S/PV.5645 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security (S/2007/152). Members of the Council also have before them document S/2007/169, which contains the text of a draft resolution prepared in the course of the Council’s prior consultations. It is my understanding that the Council is ready to proceed to vote on the draft resolution before it. Unless I hear any objection, I shall now put the draft resolution to the vote. There being no objection, it is so decided.

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 1746 (2007).

My delegation was honoured to coordinate the process that has led to the adoption by consensus of this resolution. I wish to thank all delegations and, above all, you, Mr. President, and your team, for the invaluable contributions that we received from each and every one of them throughout the process. The vote is all the more rewarding for us since the Council has adopted this resolution as a presidential text showing cohesion and unity on a critical issue at a critical juncture. As our Foreign Minister stated before the Council three days ago (see S/PV.5641), we were convinced that the people of Afghanistan and the women and men of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) needed a strong signal of support. We believe that this resolution is such a signal. We are not modifying the mandate of UNAMA, of course, but I believe that we are doing something even more important for the Mission. We are offering a new vision, we are giving a new pulse, we are shaping a new framework for action. The text before us is not business as usual. In fact, it is particularly rich, and it addresses all the priorities for the next months identified by the Secretary-General in his report — promotion of the coherence of the international engagement, outreach, support for regional cooperation, humanitarian coordination, protection of human rights, and monitoring of the situation of civilians in armed conflict. As an overarching priority, the resolution affirms the crucial importance of the synergies among the different aspects of the international community’s engagement in Afghanistan, stressing the need for a comprehensive approach to address the challenges that Afghanistan faces. We hope that such a comprehensive approach will be put into practice in the shortest term and at the highest level through the unique format offered by the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB) and under the leadership of the Afghan Government. This is the only way to be in a position one year from now to adopt a resolution with a long list of developments to welcome and no concerns to express.

There are no further speakers on my list. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council will remain seized of the matter.