S/PV.9577 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of Afghanistan to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2024/234, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by Japan. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2024/196, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security. The Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now.

The draft resolution received 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2727 (2024). I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Japan. I am pleased that today we were able to unanimously adopt resolution 2727 (2024), which extends the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for another year. As the penholder on the Afghanistan file, I would like to express Japan’s heartfelt appreciation to all our fellow Council members for their constructive engagement, valuable inputs and flexibility throughout the negotiation process in order to reach consensus. The resolution we have just adopted ensures that UNAMA will remain equipped with a sufficient, robust and flexible mandate, as it tackles the multifaceted challenges faced by Afghanistan. UNAMA’s role is more important than ever in addressing the worsening humanitarian and human rights situation, especially for women and girls. The Mission’s presence is indispensable as we, the international community, seek to deepen engagement and build confidence with the Taliban as agreed during the special envoys meeting in Doha last month. The resolution will also send a strong message to the people in Afghanistan that the United Nations, backed by the Security Council, will continue to work tirelessly for them, especially those who are in difficult situations. In conclusion, I would like to stress that Japan remains committed to providing its full support for UNAMA’s role and functions under the leadership of Special Representative Otunbayeva. I also extend our sincere appreciation to the entire UNAMA staff for their dedication to the people of Afghanistan. We look forward to further enhancing cooperation on the ground between UNAMA and our Embassy in Kabul. I resume my functions as President of the Council. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the voting.

China voted in favour of resolution 2727 (2024) extending the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) based on its support for the work of the United Nations and for Special Representative Otunbayeva. China hopes that UNAMA, under the leadership of the Special Representative, will continue to play an active role in promoting Afghanistan’s stability, development and integration in interregional cooperation and in helping the Afghan people build a better life. At the same time, we regret that the resolution fails to reflect the most recent developments in Afghanistan by keeping pace with the times. Two and a half years after the withdrawal of foreign troops, Afghanistan is seeing an overall stable domestic situation, improvement in its economy and people’s livelihoods and sustained expansion of regional cooperation, while at the same time it is still facing severe challenges in areas such as the humanitarian situation, economic development and the terrorist threat. The international community should strengthen its engagement with the Afghan interim Government, ensuring humanitarian assistance, on the one hand, and providing more help with mine clearance, alternative development, the restoration of the banking system and the freezing of overall assets and safeguarding the rising interest of the entire population, on the other. The resolution submitted by the penholder gives the impression that the situation has remained unchanged for over two years, which clearly does not reflect reality. Since its establishment in 2002, UNAMA, in line with the changing situation, has made several adjustments to the Secretary-General’s reporting cycle to the Security Council. In the light of the overall stabilization of the security situation in the country, China proposed during consultations that the reporting cycle be extended as appropriate. Doing so would not prevent the Council from considering the issue of Afghanistan whenever necessary, nor would it in any way imply any weakening of support for the Afghan people. Our overall consideration is that we hope action taken by the Security Council with regard to Afghanistan will be in line with the development of the situation and the needs of the Afghan people. China stands ready to continue to maintain communication with all parties on relevant issues.

The United States is deeply committed to supporting the Afghan people. And therefore, we are deeply committed to supporting the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). I want to commend the UNAMA staff on the ground in Afghanistan who are performing critically important work under difficult and dangerous conditions, as well as thank Japan for its leadership over the mandate renewal process, which ensures that those efforts will continue. By extending the mandate, the Council has enabled the United Nations to continue addressing the international community’s key priorities in Afghanistan: alleviating the country’s widespread humanitarian emergency and economic crisis; promoting peace and stability; facilitating dialogue among all relevant Afghan political actors and stakeholders; and supporting efforts to restore the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Afghans, and particularly women and girls, empowering them to participate freely, fully and meaningfully in every aspect of society. These are worthy efforts every day and especially today, as we celebrate Women’s History Month and convene the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. We all have more work to do when it comes to Afghanistan, but today’s unanimous vote sends a very strong message. Regarding a United Nations Special Envoy, we again call on the United Nations to fully implement resolution 2721 (2023), undertaking consultations and, ultimately, appointing someone to work with the international community, the Taliban and Afghans. The Afghan people deserve to see peace, security and stability and to enjoy human rights and fundamental freedoms. Let us continue to work together to create that reality.

The Russian Federation voted today in favour of resolution 2727 (2024), extending the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for 12 months. We trust that the parameters established by resolution 2626 (2022) allow UNAMA to fully carry out its operations in Afghanistan during a critical period for the country. We note the dedicated work of the United Nations staff in Afghanistan, as well as the selfless efforts of Ms. Roza Otunbayeva, Head of UNAMA, who seek to deliver, in good faith, on the tasks entrusted to them under difficult circumstances. We believe that the Council’s consistent support for the Mission sends the people of Afghanistan a signal of the international community’s shared commitment to establishing long-awaited peace and stability in that long-suffering country. Pragmatic cooperation between UNAMA and the de facto authorities on all issues related to the Organization’s tasks in Afghanistan remains imperative. The Mission’s efforts on the humanitarian track and its ability to carry out its mandate with regard to coordinating international humanitarian assistance to the country and providing support, primarily to the most vulnerable groups  — women, children, the elderly and persons with disabilities — are a priority. That is particularly important when it comes to the unresolved issues of frozen assets and unprecedented unilateral sanctions. Against that backdrop, the use of various pretexts in attempts to politicize the humanitarian sphere are unjustifiable. In our view, that practice is immoral and unacceptable. We regret the non-constructive position of certain members of the Security Council, which from the outset demonstrated their readiness to discuss humanitarian challenges solely in connection with the human rights situation and their desire to reflect new realities in the text only in a way that is convenient for them. Such actions are at odds with their strident slogans about their concern for ordinary Afghans and the importance of normalizing the situation in the country and adopting a comprehensive and realistic approach with a view to the international reintegration of Afghanistan. We believe that building lasting peace in Afghanistan is only possible with an objective and balanced assessment and through constructive and pragmatic cooperation with the de facto authorities on a wide range of problems, including under the auspices of the United Nations. There are no alternatives. The speedy resolution to the current deadlock and the Mission’s successful implementation of the tasks entrusted to it hinge on the adoption of such an approach.

