YouSaid · the spoken record

Adela Raz

lines on the record

143

first

2020-04-27

most recent

2021-06-28

sittings or episodes

17

sources

un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

1. “Allow me to first thank the Permanent Mission of Indonesia for having convened this very timely high-level open debate on addressing the issue of linkages between international terrorism and organized crime. I would like to also thank the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office for Counter-Terrorism, Vladimir Voronkov, and the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for their insightful briefings on the importance of tackling this threat. Afghanistan believes in the imperative need to address the symbiotic relations between these two heinous threats. Organized crime is a broad and complex phenomenon, and its links with international terrorism are evident.”

   2020-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/791 (2020) · source

2. “The Government is doing our part; it is now up to the Taliban to respect the will of the Afghan people, lay down its weapons and work with us to find a peaceful solution to this 20-year conflict In closing, Afghanistan welcomes the Security Council’s resolution and applauds the Council’s resolve to uphold its responsibility in maintaining international peace and security. COVID-19 is a multidimensional challenge and the global community will be able to effectively respond only through cohesive action that involves all different segments of the United Nations system and our global community. Afghanistan will continue to work and play its role, together with our neighbours and international partners, to address COVID-19 and to build back better at the national, regional and international levels.”

   2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source

3. “It is time to come together and work with the United Nations and other organizations to ensure that nobody is left behind and that all vulnerable groups receive the resources and care they need. We reiterate to the Taliban that by continuing its attacks and refusing to heed the Secretary-General’s call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, it is making a decision to go against an explicit call from the Security Council and, more importantly, the interests of its Afghan brothers and sisters, who are desperate for an end to the conflict and to receive the assistance that they so desperately need.”

   2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source

4. “As part of this effort, we have prioritized the meticulous process of releasing close to 4,000 of the total 5,000 requested Taliban prisoners to build a stronger degree of confidence among all parties. Nonetheless, despite a three-day ceasefire during Eid al-Fitr, which raised the hopes of the citizens of our country, the Taliban has responded to our calls with increased levels of violence, going so far as to perpetrate attacks on humanitarian personnel and targeting civilians We believe that by adopting resolution 2532 (2020), the Council joins the people of Afghanistan in demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities all around the world. It is time for all of us to join in the imperative task of delivering humanitarian assistance to all those who need it.”

   2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source

5. “I would like to highlight our regional and international partners for their support in response to COVID-19. The escalation of violence by the Taliban and its refusal to reduce levels of violence have increased the misery of the people in need of assistance and prevented the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to vulnerable groups. Afghanistan is one of the 170 signatories to the joint statement in support of the Secretary-Genera’s call for a global ceasefire, and the Government has been consistently calling on the Taliban to observe a humanitarian ceasefire. Moreover, recognizing the imperative priority of peace, the Afghan Government is acting in good faith to see the immediate start of intra-Afghan negotiations.”

   2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source

6. “As a country affected by conflict and that is experiencing the severe socioeconomic effects of COVID-19, Afghanistan understands how difficult it is to simultaneously respond to a pandemic with restricted resources while addressing the violence and instability emanating from conflict. In addition, those in need of humanitarian assistance grew from 9.4 million at the start of the year to 14 million as of June as a result of the virus. In response, the Afghan Government has acted by taking preventive measures and adopting a response plan centred on health care, food security, public works and regional economic cooperation, and we will continue to address the pandemic with the support of and in coordination with the United Nations, the World Health Organization and regional and international partners.”

   2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source

7. “The pandemic has also shifted resources from national programmes for achieving sustainable peace and development to emergency plans for preventive and curative measures. In addressing pandemics, collective efforts and measures are required at the national, regional and global levels. Particularly, the United Nations and the Security Council have the duty and responsibility entrusted to them by the Charter to act cohesively and deliver their mandates. I would like to thank the Secretary- General for his leadership and efforts in the response to the pandemic, and especially for the launch of the Global Humanitarian Response Plan for COVID-19. Furthermore, it is an honour for Afghanistan to be part of these efforts as one of the co-coordinators, along with Croatia, of the General Assembly’s efforts on COVID-19-related initiatives.”

