by Eide: coordinating civilian and military efforts, ensuring that resources for aid are spent effectively and with appropriate oversight, combating corruption in the Afghan government, and strengthening the country's police and justice systems. Eide has consistently emphasized that international involvement in Afghanistan must be seen not solely through a military lens, but as a broader political project; while he expressed confidence that the U.S. has increasingly adopted this perspective, it remains crucial for the U.S. to see beyond the military situation of the country.

The U.S. will also need to back up its warm reception for Mr. Eide with concrete support for the UN mission that he leads. For the administration to saddle Eide with increasing responsibilities, yet fail to provide the necessary resources, would be both hypocritical and counterproductive. To demonstrate its commitment to the UN's role in Afghanistan, the U.S. Congress should begin by approving the $53 million in the FY 2008 supplemental funding bill designated to fund the UN's political missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, and could follow by paying up on its long-standing back dues to the UN regular budget, out of which missions like the one in Afghanistan are funded.<!--break-->

Midtown Manhattan is a madhouse this week. Both the opening session of the 62nd UN General Assembly and the Clinton Global Initiative are in town and bring with them both an unprecedented group of world leaders and a complex security situation. As I shuttle back and forth between the two events, I am struck by the competence of the New York Police Department. I can't even imagine the intricacies involved in securing an area this large and vulnerable, but they have every appearance of having it under control. I'm confident at least.

This is an apropos moment to bring up the UN's Capital Master Plan, a plan to renovate the UN Headquarters in New York City, which has not happened since the complex was built in 1950, and bring the building up to current safety and security codes.<!--break-->The existing conditions of the United Nations headquarters in New York pose serious safety and security problems, and waste a tremendous amount of resources. The headquarters were designed to accommodate 70 Member States. UN membership currently stands at 191 Member States.

The UN building no longer complies with U.S. and New York City fire and safety codes, and a considerable amount of energy is wasted as a result of archaic appliances. Problems include asbestos, electromagnetic fields, an inadequate fire alarm system, the lack of sprinklers in high rise buildings, poor or no fire separation between buildings, the possibility of high pressure steam line explosions, falling ceilings, and leaks.

As a high-profile building located in New York and a gathering point for world leaders, the UN is unfortunately a target for a terrorist attack. And it lacks basic security requirements such as shatterproof glass windows. In the event of an incident, first responders -- like NY's finest -- would be put in an unacceptable amount of danger.

I have heard at least one person on CNN in the last couple of days talking about the cost to the city of maintaining security this week. New York, as the seat of UN headquarters, plays host to the world and receives untold benefits from acting as such. Aside from the political- and prestige-related benefits, this week alone hotels throughout midtown are sold out and restaurants are packed.

The first step of being a good host is ensuring the security of your guests. The NY Police department is doing its part. It's time that the Capital Master Plan move forward.

In 1998-99, a team of architects and engineers thoroughly examined the condition of U.N. Headquarter complex. The study concluded that despite the high quality of the original construction, many building elements have deteriorated due to age, or do not meet current standards of safety and energy efficiency. The study concluded "The current condition of the headquarters' complex is unacceptable for continued use over the long term."

To address this situation, the Secretary-General presented the Capital Master Plan to renovate the UN headquarters in July 2000. Since that time, a commission has been appointed to determine a budget; complete an overall implementation schedule; select contractors through competitive-bidding; consolidate existing space; secure swing space; and design plans for financing the project. The total cost of the Capital Master Plan is $1.2 billion over period of eight years.