YouSaid · the spoken record

Isaczai

lines on the record: 67
first: 2021-08-06
most recent: 2022-03-02
sittings or episodes: 6
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

“I urge Council members to remain united in their support for Afghanistan and not abandon the Afghan people in these difficult times. I also call on the Taliban to respond to the calls of the Afghan people and the international community for the formation of a just, accountable and inclusive Government and to respect and protect the privacy, safety, security and fundamental human rights and freedoms of all Afghans, including women, girls, minorities and former security and defence forces. Women’s and girls’ rights to social, economic and political participation must be ensured and protected. Without the full and equal participation of all Afghan citizens, there will be no peace, stability or prosperity in Afghanistan.”
2022-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8984 (2022) · source
“I also take this opportunity to call on all Afghan diplomatic missions to continue their service to Afghan citizens, based on the national interests of Afghanistan, and not allow any former Government officials to misuse national resources for personal and political purposes. As the Council discusses and adopts the extension of the UNAMA mandate, I would like to emphasize the importance of the United Nations role and the work of UNAMA and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in promoting peace and stability, as well as in monitoring and reporting on the human rights crisis in Afghanistan. I further reiterate our full support for the recommendations and implementation of the strategic objectives of the Secretary-General in his latest report (S/2022/64), including the long-term extension of the mandate. In conclusion.”
2022-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8984 (2022) · source
“In that regard, I would like to request that, in any future intra-Afghan dialogue for achieving a political settlement in Afghanistan and inclusivity, that the Council engage with Afghan stakeholders that have credibility, legitimacy and a good reputation among Afghans and those who actually represent Afghanistan’s national interests. I would like to reiterate the Afghan people’s call for countering corruption by opening investigations into the bank accounts and properties of the former Afghan Government high-level officials who were involved in corruption and allegations of embezzlement involving international aid to the Afghan people. They must be held accountable.”
2022-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8984 (2022) · source
“That requires the formation of an inclusive, representative, responsible and accountable Government based on integrity, competence and merit, with professional and committed people, including women, with national and international legitimacy. We call for the convening of an international conference under the auspices of the United Nations, with the support of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, regional and international partners, to start negotiations and intra-Afghan dialogue among key Afghan stakeholders and the Taliban to amend the Constitution and enable the Afghan people to decide their future based on their votes. That will ensure the protection of the achievements of the past two decades and rescue the Afghan people from starvation and poverty.”
2022-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8984 (2022) · source
“We urge all Member States to continue their support by funding the United Nations humanitarian response plan in support of Afghanistan. I wish to request Council members, the United Nations and donors to establish a monitoring and reporting mechanism to ensure the transparent, accountable and effective implementation of any humanitarian projects by NGOs and aid delivery to vulnerable people in Afghanistan. We firmly believe that, in order to have a long- term solution to the current crisis in Afghanistan, we need a legitimate Afghan Government, with Afghan ownership and effective governance, to restart channelling development aid and the resumption of economic development projects in Afghanistan.”
2022-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8984 (2022) · source
“The continuation of this situation will further endanger any prospects for ensuring viable peace in Afghanistan, including efforts to establish an accountable, inclusive, effective and responsible Government that would acquire national legitimacy. We are grateful to all regional and international partners and donors, including bilaterally and those through United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, as well as national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), for life-saving efforts, humanitarian assistance and other activities to support basic human needs in Afghanistan. We appreciate the issuance of new general licences to expand authorization for commercial and financial transactions in Afghanistan, including with the governing institutions.”
2022-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8984 (2022) · source
“There are continued credible reports of human rights violations committed by the Taliban, including house searches, arbitrary arrests, ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of former members of the Government, the Afghan National Army and security forces, ethnic groups, human rights defenders and media workers. Those acts are utterly against all national and international human rights laws and Islamic laws, values and principles. That dangerous situation has prompted growing migration and displacement of Afghans across the country. Such violations must be stopped, and the perpetrators of those heinous acts must be held accountable.”
