YouSaid · the spoken record

Mohib

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17

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2019-03-11

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2019-03-11

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1

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un-security-council

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1. “The Council has been consistent in its support over the years, helping us to make progress towards self-reliance and peace. We are clear-eyed about the challenges that remain, which still demand the support of the Council and the international community. Afghanistan remains a trusted partner that is committed to our international obligations to promote global peace, solidarity and stability.”

   2019-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8481 (2019) · source

2. “Afghanistan will continue to pursue a sequential, thoughtful peace process, which will lead to dialogue between the Afghan Government and people and the Taliban. We will continue to pursue military and counter-terrorism objectives, and we remain absolutely committed to holding presidential elections this year. We ask our international partners to see Afghanistan as a platform for regional and global cooperation, not just for mutual economic benefit but also for the shared objectives of peace and stability. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate Afghanistan's gratitude for the role that the Council has played in galvanizing international partnership for Afghanistan, dating back to 2001, when we opened a new chapter in our modern history.”

   2019-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8481 (2019) · source

3. “We must remember that peace with the Taliban in Afghanistan will not mean an end to the threat of global terrorism. Afghan forces will remain defiant in the face of terrorism, but that responsibility does not belong solely to Afghanistan - it is a long-term global threat that requires a sustained global response. A zero-tolerance approach, based on genuine and sincere cooperation by all States, is key to success. Strict enforcement of Security Council sanctions measures set out in resolutions 1988 (2011) and 1267 (1999) should no longer be compromised. Any failure in that regard would translate into a failure in the Security Council's response to combat terrorist and extremist groups effectively, and would also render those groups capable of continuing their destructive activities.”

   2019-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8481 (2019) · source

4. “Our security forces have not only held ground, but solidified control over territories and weakened pockets of enemy contingents, including Da'esh elements in the eastern and northern parts of the country. While fighting a war on several battlefields, with a shortage of needed equipment and capabilities, the Government implemented a complete overhaul of the security sector, which allowed for a much-needed generational change in leadership. I was honoured to witness the promotion of one of those new, young leaders on Armed Forces Day at the Ministry of Defence - Ms. Mursal Afshar was promoted from the rank of first lieutenant to that of captain. I was impressed with her professionalism, dedication and patriotism. I feel emboldened to know that we have young soldiers like Captain Afshar fighting the war for Afghanistan and the world.”

   2019-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8481 (2019) · source

5. “I would like to emphasize that we welcome international monitors in every phase of the elections this year. As we pursue peace, we are also simultaneously maintaining military operations and implementing reforms to strengthen our Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF). The ANDSF defied predictions of collapse and failure when it took over in 2014, by protecting not only Afghanistan's sovereignty but also safeguarding the world from the threat of global terror. After the implementation of new policies and strategies, we have seen improved operational output on the battlefield and a substantial increase in offensive operations.”

   2019-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8481 (2019) · source

6. “Since mismanagement, poor administration and organization were exposed during our parliamentary elections, we have been working to add further credibility and transparency to the process. After the Cabinet approved amendments to the electoral law, an unprecedented initiative took place two weeks ago. Current presidential candidates came together to elect new commissioners of both the Independent Election Commission and the Electoral Complaints Commission. I will add that, in another first for our country, both newly elected Commission heads are women, elected by their predominately male colleagues. The Afghan people and our international partners have made enormous sacrifices to build our democracy, and the Afghan people are counting on the elections.”

   2019-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8481 (2019) · source

7. “If the Taliban genuinely wants peace, it should demonstrate it through positive deeds, not by continued attacks on innocent people and our security forces. Peace also goes hand in hand with elections. We thank the United Nations for its steadfast support for the democratic process in Afghanistan and count on its continued technical support for the upcoming polls. The Afghan people have, time and again, gone to the polls to reinforce and strengthen their belief in democracy. In October 2018, 2,565 candidates, most of them of a younger generation, contested 249 seats in the Parliament. More than 4 million Afghans came out to vote, of whom more than 35 per cent were women. It is the Government's responsibility to match our people's trust in their democracy with reforms and uphold, strengthen and protect our democratic systems.”

   2019-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8481 (2019) · source

8. “That will be followed by the third Kabul process conference, where we will be looking practically at implementing a post-peace plan. Peace is imperative and urgently needed, but not at any cost. The Constitution must be respected, as must be the democratic State and elected Government that it constitutes. The process must be inclusive and representative of the new Afghanistan, not a deal made among elites. If peace is going to belong to and be maintained by Afghans, it must ultimately be owned by Afghans themselves. The Afghan Government and the Afghan people have made commitments to peace. Now it is up to the Taliban to prove its commitment. It has so far failed to seize opportunities for peace, yet we stand ready to engage in direct talks.”

   2019-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8481 (2019) · source

9. “After President Ghani's unconditional peace talks offer in February 2018, followed by the ceasefire in June 2018 and the announcement of an Afghan negotiating team and peace road map in November 2018, we have been working to build consensus across the country over the past few months. In December 2018, the Government hosted a jirga, with the participation of 2,500 young people from 34 provinces. In February, the country's first women's gathering was held in the Loya Jirga tent, in which 3,500 women gathered from all provinces to reach a consensus on what they expect from the peace process. They represented the voices of 15,000 women who had been consulted over a six-month period. This spring, the Government will convene a consultative loya jirga, which will further bond the collective voice ofthe Afghan people.”

