Dec. 31 (Bloomberg) -- The top United Nations envoy to Afghanistan ended his almost two-year term saying he is frustrated at the pace of progress in the South Asian nation.

``Progress is being made to cement peace and stability for the Afghan people,'' Tom Koenigs said yesterday in the capital, Kabul. ``But I hear the frustration of people who want to see faster progress. I share the same frustration.''

Attacks by Taliban rebels have more than doubled in southern Afghanistan in the past year, the region continues to produce more opium than anywhere else in the world and NATO is struggling with troop and equipment shortfalls.

Koenigs, who is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's special representative in Afghanistan, appealed to President Hamid Karzai to strengthen the rule of law and defend human rights and said the military campaign must be matched by efforts to rebuild the country's infrastructure, including schools and hospitals.

He noted the Afghan army, which numbers about 70,000 soldiers, is becoming more capable of providing security and voiced optimism that greater cooperation between the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan would help end the insurgency.

``The people of Pakistan and Afghanistan are both suffering and it is only by both people joining hands can we defeat those who bring terror and violence to our communities,'' he said, according to a UN statement.

Karzai and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf agreed last week to share intelligence on terrorists in the border region, which the U.S. says is a haven for al-Qaeda.

Tribal Elders

In August, they set up a 50-member tribal council to take steps to stop militants establishing training camps along the 2,430-kilometer (1,510-mile) border.

Karzai has criticized Pakistan for failing to stop Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters crossing the border. Musharraf rejects the accusation and points to the 80,000 Pakistani soldiers and 1,000 military posts along the frontier.

``We should not waste our time in blame games,'' said Koenigs in an appeal for unity.

The UN is considering a replacement for Koenigs and the U.K. is looking for a successor with a bigger influence in international political circles, a Foreign Office official said in London earlier this month. Paddy Ashdown, a member of Britain's Parliament who held a similar post in Bosnia- Herzegovina, is among the leading candidates.

The U.K. and U.S. want a civilian envoy to coordinate international efforts in the country, liaising between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, UN agencies and the government.

NATO commands an international force of 41,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and is responsible for fighting the Taliban and rebuilding infrastructure. The force is short of three infantry battalions, 20 helicopters and about 3,000 instructors to train the Afghan army and police, the Pentagon says.

One Canadian soldier was killed and four others were wounded yesterday in southern Afghanistan when their armored vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb, Canada's Defense Ministry said in a statement on its Web site.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ed Johnson in Sydney at ejohnson28@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: December 30, 2007 19:57 EST