2022-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8984 (2022) · source
“The Taliban caretaker Government has not been able to establish an accountable, inclusive, effective and responsible Government and to fulfil its national and international commitments that it made to upholding the fundamental human rights and freedoms of all Afghans, including women, girls and minorities. That political, economic and social crisis has created a state of uncertainty and dismay for Afghans about their future. Since the previous meeting of the Council (see S/PV.8954), nothing has improved on the ground.”
2022-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8984 (2022) · source
“I would like to thank all members of the Council for their statements and continued support for the Afghan people. I also wish to congratulate the United Arab Emirates on assuming the presidency of the Security Council and for convening this briefing on the situation in Afghanistan. Let me also thank Special Representative of the Secretary- General Lyons for her comprehensive briefing and Ms. Safi for her insightful and powerful remarks. It has been more than six months since the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban, and yet the social, political and economic situation in Afghanistan remains gravely concerning in the face of the growing humanitarian emergency, paired with the absence of a functional Government to provide basic services to the people.”
2022-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8984 (2022) · source
“It must be made clear that women’s rights and empowerment are non-negotiable issues and that any Government wishing to enjoy international support has to provide constitutional guarantees for the rights of all its citizens and comply with Afghanistan’s international commitments. In conclusion, allow me to reiterate the need for urgent action to address the humanitarian crisis and achieve sustainable peace in Afghanistan. As Special Representative Lyons mentioned, the collapse of Afghanistan is not only an Afghan issue. It is an issue that should concern the entire international community. While Afghans are the primary victims of the tragedy today, we are unlikely to remain the only ones in the future.”
2021-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8908 (2021) · source
“The overarching desire of every Afghan is to achieve a just and durable political settlement and the establishment of an inclusive and representative government that includes women and all ethnic groups. That settlement must lead to a dignified and lasting solution to the conflict and the preservation of the gains of the past 20 years, especially for women and girls. We need the support of the international community in those efforts. The United Nations, and most notably the Council, must be clear that it will not recognize a government that is not inclusive and representative.”
2021-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8908 (2021) · source
“Many Afghans today are well educated and have benefited from the opportunities provided during the past 20 years and remain determined to change their country for the better. They can provide alternative voices, inform policies and drive local and national change. Therefore, I urge the international community to consult and engage Afghans, particularly women, in all its actions, and to directly support civil society organizations, including human rights defenders on the ground. At this challenging time, we ask the international community for its support in getting us back on track to halt the spiral of crisis facing my country and work towards a stable Afghanistan that can fulfil its obligations to its citizens and protect and promote the rights and dignity of all its citizens without any discrimination.”
2021-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8908 (2021) · source
“Women’s rights, girls’ education, freedom of media and the establishment of an inclusive Government, including with the participation of women, should be at the centre of international engagement with the Taliban. Fourthly, the international community must establish a human rights monitoring and accountability mechanism in Afghanistan. We are pleased with the decision of the Human Rights Council establishing a Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, but more needs to be done to hold the Taliban and other parties accountable for past and ongoing violations of human rights. Fifthly, we call on the international community to engage Afghans, not as victims but rather as stakeholders, in building sustainable peace in Afghanistan. While the Taliban has not changed, the Afghan population has.”
2021-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8908 (2021) · source
“Karim’s call for the organization of an international conference that can turn the current crisis and transition into new opportunities for peace and lead to an inclusive government in which Afghans of all ethnicities and backgrounds, including women, see themselves. Towards that aim, we ask the Council to consider, during its deliberations in March, a comprehensive and strong mandate for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan that can initiate dialogue among Afghans for lasting peace. Thirdly, it is important that the international community engage with the Taliban in accordance with the commitments made in various Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, that is, not to recognize the reinstatement of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan or any Government imposed by force.”
2021-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8908 (2021) · source
“Secondly, to overcome the perpetual state of crisis in Afghanistan, it is imperative to resuscitate the dormant peace process that began in Doha and work towards a long-term and durable peace. The situation in Afghanistan is extremely fragile. It is only through an inclusive Government that we can safeguard against a new civil war along ethnic lines and the use of Afghan territory by foreign terrorist outfits, as well as make a transition from a perpetual state of humanitarian crisis to a more stable economy. The role of the United Nations as an impartial and honest broker in putting together a road map for peace is paramount. In that regard, I echo Ms.”
