The United Nations' special representative to Afghanistan, Jan Kubis, says civilian deaths from January to April this year are down by a fifth on the same period last year.<br/> <br />SOUNDBITE: JAN KUBIS, UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE TO AFGHANISTAN, SAYING (English):<br/> <br />"I see a stronger effort, a much stronger effort, to address this problem on the side of the pro-government forces and notably on the side of ISAF (International Security Assistance Force)."<br/> <br />The drop comes after five years of rising civilian deaths.<br/> <br />Last year more than 3, 000 civilians perished in roadside bombs, suicide attacks and other violence.<br/> <br />Another 4, 500 were wounded.<br/> <br />But Kubis says many deaths are down to the actions of anti-government forces.<br/> <br />SOUNDBITE: JAN KUBIS, UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE TO AFGHANISTAN, SAYING (English):<br/> <br />"The overwhelming majority of civilian casualties are caused by the actions and activities of anti-government forces including such terrible instruments, if I may call it like, increasingly suicide bombers."<br/> <br />A series of recent civilian deaths blamed on NATO, led Afghanistan's president to warn that a strategic partnership agreement with the U.S. was at risk of becoming meaningless if Afghans didn't feel safe.<br/> <br />Paul Chapman, Reuters