   2019-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8481 (2019) · source

10. “Continuing support for the decade of transformation will allow us to see the fruits of our sacrifices in both blood and treasure, but as Afghans we have the primary responsibility. We own the problems, and we are implementing solutions. The past five years have delivered us to the doorstep of peace. The country, and indeed the world, are abuzz with both the excitement of its possibilities and the concerns and uncertainties that surround it. Two years ago, peace was not part of the vocabulary when we spoke of Afghanistan. The National Unity Government made it a priority and took risks for peace, and today it is something we are working towards. Let me give some insight as to where we stand with regard to peace today and where we are heading.”

    2019-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8481 (2019) · source

11. “Our farmers, producers, entrepreneurs, businessmen and businesswomen are now able to look outwards to export their products via the Lapis Lazuli Corridor to Europe, the Chabahar port in Iran to India and air corridors to Turkey, Saudi Arabia, China and beyond. We exported nearly $1 billion-worth of products last year. We are moving from an aid to a trade economy. The result of the past five years is that we have laid a legal foundation for a modern economy, society and State. We have also changed the tone of governance in Afghanistan. We have achieved all this thanks to the creativity, perseverance and bravery of the Afghan people and the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces. We are grateful to the international community for the support and assistance they have provided.”

    2019-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8481 (2019) · source

12. “The Government increased domestic revenue by 91 per cent from 2014 to 2018 and met every benchmark of the International Monetary Fund during the same period. We have set a new tone of intolerance towards corruption. Since inaugurating our national strategy to counter corruption in 2017, we have already completed well over half of the goals and are now working towards a new set of benchmarks that will expose and address the next layer of problems in this long-term process of rooting out corruption. We have invested tremendously in efforts to connect our region through trade and by addressing regional energy needs.”

    2019-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8481 (2019) · source

13. “We are moving the country towards self-reliance. It is a reform package designed to meet the demands of the new generation of Afghans for fair, clean and merit- based governance that is focused on the needs of the citizen, not the pockets of the political elite. Five years into the decade of transformation, we have accomplished a tremendous amount, despite the competing priorities of war, elections and drought, as well as considerable resistance from those who are benefiting from corrupt systems. To name just a few highlights, last year the indicators of the World Bank's Doing Business 2018 report recognized Afghanistan as the top reforming country for improving the business climate. Our access to information law was recognized as the best in the world.”

    2019-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8481 (2019) · source

14. “Women also collectively play a vital role in our economic growth and national security. I would like to congratulate my colleague Ambassador Adela Raz on presenting her credentials last week to Secretary- General Guterres and becoming the first Afghan women to hold that post. Ambassador Raz, as a child, studied in a secret school during the Taliban regime. She symbolizes the transformation that women and girls have fought to achieve over the past 18 years. Against the backdrop of those two social transformations, President Ghani introduced the decade of transformation when he took office in 2014 - a comprehensive, whole-of-Government reform agenda to implement the rule of law, tackle corruption systemically, implement more efficient and effective national development programmes and increase economic growth and revenue collection.”

    2019-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8481 (2019) · source

15. “Seventy-five per cent of our population is under the age of 35, has grown up in a democracy and has a different set of expectations and principles than their parents' and grandparents' generations. Our generation was born in war and grew up in conflict or exile. We yearn for peace and wish for peace to complement what we have built over the past 18 years, not reverse it. We must safeguard our future. Millions of Afghans have benefited from the best of national and international education opportunities, and members of this generation are now in positions of leadership and senior management. We have also experienced the transformation of our female citizens from victims of institutionalized discrimination under the Taliban regime to active, empowered, engaged contributors to all spheres of society and politics.”

    2019-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8481 (2019) · source

16. “Storai Tapesh, Deputy Executive Director of the Afghan Women's Network, who joins us today via video- teleconference. As we approach the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) this week, I would like to acknowledge the United Nations strategic engagement and support for Afghanistan's stability. The United Nations has a supportive role to play in working with the Afghan Government and people to bring about peace. Today I will share with members an update on where we are and the road ahead towards peace. To understand our approach to peace, the Council first has to understand the many new realities in Afghanistan today. First of all, Afghanistan has undergone an era of social transformation.”

    2019-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8481 (2019) · source

17. “At the outset, I would like to express the deepest condolences of the people and the Government of Afghanistan over the recent tragic crash of the Ethiopian airliner, which resulted in many lives lost, including United Nations personnel. I would like to thank you, Madam President, for convening today's meeting on the situation in Afghanistan. It is an honour for me to represent my country today in delivering my first address to the Security Council. I would like to congratulate France on assuming the presidency of the Council, as well as to thank Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his report (S/2019/193). We also recognize his Special Representative, Ambassador Tadamichi Yamamoto, for his leadership of the work of the United Nations in Afghanistan. I would also like to recognize Ms.”

    2019-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8481 (2019) · source