2021-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8908 (2021) · source
“The international community must find ways to operate across the humanitarian, development and peace continuum. While doing so, it is, of course, critical to not directly fund the Taliban regime or implement operational modalities that indirectly aid them. In that regard, I applaud the efforts of the United Nations Development Programme and other United Nations agencies to establish a Trust Fund and other mechanisms to pay the salaries of health personnel and teachers and transfer cash directly to poor households. I urge the Council to find ways to address the current banking crisis and continue to exempt humanitarian and service delivery operations from sanctions.”
2021-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8908 (2021) · source
“That scale-up requires significant additional funding from the donor community to the United Nations and other international organizations working on the ground. The people of Afghanistan are grateful for the very generous pledges announced during the Secretary-General’s high-level ministerial meeting on the humanitarian situation and at the Group of 20 extraordinary leaders’ meeting on Afghanistan, but it is not enough. I urge donors to continue to fund the humanitarian appeals and programmes of the United Nations, as needs are far greater than the current funding level can address. The United Nations remains one of the main lifelines of support for the majority of Afghans today, but humanitarian aid will not be enough to prevent a collapse of the Afghan economy.”
2021-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8908 (2021) · source
“The impact of the crisis on the most vulnerable will be devasting and difficult to reverse, especially for women, children and people with disabilities. According to UNICEF, without immediate treatment 1 million children are at risk of dying due to severe acute malnutrition. Therefore, humanitarian interventions must prioritize those vulnerable groups and actively target them to ensure that they are not left behind. We should also scale up delivery mechanisms by supporting pre-existing platforms, such as the Afghan National Solidarity Programme and the Community Development Councils, which have been used in the past to facilitate the distribution of humanitarian assistance. We should also support national non-governmental organizations, which are key to the distribution of humanitarian assistance.”
2021-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8908 (2021) · source
“While the responsibility for that catastrophic situation rests squarely with the Taliban for having chosen to take power by force and impose itself on the Afghan people, the international community has no choice but to remain engaged and hold the Taliban to its promises and commitments. Let me outline five areas where the international community can exercise some leverage and remain engaged. First, and without question, as we have heard from other speakers, humanitarian assistance and the delivery of health services must be scaled up significantly to save lives and prevent the country’s total collapse. With a major drought taking hold, winter approaching, the pandemic spreading, the economy in a state of collapse and a regime that cannot pay salaries or provide people with the most basic services, a perfect storm is brewing.”
2021-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8908 (2021) · source
“That cannot continue. The Taliban have also supressed peaceful protests and continue to engage in revengeful killing despite its so-called amnesty. In addition, we have not seen any concrete steps by the Taliban to broaden the base of their transitional authority and establish a road map for peace that can lead to a truly inclusive and democratic Government. The members of the Security Council rightfully said on many occasions that they would not judge the Taliban on their words but on their actions. The Afghan people expect the international community to keep that promise and pressure the Taliban to pave the way for an inclusive Government that has both internal and external legitimacy and represents the voices of all Afghans.”
2021-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8908 (2021) · source
“The United Nations Development Programme estimates that, if the current trends continue, Afghanistan will experience near- universal poverty — a 97 per cent poverty rate by mid-2022. Unfortunately, amid that grim situation, the Taliban have failed to deliver on its promises and commitments to Afghans and the international community to mitigate the impact of the crisis and suffering on the Afghan population. The Taliban continue to defy international calls to ensure respect for the human rights of Afghans, form an inclusive Government and cut its ties with international terrorist groups. Furthermore, they continue to commit gender apartheid by preventing women from working and girls from attending secondary schools. Today is the sixty-second day of the Taliban’s nationwide ban on girls’ schooling at the secondary level.”
2021-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8908 (2021) · source
“Since the previous Council meeting (see S/PV.8853) on 9 September, the situation in my country has worsened. Afghanistan is currently facing a crisis of historic proportions. The lives and dignity of millions of Afghans are threatened by a failing economy, severe food insecurity and an absence of security, basic rights and freedom. We have heard different figures regarding the number of Afghan people needing humanitarian assistance. I will not quote them, because those figures change as we speak, and the numbers are rising. Let me be blunt: I would say that the entire population of 35 million people will, sooner or later, need some form of assistance. Time and our efforts are therefore of the essence. Poverty remains widespread.”
