New York (PTI): The UN mission in the war-ravaged Afghanistan has opened its new office in Pul-i-Khumri, the capital of the country's northern Baghlan province, bringing the total number of its field offices to 18 in the country.

"Our new office will play a crucial role in the coordination of development efforts, monitoring of human rights issues, strengthening of good governance and the rule of law, assisting local institutions in combating corruption and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid," a spokesperson for the UN Mission in Afghanistan said on Monday.

The Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan), Kai Eide, presided at the opening of the new office, which took place this weekend.

In addition to its headquarters in Kabul, UNAMA also has offices in Mazar-i-Sharif, Kunduz, Herat, Kandahar, Nangarhar, Bamiyan, Gardez, Ghor, Kunar, Khost, Nimroz, Badghis, Maimana, Faizabad, Daikundi, Zabul and Uruzgan.

The General Assembly has welcomed the ongoing extension of the world body's presence into additional provinces in Afghanistan, saying it "ensures that the United Nations fulfils its essential coordinating role."

In a wide-ranging and unanimously adopted resolution on the situation in Afghanistan, the 192-member body urged UNAMA to consolidate its presence and to continue its expansion throughout the country, particularly in the south, "security conditions permitting."