KABUL, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan is facing "a grave threat" in reconstruction, which is mainly caused by insurgency, narcotics and corruption, said a UN report released on Thursday here.

    "The spread of insurgency .. linked with the illegal drug trade, coupled with corruption and failures of governance and the rule of law, collectively pose a grave threat to reconstruction and nation-building in Afghanistan," said the report written by a UN Security Council mission to Afghanistan.

    The mission paid a fact-finding visit to Afghanistan from Nov. 11 to 16, during which they met Afghan President Hamid Karzai, senior NATO commanders, civilian societies and other representatives.

    Progress in Afghanistan's reconstruction in 2006 "has not beenas rapid as had been hoped," the report said, adding "The confidence of the Afghan public in its new institutions and processes was being tested."

    Due to rising Taliban-linked insurgency, Afghanistan has plunged into the worst spate of bloodshed this year since the Taliban regime was toppled down five years ago.

    Violence has killed about 3,900 people this year in this volatile country, which is four times greater than last year.

    Meanwhile, Afghanistan produced 6,100 tons of opium this year, witnessing a sharp rise of 49 percent from last year and accounting for 92 percent of the world's total supply.

    Moreover, Afghans have widely complained rampant corruption in governments especially in the police department.

    "Perceptions, however inaccurate, that the Taliban was less corrupt were undercutting government authority in some rural areas where access to formal justice remained limited," said the report, which would be discussed by the UN Security Council on Thursday.

    Faced with these austere realities, the report stressed two cardinal messages: firstly, the international community would continue to give firm, unyielding support to the Afghan government and people; and secondly, the Afghan government must ensure its steady and faithful implementation of the Afghan Compact, an international five-year blueprint for Afghanistan's reconstruction launched early this year.

    Although the report accepted that major achievements have been made in some aspects in Afghanistan's reconstruction, it emphasized that many measures should be taken immediately to tackle the daunting challenges ahead.

    The report urged NATO and other countries to maintain and, where possible, increase their commitment to the International Security Assistance Force to meet the challenge in security here.

    The report affirmed the importance of establishing a strong and sustainable Afghan National Army and urged donors and the Afghan government to "redouble their collective efforts" to established a trusted and effective Afghan National Police.

    The Afghan government is encouraged to "take immediate steps to strengthen justice sector institutions and provincial government, including through the replacement of corrupt officials and local power brokers," it said.

    The report also underlined the importance of the enhanced fight against the illicit trafficking in drugs within Afghanistan and in neighboring countries along trafficking routes.