2021-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8908 (2021) · source
“Allow me at the outset to join others in congratulating Mexico on its presidency of the Security Council. I would also like to welcome the physical presence of Special Representative Lyons at this meeting, and I commend her efforts and leadership of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) under very difficult circumstances. I also thank my countrywoman Ms. Freshta Karim for her emotional and powerful briefing. On behalf of the Afghan people, I take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude and appreciation to the staff of the United Nations system, other international organizations and local non-governmental organizations for providing life-saving assistance to the people of Afghanistan during these very difficult and challenging times.”
2021-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8908 (2021) · source
“Finally, I wish to thank the international community for its generous financial contributions and unwavering support to Afghan women.”
2021-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8886Resumption1 (2021) · source
“It is time to begin a different conversation and invest in social healing and reconciliation. We must shun violence for good and socialize peace as an alternative and a means to settle our political differences. Afghan women can play a significant role in that process as a group predominantly affected by the conflict. The Taliban must know that it may have won the war but that it has yet to achieve peace. Peace and stability can return to Afghanistan only when Afghans can establish a truly inclusive and representative Government that includes women as important stakeholders in peace and the future stability of the country. Our failure to achieve that would not only disenfranchise 50 per cent of our population but would risk plunging Afghanistan into another cycle of violence and instability for years to come.”
2021-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8886Resumption1 (2021) · source
“How long do we have to wait before those girls can return to school? How long? Those women and girls in Afghanistan are pinning their hopes and dreams on this very Council and world body to help them recover their rights to work, travel and go to school. It would be morally reprehensible if we did nothing and let them down. In most conflict situations, women and girls are disproportionally affected by the negative impact and bear the brunt of the humanitarian crisis. It is therefore essential that the international community be deliberate in targeting vulnerable women to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches them and involves Afghan women in humanitarian activities. Thirdly, four decades of conflict in Afghanistan has damaged the social fabric of our country.”
2021-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8886Resumption1 (2021) · source
“Protecting Afghan women’s rights will remain the litmus test for how serious the Council is about the women and peace and security agenda. I would like to repeat four concrete recommendations in that regard. First, we must remain steadfast and united in our position to safeguard the progress made by women and girls in the past 20 years and protect their rights. Any compromise on girls’ and women’s rights in favour of political expediency would betray our collective efforts to promote the women and peace and security agenda and undermine the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). As I speak, thousands of brave women and girls are demonstrating on the streets of Kabul demanding access to employment and education. Today is the thirty-fourth day that Afghan girls have been denied access to secondary school.”
2021-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8886Resumption1 (2021) · source
“In 2019, the Government increased the involvement of women in peace efforts by launching the National Women’s Consensus for Peace initiative and convening a consultative Loya Jirga for peace, with women constituting 30 per cent of the participants. Moreover, with demand for the inclusion of women in peace talks growing, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan included four women in its negotiating team, while the Taliban continued to exclude women from theirs. Afghanistan is facing the imminent risk of turning back in time — back to when international terrorist groups operated freely across our territory, millions were forced to flee, girls were banned from schools, women were second-class citizens and human rights were violated.”
2021-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8886Resumption1 (2021) · source
“The plan also envisaged the protection and promotion of the rights of women and their role in leadership and decision-making within all national institutions and at all levels of Government. For the first time in our history, female deputy ministers were appointed in security ministries. More than 5,000 women served as police officers, while another 3,000 women were drafted into the Afghan National Army. Women played a significant role in the judiciary. A new decree in 2020 stipulated the appointment of women deputy governors in all of the country’s 34 provinces and the establishment of the Office for the Prevention of Violence against Women.”