   2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source

8. “Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and Ms. Amira Elfadil Mohammed Elfadil, African Union Commissioner for Social Affairs, for their insightful remarks. Undoubtedly, pandemics undermine and disrupt international peace and security. For the last four months, we have all been witnessing the socioeconomic and lethal consequences of COVID-19 across the world. Particularly, conflict- affected countries and countries emerging from conflict have seen their pre-existing challenges impacted by the additional burden of the pandemic. This has led to a deterioration of the humanitarian situation, which has especially affected vulnerable groups, such as women, children, the elderly, internally displaced persons and returnees.”

   2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source

9. “As this is our first time participating under your leadership, Sir, allow me to congratulate Germany on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council and wish you a successful month of work in the name of international peace and security. I would also like to thank Germany for convening this open video-teleconference meeting of the Security Council on the theme of pandemics and security and welcome the unanimous adoption of resolution 2532 (2020) on this matter of utmost urgency as we continue to tackle the threat of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). We further congratulate the sponsors of the resolution and the Security Council members on this important achievement. Finally, I would also like to thank His Excellency Secretary-General António Guterres, Mr.”

   2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source

10. “We strongly reiterate our insistent call to halt those actions and further stress that guaranteeing the rights of children, particularly girls, remains a strong imperative of the Government of Afghanistan in their peace talks with the Taliban. The Government continues its committed efforts for a prompt start of direct talks with the Taliban and supports the Secretary-General’s call for a humanitarian ceasefire that can stop the bloodshed, particularly as we also deal with the threat of the coronavirus disease pandemic. In conclusion, allow me to reiterate Afghanistan’s strong position as a committed partner for the protection of children in armed conflict. We will continue our firm work and commitment to creating a new Afghanistan of opportunities for children to grow and flourish into the leaders of tomorrow.”

    2020-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/594 (2020) · source

11. “We have also adopted a national policy for civilian casualty prevention and mitigation in order to avoid civilian casualties during military operations, and passed a new penal code in 2017 that sets punishments for those perpetrating sexual violence against children and a child protection law endorsed by a decree signed by President Ghani in March 2019. Despite Government efforts, the Taliban, ISIL and other terrorist groups continue to violate the rights of children, using them as human shields and enlisting them as child soldiers to carry out many of their heinous attacks. Their crimes and their blatant disregard for the lives of children, as indicated by the six grave violations assessed by the United Nations, is a contravention of human rights and international humanitarian law.”

    2020-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/594 (2020) · source

12. “As a ratifying country of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, as well as other conventions and obligations on the matter, Afghanistan has been actively engaged in reforming its institutions through the adoption of policies and laws, including the law on juvenile delinquency and the signing of the joint action plan in 2011 and the subsequent road map towards compliance, in 2014, to ensure that children are protected and not engaged in conflict. That includes zero-tolerance measures on the prohibition of the recruitment of children in all sections of the Afghanistan National Defence and Security Forces and throughout relevant ministries working to protect our children from the threats of the Taliban, ISIL and their affiliates.”

    2020-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/594 (2020) · source

13. “Such acts are unacceptable and must be stopped. The Afghan Government is fully committed to the protection of children in conflict and strongly condemns and opposes all forms of violations against children, including recruitment, killing and maiming, rape and other kinds of sexual violence, abductions, attacks against schools or hospitals and denial of access to humanitarian assistance.”

    2020-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/594 (2020) · source

14. “Afghanistan shares the concerns reflected in the Secretary-General’s most recent report (S/2020/525) about the high number of cases of child casualties reported over the past year. Afghan children casualties continue, primarily as a result of despicable attacks carried out by the Taliban, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and other terrorist groups through roadside improvised explosive devices, suicide attacks, ground engagements and the use of civilian locations and human shields. One example of these barbaric terrorist attacks took place at a Médecins Sans Frontières maternity ward in Kabul on 12 May, where terrorists mercilessly shot and killed expectant mothers and newborns. Instead of being able to attend school, children continue to be the victims of the decades-long ongoing conflict in Afghanistan.”

