S/PV.3766 Security Council

The Security Council will now resume its consideration of the item on its agenda. Following consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: “The Security Council has considered the report of the Secretary-General concerning the situation in Afghanistan of 16 March 1997 (S/1997/240). It has also considered the views expressed at its 3765th meeting on 14-15 April 1997 on the subject. “The Security Council expresses its grave concern at the continued fighting in Afghanistan and its intensification in recent months. It reiterates that the continuation of the conflict threatens to destabilize the region and prevents steps towards the formation of a fully representative and broad-based government able to address effectively Afghanistan’s acute social and economic problems. “The Security Council calls upon the Afghan parties to cease immediately all hostile actions and to enter into sustained negotiations. The Council strongly believes that a negotiated settlement is the only solution to the long-standing conflict in this country. “The Security Council fully supports the United Nations efforts to facilitate national reconciliation in Afghanistan. It is convinced that the United Nations must continue to play the central role in assisting the warring Afghan factions to engage in a fully fledged negotiating process on the basis of Security Council resolution 1076 (1996) and General Assembly resolution 51/195. The Council welcomes the activities of the United Nations Special Mission in Afghanistan (UNSMA) and supports further efforts by the Secretary-General to give a new impetus to its work. In this context it welcomes the holding by UNSMA of intra-Afghan working group meetings in Islamabad but regrets that these efforts have not yet achieved positive results. “The Security Council welcomes the convening by the Secretary-General of a meeting of concerned countries on 16 April 1997, following the earlier meeting held in New York on 18 November 1996. “The Security Council takes note of the intention of the Secretary-General to consult the Afghan parties and all those concerned on the advisability of an intra-Afghan meeting at some stage and requests him to put forward a concrete plan if and when he decides that it will contribute to the peace process. “The Security Council again calls upon all States to end immediately the supply of arms and ammunition to all parties to the conflict in Afghanistan. “The Security Council reiterates its concern that the continuation of the conflict in Afghanistan provides a fertile ground for terrorism and drug trafficking which destabilize the region and beyond, and calls upon the leaders of the Afghan parties to halt such activities. “The Security Council is deeply concerned at the worsening of the humanitarian situation including the displacement of the civilian population. It is also deeply concerned at the discrimination against women and other violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law in Afghanistan. The Council deplores the mistreatment of personnel of international humanitarian organizations, which inhibits the international community’s ability to respond to Afghanistan’s pressing humanitarian needs. “The Security Council will remain seized of the matter and requests the Secretary-General to continue This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/1997/20. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.