2021-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8886Resumption1 (2021) · source
“Prior to the illegal seizure of power by the Taliban, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan had demonstrated its full commitment to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). That began with the first constitutional Loya Jirga in 2002, when 220 women representatives out of 1,500 participated in the grand assembly in Kabul to draft a new Constitution after the overthrow of Taliban regime. Subsequently, Afghanistan was among the first countries in Asia to adopt a national action plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). The plan sought to increase the role of women in State-building and acknowledged the negative impact of conflict on women and girls in particular.”
2021-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8886Resumption1 (2021) · source
“Afghanistan aligns itself with the statement made earlier by the representative of Canada on behalf of the Group of Friends of Women, Peace and Security. At outset, allow me to thank the Permanent Mission of Kenya for hosting today’s open debate. I also thank all speakers for their solidarity and support for Afghan women and girls. Since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), almost two decades ago, women in Afghanistan have made significant progress across a range of indicators but, sadly, this year’s women and peace and security open debate comes on the heels of a new dark chapter for millions of Afghan women and girls, who are about to lose the gains they achieved with the support of the international community.”
2021-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8886Resumption1 (2021) · source
“We ask the members of the Security Council to consider a comprehensive and strong UNAMA mandate to empower it to address the humanitarian crisis and monitor and report on the human rights situation on the ground. The people of Afghanistan are in desperate need and the international community cannot afford to leave them behind. On the eve of the twentieth anniversary of the horrendous terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, the world cannot turn its back on Afghanistan and accept the new status quo as normal. We still have an opportunity to build on the successes of the past 20 years and work with all parties to establish a political system that is representative of Afghanistan’s diversity, that conforms with Islamic values and international norms and commitments and that prevents Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorists.”
2021-09-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8853 (2021) · source
“Thousands more are likely to be displaced and leave the country. Therefore, the Afghan people need the help of the Council to survive. I extend Afghanistan’s most sincere gratitude to the entire humanitarian community for its commitment to stay and deliver and the United Nations for its dedicated support. We also thank all Member States and other partners that have already announced increased humanitarian funding. But it is not enough. In that respect, I would like to thank the Secretary- General for convening a high-level humanitarian conference for Afghanistan on 13 September in Geneva. I urge all members of the Council to commit increased funding during that conference. The negotiations on UNAMA’s mandate come at a time of extreme challenges for Afghanistan.”
2021-09-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8853 (2021) · source
“According to the United Nation’s flash appeal for Afghanistan, aid organizations are witnessing a dangerous deepening of humanitarian needs across the country and the situation is about to get worse. A perfect storm is brewing. The devastating impact of Afghanistan’s second major drought in four years is taking hold; a cold and dangerous winter is approaching; the pandemic continues to spread; the economy is in a state of collapse; and there is no Government that can provide even the most basic services to the people. The facts from the ground are devastating. People are running out of cash and selling their meagre belongings to survive. The 2021 harvest is expected to be below average, and the next lean season is expected to be more intense and longer. Severe malnutrition will hit 50 per cent of Afghan children.”
2021-09-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8853 (2021) · source
“The Council must use all its diplomatic tools, including the full implementation of existing multilateral sanctions, to make the Taliban engage in sincere and genuine talks for a comprehensive settlement. The Council should also re-evaluate its approach to granting travel-ban exemptions to Taliban leaders on the United Nations sanctions list after they failed to resolve the conflict through peaceful means. Any further extension of the mechanism would be misused for the purpose of gaining international recognition for their new non-inclusive Government. While the Taliban is celebrating its victory by shooting guns in the air on the streets of Kabul, a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding.”
2021-09-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8853 (2021) · source
“The Afghan people expect the Council to keep that promise and pressure the Taliban to pave the way for an inclusive Government that all segments of our society can accept and feel part of. The people’s protests in the past few days sends a strong message to the Taliban that Afghans of all backgrounds and creeds will not accept a totalitarian system imposed upon them. They demand their freedom and want to have a say in shaping the future destiny of their country. I therefore ask the Council to withhold any recognition of any Government in Afghanistan unless it is truly inclusive and formed on the basis of the free will of the people. I further urge members to draw a fundamental red line regarding the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls and respect for the rights of all Afghans.”