    2020-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/594 (2020) · source

15. “At the outset, allow me to thank France for hosting this important meeting. I also thank Ms. Virginia Gamba, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, and Ms. Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF for their very thorough briefings. The adoption of resolution 1612 (2005) on children and armed conflict constitutes a landmark moment in the Security Council’s history. Today, 15 years after the establishment of the monitoring and reporting mechanism and the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, we can say that the United Nations has played a pivotal role in advocating for children and working towards a world in which our children can live and grow away from conflict, suffering and despair.”

    2020-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/594 (2020) · source

16. “I would like to reiterate the commitment of my Government to ensuring the safety and security of our people, in line with our national and international obligations, and our strong belief that resolving conflicts remains the most effective way to ensure the protection of civilians. To that end, we remain committed to working towards reaching a long-lasting resolution of the conflict in Afghanistan and hope that the United Nations and our international partners will continue to support us in achieving an objective that is desperately longed for and deserved by the people of our country.”

    2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source

17. “We welcome the three-day ceasefire agreed by the Taliban and the Government and will continue to implement confidence-building measures, such as our pledge to release 2,000 prisoners to finally bring peace to our country and ensure we can respond to the new challenges brought by the pandemic. The people of Afghanistan are war-weary and eager for peace. My Government understands that now is not the time for continued conflict. Now more than ever, it is important that Afghans come together to address the various impacts of the pandemic so that we can create a peaceful, secure and stable future.”

    2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source

18. “The group has ignored all calls from the Government to enter into a ceasefire to effectively address this pandemic, thwarting not only our ability to end the pandemic but putting further strain on our health-care systems and resources, which we must divert to addressing their repeated attacks. Most recently, on 22 March, the Taliban abducted a group of health workers and their driver as they were on their way to evaluate a health facility, releasing them two days later. The Government of Afghanistan underlines the role of the Security Council in the resolution and prevention of conflicts and the protection of civilians through the implementation of recommendations of the Secretary-General and of Security Council and General Assembly resolutions on the matter, as well as the effective implementation of sanctions regimes.”

    2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source

19. “The Government of Afghanistan is committed to the protection of civilians in conflict and to avoiding the ultimate collateral damage from operations and expects the same of our partners from the international coalition. In 2017, we adopted a national policy on civilian casualty prevention and mitigation, and the Government continues to exhaust efforts to ensure that such incidents do not take place. Efforts have included strict rules of engagement in our armed forces and the establishment of the post of Deputy National Security Adviser to oversee civilian-protection issues. Violence against humanitarian workers and the targeting of medical personnel in the face of COVID-19 are egregious acts that must be stopped. Of the 18 attacks that were recorded by UNAMA over the past few months, 17 were attributed to the Taliban.”

    2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source

20. “The situation has been further exacerbated by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which requires immediate preventive, curative and humanitarian measures in conflict-affected areas to protect and safeguard vulnerable people. In line with the Secretary-General’s call for an immediate global ceasefire, the Government has been insistent in calling for a lasting ceasefire with the Taliban that could effectively create an environment that is both conducive to peace talks and that could allow us to effectively address the humanitarian situation created by the pandemic. On that note, we hope that the recent three-day Eid al-Fitr ceasefire can lay the foundation for a more sustainable cease of hostilities.”

    2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source

21. “As reflected in the Secretary-General’s report (S/2020/366), in 2019 Afghanistan accounted for the largest number of recorded civilian casualties, having seen 10,392 civilians killed or injured, with women and children representing 42 percent of the victims. The most recent United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) quarterly report recorded 710 civilian casualties by anti- Government elements between January and March 2020, with 39 per cent of those being attributed to the Taliban alone. Following a brief period of reduction in violence, attacks by the Taliban increased after the signing of the peace agreement between the Taliban and the United States.”