Slovenia welcomes the unanimous adoption of the resolution and thanks the penholder, Japan, for its efforts and all the Council members for their constructive engagement. We welcome that the Council was again able to unite behind such an important topic. Slovenia voted in favour of resolution 2727 (2024) because we believe that the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) must remain comprehensive and support the path towards an inclusive transition and a prosperous democratic future for Afghanistan and the Afghan people, bringing stability, prosperity and sustainable peace. With the unanimous extension of UNAMA’s mandate, the Council reaffirmed its support for the Organization’s work in Afghanistan. It is sending an important signal to the Afghan people that the international community remains committed to protecting and standing up for the human rights and to ensuring much-needed humanitarian assistance. We welcome and commend the Mission for all the activities it has been consistently undertaking and for implementing its mandate. We particularly stress the importance of UNAMA’s work in the fields of human rights, humanitarian assistance and continued political dialogue with the Taliban. The situation in Afghanistan remains deeply alarming, particularly when it comes to human rights, the dire humanitarian and fragile economic situation, as well as the challenging security threats. All these have a devastating impact on the people of Afghanistan. We remain deeply concerned about the policies and practices put in force by the Taliban that restrict the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls. We regret that the Council members were not able to reflect that in the resolution. We therefore once again call on the Taliban to respect and fulfil Afghanistan’s obligations, pursuant to the binding human rights treaties. We remain committed to the people of Afghanistan and reaffirm our solidarity with them. We will continue advocating for human rights for everyone.

Allow me to begin by commending Japan and its team’s constructive efforts to enable the needed extension of the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) through the Council’s unanimous decision. UNAMA remains one of the Organization’s largest special political missions, with more than 1,000 personnel. Its size reflects the full-scale and seriousness of the multifaceted and interlinked challenge that Afghanistan continues to face. UNAMA’s continued presence on the ground and the Security Council’s ongoing vigilance on the Afghanistan file are critical for serving the 44 million people living in Afghanistan, with 23.7 million in need. We reaffirm our full support for the Mission’s strengthened role in coordinating and facilitating the provision of humanitarian assistance in line with international law and humanitarian principles. The new school year starts soon in Afghanistan, yet 1.4 million girls have been excluded from secondary education. The Republic Korea stands with the women and girls of Afghanistan, who continue to endure the systematic oppression targeting them, remaining deprived of human rights and fundamental freedoms. We use words like “continue” or “remain”, but the status quo is not static. The status quo is exacerbating the suffering of the Afghan people day by day, and we must never get used to that. We are at a critical juncture for initiating in-depth discussion on the long-term road map for the reintegration of Afghanistan into the international community. In that aim, meeting the needs and aspirations of the Afghan people must always be our primary focus. Before closing, as a country from the region and a major donor and a long-standing supporter of the people of Afghanistan, Korea pays tribute to UNAMA and other United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations in Afghanistan for their tireless work. We look forward to convening the next quarterly briefing from UNAMA in June, when we assume the presidency of the Council.

Ecuador voted in favour of resolution 2727 (2024) because we believe the work of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is essential for supporting the Afghan people and because the mandate contained in resolution 2626 (2022) is robust and comprehensive. We believe that the unity of the Council and support for UNAMA and the United Nations agencies working in that country are critical for addressing the growing humanitarian needs in Afghanistan and reversing the regrettable situation of Afghan women and girls, whose fundamental freedoms and rights have been curtailed.

I now give the floor to the representative of Afghanistan.

I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting and for leading the Council’s efforts to maintain global peace and security. We deeply appreciate the unanimous agreement of the Security Council to renew the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). We fully support UNAMA’s vital role in the country and commend Japan for facilitating the adoption of the resolution adopted today (resolution 2727 (2024)). This renewal is critical as Afghanistan faces a severe crisis, exacerbated by the Taliban’s lack of commitment and failure to address the situation, engage constructively and establish a just, responsible, inclusive and representative system of governance. Such a system must respect human rights and ensure women’s inclusion, as promised to the world and the people of Afghanistan. We are pleased that the resolution adopted today highlights UNAMA’s crucial role in promoting peace, stability and inclusive governance in Afghanistan, particularly in monitoring and reporting on human rights, including the situation of women and girls. We thank all international partners for their firm support for Afghan women and girls during the recent meetings of the Commission on the Status of Women. We urge continued unity and consensus in the international community’s principled engagement with Afghanistan to guide the country towards stability. We are grateful to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the UNAMA team for their unwavering efforts in challenging circumstances. Looking ahead, stabilizing Afghanistan and reintegrating it into the international system requires a legitimate, inclusive and representative system of governance based on justice, the rule of law and the will of the people  — a system that responds to the needs and concerns of the Afghan people and the international community. We hope that the focus of the United Nations on political dialogue remains a priority, alongside other aspects of UNAMA’s mandate. In conclusion, we thank all Council members for renewing UNAMA’s mandate and for their continued support for the Afghan people, especially women and girls. The Council’s support is crucial to achieving a lasting peace in a united and inclusive Afghanistan.