2021-09-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8853 (2021) · source
“It fails on all metrics of inclusivity and has been rejected by the absolute majority of the Afghan people, including political and civil society groups. Their so- called cabinet, which includes multiple individuals listed in the sanctions regime established by resolution 1988 (2011), will undermine Afghanistan’s political and ethnic diversity and is leading to increased tensions and damaging the prospect for a comprehensive and lasting peace in the country. The Council has on multiple occasions committed itself to not recognizing an exclusionary Government or supporting the re-establishment of the Islamic emirate, as stipulated in resolution 2513 (2020).”
2021-09-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8853 (2021) · source
“They have also banned music and women and girls’ sports and have prevented most female workers from returning to work until further notice. Those actions prove that the Taliban’s earlier promises to allow Afghanistan’s independent media to operate freely and safely and respect the human rights of all Afghans, including women, are just empty words intended to deceive the international community. The members of the Council rightfully said that they would not judge the Taliban on their words, but their actions. They have now acted, and the Council cannot be silent in its response. After much waiting and a modicum of optimism, the Taliban announced their so-called cabinet on September 7, which includes solely senior Taliban members predominantly representing one ethnic group.”
2021-09-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8853 (2021) · source
“The Taliban has also violently suppressed peaceful demonstrations in Kabul, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif and other cities in Afghanistan, as other speakers previously mentioned. Members have probably seen the graphic images of brave Afghan women protesters who were threatened and beaten by heavily armed Taliban members on the streets of Kabul. Photos circulating online also show the tortured and bruised bodies of two journalists who were detained after covering the protests in Kabul. Two innocent young lives were also lost in protests in Herat because of the Taliban’s violent response. I call on the international community to condemn the Taliban’s suppression of such peaceful protests and stand with the Afghan women who are defending their rights. Yesterday the Taliban’s new Ministry of the Interior banned all public protests.”
2021-09-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8853 (2021) · source
“Despite the Taliban’s total blockade of the Panjshir Valley, we have eye-witness accounts of the Taliban’s widespread atrocities, perpetrated with the support of foreign terrorist fighters and foreign intelligence and military assets. They have carried out targeted executions, cut off communication lines and imposed a humanitarian blockade that is preventing food supplies from entering the province. As demanded by us before, we reiterate our call for accountability and the urgent deployment of a fact-finding mission to Afghanistan to assess violations of human rights, not only in Panjshir but also in other areas, such as Spin Boldak, Malistan and other provinces of Afghanistan.”
2021-09-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8853 (2021) · source
“We commend the leadership of Special Representative of the Secretary-General Lyons and her team. Her comprehensive briefing today showed the need for extending and expanding UNAMA’s mandate. On the eve of the twentieth anniversary of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States, I also take this opportunity to pay tribute to all victims of terrorism around the world. The situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate, and we are learning more about the true and unchanged nature of the Taliban every day. Since the Council’s previous meeting on Afghanistan, on 30 August (see S/PV.8844), the Taliban has continued to commit human rights violations and possibly war crimes, which have exacerbated the humanitarian situation.”
2021-09-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8853 (2021) · source
“I would like to thank all the previous briefers for their insightful statements, in particular my countrywoman Wazhma Frogh for bringing the voice and cries of Afghan women before the Security Council. At the outset, allow me to congratulate you, Mr. President, on the start of Ireland’s presidency and express my deep appreciation to Ireland for its staunch support for Afghanistan, especially Afghan women and girls. I would furthermore like to thank all members of the Council for their continued attention to the situation in my country and ask them to remain united in their support for the Afghan people and our rights and freedom. We are also very thankful for the life-saving work of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the United Nations family of agencies.”
2021-09-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8853 (2021) · source
“They should also unequivocally state that they do not recognize the restoration of the Islamic emirate, as reaffirmed in previous Council statements and agreements; establish international guarantees for the implementation of a future political agreement; and, lastly, mobilize urgent humanitarian assistance for the 18 million people of Afghanistan, particularly those displaced by the current conflict. The United Nations humanitarian appeal of $1.3 billion remains funded at 40 per cent. We urge the international community to meet the remainder of this life-saving appeal to provide critical aid to all internally displaced people. In conclusion, I would like to thank the United Nations and the many other organizations that are on the ground providing life-saving humanitarian support and monitoring human rights on the ground.”