    2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source

22. “Just last week, in a mosque attack, 12 worshippers lost their lives while waiting to break their fast. Three weeks ago, terrorists linked to ISIL and the Taliban attacked a maternity ward at a hospital in Kabul, killing 24 people, including nurses, newborn babies and their mothers, while a further 24 people were killed in a suicide strike at a funeral in Nangahar, in eastern Afghanistan. On 25 March, another brutal terrorist attack took place on the Dharamshala Sikh Temple in Kabul, in which 25 people from our Sikh community lost their lives while a dozen others were injured. Those acts not only constitute war crimes and flagrant violations of international human rights law but also are deep and profound losses that have shattered families and communities. And they are only examples from a long list of acts perpetrated by these groups.”

    2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source

23. “As a result, we have seen increases in poverty and instability, and millions of Afghans have been forced to migrate, becoming internally displaced, while countless others have lost their lives. Owing to the surges of violence perpetrated by the Taliban, the Afghan people are not safe at sports fields, hospitals, mosques, weddings and funeral ceremonies, or now, as a result on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, at home. The Taliban, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and their affiliate terrorist groups continue their indiscriminate attacks on all segments of Afghan society, targeting civilians and even using them as shields. The last few months have seen a series of heinous and inhumane crimes that have further exemplified that disregard for innocent lives.”

    2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source

24. “Allow me to start by thanking the Estonian presidency for having convened today’s Security Council open video-teleconference meeting on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. Let me also thank Secretary-General António Guterres; the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer; and Nobel Peace Laureate, member of The Elders and former President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for their insightful briefings on this matter. As a country affected by protracted conflict and imposed wars, Afghanistan is deeply aware of the devasting, long-lasting impacts that conflict has on civilians. For more than four decades, my country and people have endured the severe social, economic and psychological impacts of war.”

    2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source

25. “The Council and its members have shown their commitment to their important task of sustaining international peace and security, even in the face of an unprecedented situation, and this must be commended. We are committed to working with the Security Council to build a more effective, transparent and accountable body. We believe that with a continuous improvement in its working methods and ceaseless innovations in its practice, the Security Council will be able to better fulfil the task entrusted to it by the States Members of the United Nations.”

    2020-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/418 (2020) · source

26. “In that regard, Afghanistan fully supports and underscores the need for sanctions committees to seek the views of Member States that are particularly affected or concerned by sanctions and to foster early and periodic engagement and dialogue between them and the relevant sanctions monitoring teams, groups and panels throughout their mandate. Improving the working methods of the Security Council is an evolving and ongoing task that cannot be accomplished all at once. It requires continued work on adapting and reviewing the notes of Presidents based on the work of the Informal Working Group. In that respect, we further value the efforts of the members of the Council in quickly adapting the body’s working procedures to address the new scenario created by the challenge of the pandemic.”

    2020-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/418 (2020) · source

27. “Sanctions are one of the most effective tools that the Council can use to diminish the operational capabilities of terrorist groups and of supporting individuals and organizations. Effective sanctions regimes can also help to isolate reconcilable groups and push them towards the negotiation table. For these to work effectively, their general scope and listing and delisting procedures must also effectively engage the countries concerned in consistent communications with the Council, including in processes such as the extension of the mandate of the monitoring team.”

    2020-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/418 (2020) · source

28. “Secondly, to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the work of the Security Council, there is a need to strengthen follow-up and monitoring mechanisms on the implementation of the Security Council’s decisions, recommendations and resolutions. Thirdly, Afghanistan suggests and fully supports the idea that the Chairs of all subsidiary bodies continue to travel periodically to regions applicable to their work to expand their vision and seek the views of concerned States from the ground. That could also serve to explain and promote the objectives of the subsidiary body’s mandate.S/2020/418 Fourthly, the Security Council must look to improve the role and effectiveness of the Council’s sanctions regimes.”