2021-08-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8834 (2021) · source
“They should furthermore call on neighbouring countries of Afghanistan to open their borders and facilitate the exit of people trying to escape and the entry of goods for humanitarian relief and operations; call for the immediate establishment of an inclusive and representative transitional Government that includes all ethnic groups and women representatives that can lead to a dignified and lasting solution to the conflict, bring peace and preserve the gains of the past 20 years, especially for women and girls; and stress that the Council and the United Nations will not recognize any administration that achieves power through force or any Government that is not inclusive and representative of the diversity of the country.”
2021-08-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8834 (2021) · source
“Therefore, the Security Council and the Secretary-General should use every means at their disposal to call for an immediate cessation of violence and respect for human rights and international humanitarian law; call on the Taliban to fully respect the general amnesty offered by them, cease targeted killings and revenge attacks and abide by international humanitarian law; urge that no public institutions or service-delivery infrastrucure be demolished, including works of art in museums and media institutions; stress that anyone violating the human rights of Afghan citizens and international humanitarian law will be held accountable; and urgently establish a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of those at risk of the Taliban’s retribution and attacks.”
2021-08-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8834 (2021) · source
“We have seen gruesome images of the Taliban’s mass executions of military personnel and targeted killings of civilians in Kandahar and other big cities. We cannot allow that to happen in Kabul, which has been the last refuge for many people escaping violence and the Taliban’s revenge attacks. Kabul residents are reporting that the Taliban has already started house-to- house searches in some neighbourhoods, registering names and looking for people on their target list. There are already reports of targeted killings and looting in the city. Kabul residents are living in absolute fear right now. There is no time for a blame game anymore. We have an opportunity to prevent further violence and prevent Afghanistan from descending into a civil war and becoming a pariah State.”
2021-08-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8834 (2021) · source
“I speak for thousands of human rights defenders, journalists, academics, civil servants and former security personnel whose lives are at risks for defending human rights and democracy. I speak for thousands of internally displaced people who are desperately in need of shelter, food and protection in Kabul and other places. As members are witnessing for themselves, the situation in Kabul — a city of almost 6 million people — is extremely worrisome, to say the least. We have seen the chaotic scenes at the Kabul International Airport, as desperate citizens try to leave the country. We are extremely concerned about the Taliban not honouring the promises and commitments made in its statements at Doha and other international forums. We have witnessed time and again how the Taliban has broken its promises and commitments in the past.”
2021-08-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8834 (2021) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, or this opportunity to speak at yet another Security Council meeting on the situation in Afghanistan and for India’s leadership of the Council during this critical period. We welcome the convening of this emergency meeting of the Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan and thank all the Council members, particularly Estonia and Norway as co-penholders on Afghanistan, for their role in organizing it. Today I speak on behalf of millions of people in Afghanistan whose fate hangs in the balance and are faced with an extremely uncertain future. I speak for millions of Afghan girls and women who are about to lose their freedom to go to school, work and participate in the political, economic and social life of the country.”
2021-08-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8834 (2021) · source
“In conclusion, I would like to express my appreciation for the steadfast support of the members of the Security Council and their principled positions in difficult times for Afghanistan. I hope that today’s discussions will not only contribute to the peace efforts under way in Doha but also send a strong message to the Taliban about the Council’s determination to hold them accountable to their commitment and promises in finding a peaceful solution to the current conflict.”
2021-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8831 (2021) · source
“We would like to request the Council and the Secretary-General to provide support to the ongoing peace talks in Doha and the regional and international meetings planned next week in Doha to achieve the goals of preventing Taliban attacks on cities and of reaching a political settlement and ceasefire. We appreciate and support the role of the Secretary- General’s Personal Envoy on Afghanistan, Mr. Jean Arnault, and Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, Ms. Deborah Lyons. We call on our friends and partners to support our Government’s new security plan to stabilize Afghanistan and protect the region and the international community against the scourge of international terrorism.”
2021-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8831 (2021) · source