    2020-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/418 (2020) · source

29. “Nevertheless, there is still a need to further enhance dialogue and interaction with non-Council members to engage in the work of the Council and its subsidiary bodies when appropriate. This implies further improving coordination and communication with countries concerned and making sure they are aware of the issues being discussed and the timing of those discussions. Ensuring that concerned countries are properly informed and have an understanding of the proceedings allows those countries to respond and reflect accordingly and provide additional information or perspectives that can help better reflect the realities on the ground.”

    2020-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/418 (2020) · source

30. “We acknowledge the progress made and the latest developments in the implementation of presidential note S/2017/507 by the President of the Security Council in the framework of improving the working methods of the Security Council through the work of the Informal Working Group. However, much remains to be done. To that end, I would like to share the following points. First, we welcome the Council’s progress in making its discussions and decisions available to the wider membership of the United Nations and to the public, including through the webcast of open meetings, the issuance of press elements when closed consultations are held and the timely publication of important Security Council documents on the official website of the Security Council.”

    2020-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/418 (2020) · source

31. “I would also like to take this opportunity to commend the Permanent Representative of Kuwait, as the former Chair of the Informal Working Group, for his successful leadership and dedicated efforts in supporting and enhancing the work of the Security Council. The Charter of the United Nations entrusted the Security Council with the lofty responsibility of maintaining international peace and security. Given the rising polarization and ongoing conflicts around the globe, exacerbated by the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the Security Council must enhance its credibility and reassert its authority by strengthening the transparency and effectiveness of its important work to end conflicts and address threats to international peace and security.”

    2020-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/418 (2020) · source

32. “At the outset, I would like to thank the Estonian presidency for having convened today’s Security Council open video-teleconference (VTC) meeting on the theme “Ensuring transparency, efficiency and effectiveness in the work of the Security Council”. I also want to thank Ambassador Inga Rhonda King, Permanent Representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Chair of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and other Procedural Questions; Ms. Karin Landgren, Executive Director of Security Council Report; and Mr. Edward Luck, Arnold A. Saltzman Professor at Columbia University, for their insightful briefings.”

    2020-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/418 (2020) · source

33. “We encourage our international partners and allies to join our calls for the future and well-being of Afghanistan and of the new generations who deserve peace and a future in which their hopes can become realities.”

    2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source

34. “At a time when we are facing the challenge of COVID-19 as a common threat, there is a need for all citizens, including youth, to play a key role in addressing that challenge by raising awareness, following Government guidelines and, where possible, helping those most vulnerable to the effects of the threat. The first and most urgent step towards achieving that goal is to reach an immediate ceasefire with a view to ending the suffering in Afghanistan and creating a suitable environment for the delivery of humanitarian aid and assistance. As we start the holy month of Ramadan, we stress our call to the Taliban to see this time of peace and reflection as a time to institute the humanitarian ceasefire our people desperately need.”

    2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source

35. “We have consistently asked the Taliban to enter into a ceasefire with the Government so as to prevent further loss of life among our youth and Afghans as a whole, and now, with the arrival of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), we reiterate that call even more emphatically. Our country demands peace, and we need to be able to address the effects of the pandemic, including the precarious situation of many of our youth, who are facing the effects of school closures and the loss of economic activities on their well-being. I would like to close by emphasizing that the aspirations of young Afghans to a peaceful and stable Afghanistan are the aspirations of Afghanistan as a whole.”

    2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source

36. “However, there is more to be done. Despite our continued efforts, youth remain one of the groups most harshly affected by the ongoing conflict. The rate of child casualties has risen yearly since 2013, and illegal armed groups, including the Taliban, continue to put children in harm’s way, using them as human shields and child soldiers. That is an inexcusable and grave violation of international human rights law. The current climate in Afghanistan, resulting from decades of unrelenting conflict, has left generations disenfranchised and our youth vulnerable in ways that the Taliban and other illegal armed groups have exploited.”

    2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source

37. “We remain steadfast in our dedication to ensuring that the outcome of those negotiations is an inclusive agreement that represents all segments of our society in keeping with the principles of a democratic and representative republic. Ensuring the protection and well-being of our youth has also been an area of priority for the Government of Afghanistan. The Government has passed legislation, including a revised Penal Code in 2018 and the Child Rights Protection Law in 2019, to ensure Afghanistan’s proper compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and relevant international obligations. That has been further accompanied by the institutionalization of zero-tolerance policies on such matters as the involvement of children at the level of the Afghan national and local police and the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces.”

    2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source

38. “In April 2019, the Government of Afghanistan convened the consultative loya jirga on peace that saw the participation S/2020/346 S/2020/346 of 3,200 representatives from all parts of Afghanistan, including youth. The jirga adopted a road map for peace highlighting the participation of youth and women in peace talks. In line with that principle, the Afghan Government has stressed and reiterated not only that should young women and men be considered as part of the Government’s inclusive negotiating team, but also that the constitutional rights and past advances secured for them should be preserved in any peace settlement.”

    2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source

39. “We have worked to eliminate child labour while instituting policies for the retention of students, especially girls, through the 2019 girls’ education policy. Policies such as the Safe Schools Declaration have sought to improve education infrastructure and mitigate the threat of insecurity that would keep our children out of school. The Government has also continued its work to strengthen the country’s tertiary education system and, through the second skills development project, has established and reinforced institutions that impart technical and vocation skills that can help our youth explore a diverse stream of employment opportunities. As part of our peace efforts, we understand the importance of including youth in the intra-Afghan negotiations with the Taliban.”

    2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source

40. “With that in mind, promoting the participation of youth in key decision- and policymaking has been a priority in the agenda of the Government of Afghanistan, as reflected in the Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework, the national priority programmes and the Afghanistan Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As a result of our commitment to our national framework and SDGs, some of our young people have joined the ranks of high-ranking officials in the civil and security sectors. Afghanistan has worked diligently to equip the new generations with opportunities to become the leaders of our new Afghanistan. As part of those efforts, the Government has instituted legislation to create fair access to education and subsequent employment opportunities for young men and women in our country.”

    2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source

41. “Recognizing the role and importance of meaningful participation by young men and women in preventing and resolving conflicts and sustaining peace must be a key factor in and principle of peacebuilding efforts and post-peace development. That is especially true in a country with a very young population like Afghanistan, where 63 per cent of our population is below the age of 25 and 46 per cent of those are children under the age of 15. Talking about the future of Afghanistan and its conflict resolution and economic development means talking about the needs of those 27.5 million people yearning for peace, education and opportunities in order to fulfil their dreams and aspirations.”

    2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source

42. “This concept was strengthened in 2018 through the presentation of “The missing peace: independent progress study on youth, peace and security” (see S/2018/86), mandated by resolution 2250 (2015), through the Secretary-General’s launch of the first United Nations youth strategy, entitled “Youth 2030”, and through the adoption of resolution 2419 (2018), which reiterated and called for the increased role of youth in all levels of decision-making related to security, conflict and peace, including in peace agreements. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his report issued on 2 March (S/2020/167), and for the recommendations included therein. A sustainable peace and an end to modern conflicts cannot be achieved without the involvement of stakeholders from all segments of society.”

    2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source

43. “I want to thank the Dominican Republic, President of the Security Council for April, for hosting today’s open video-teleconference debate on the topic of youth, peace, and security. This year coincides with the celebration of the fifth anniversary of resolution 2250 (2015), which, for the first time, included the consideration of young people in Security Council discussions on international peace and security. The participation of youth is based on the five key pillars of participation, protection, prevention, disengagement and reintegration, and partnerships.”

    2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source