YouSaid · the spoken record

Potzel

lines on the record: 25
first: 2022-08-29
most recent: 2022-09-27
sittings or episodes: 2
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

“In the meantime, it has been my honour to convey to the Security Council UNAMA’s understanding of the situation at this critical moment.”
2022-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9137 (2022) · source
“Further fragmentation, isolation, poverty and internal conflict are among the likely scenarios, leading to potential mass migration and a domestic environment conducive to terrorist organizations, as well as greater misery for the Afghan population. That is why we have to engage. The objective of our engagement is to promote governance in Afghanistan that works for the benefit of the Afghan people and respects the norms of the global community. While success is not certain, continued qualified engagement remains the most realistic chance of achieving these objectives. I thank the presidency for this opportunity to brief the Council. We at UNAMA are looking forward to the arrival of our new Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ms. Roza Otunbayeva, in Kabul.”
2022-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9137 (2022) · source
“We viewed with great concern the detaining by the de facto Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice and the General Directorate of Intelligence of three women working for United Nations agencies in Kandahar three weeks ago, as well as increasing pressures on our staff and premises and those of other agencies. In general, the de facto authorities are creating operational obstacles that make the work of the United Nations and its humanitarian partners increasingly difficult and in some cases contravene global and well-established humanitarian principles. If the Taliban do not respond to the needs of all elements of Afghan society and constructively engage within the very limited window of opportunity with the international community, it is unclear what will happen next.”
2022-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9137 (2022) · source
“Afghanistan’s neighbours in particular adopted a pragmatic approach and sought to deepen economic and trade ties and build stability. The 26 July Tashkent conference, which for the first time brought together representatives of the Taliban, Member States of the region and traditional donors, provided a platform for engagement and an opportunity for the international community to express its united position on what it expects from the de facto authorities. It was regrettable that the Taliban delegation did not take the opportunity to constructively address these expectations. Nonetheless, we believe that the Tashkent format is useful and should be continued. Initially, the de facto authorities made commitments with regard to the security and independence of humanitarian assistance. These commitments have also gradually been eroded.”
2022-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9137 (2022) · source
“In addition to the significant curtailment of the rights of women and girls, as well as potential violations of international human rights, UNAMA continues to record violations of the amnesty declaration that the Taliban laudably declared but have inconsistently enforced. Media, previously one of the most vibrant in the region, is struggling from intimidation and restrictions, while civil society remains under threat. The de facto Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice takes on a larger and more intimidating presence in Afghan society. Since taking over Kabul, the Taliban’s self- identified emirate has not been recognized by any State. At the same time, the international community also did not want to see the country collapse.”
2022-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9137 (2022) · source
“These women must be supported and not forgotten by the international community. There is also a continued lack of political inclusiveness and transparency in decision-making. Most Afghans do not see themselves represented at any level of governance. There are no consistent mechanisms for citizens to provide feedback to the authorities and little indication that the Taliban wish to even hear any. UNAMA, through its field offices, consistently works to bring together the de facto local authorities and representatives of Afghan communities, including women, to improve the level of consultations. In its human rights report issued in July 2022, UNAMA set out the human rights situation in Afghanistan since the Taliban took power last year.”
2022-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9137 (2022) · source
“Many donors feel that the Taliban should not be relieved of their responsibility to meet the needs of the population they control. This includes making their own budget more transparent so that donors can better assess where the real needs are that cannot be met by the de facto authorities. In the meantime, the Taliban themselves state they are committed to private-sector-led growth that will prevent aid dependency and conditionality. But this will require practical steps that, so far, have not been taken, including a clear legal framework, public investments, a functioning banking system, reliable energy and communication services, and an educated workforce that includes women. Two days ago, I met with a group of women entrepreneurs in Kabul who decided to stay in Afghanistan and continue their business activities.”
2022-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9137 (2022) · source
“Humanitarian assistance alone cannot replace essential-service delivery systems, such as health and water, nor prevent an economic collapse. UNAMA has been urging donors to take a complementary approach to meeting people’s needs by supporting, in addition to humanitarian action, some basic human-needs projects that leverage the capacity of local communities, address underlying structural issues, promote economic growth and seek to minimize the effects of climate change, which are particularly severe in Afghanistan. There is, so far, no consensus among donors on the provision of limited technical assistance to de facto line ministries or on whether to complete construction of small-scale infrastructure projects.”
2022-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9137 (2022) · source
“In the immediate term, humanitarian partners require $614 million to support priority winter preparedness, in addition to the $154 million required to preposition essential supplies before areas get cut off by weather. We have noted the creation by the United States of the Afghan Fund, which will place half of the $7 billion of Afghan reserves in an account in Switzerland, where they will be used to help stabilize Afghanistan’s macroeconomy. We have been informed that this should be seen as a temporary measure until there is greater confidence in the ability of Afghanistan’s Central Bank to create safeguards against money laundering and potential financing of terrorist groups. But these humanitarian and economic measures will not meet the Afghan people’s longer-term requirements.”
2022-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9137 (2022) · source
“However, like many aspects of Taliban governance, the details behind their claims remain opaque. Part of the enduring economic downturn is due to liquidity problems that are related to Afghanistan’s isolation from the international banking system. Liquidity remains heavily dependent on the cash that the United Nations continues to bring in for humanitarian operations — cash, I must stress, that supports the needs of the Afghan people and does not directly reach the de facto authorities. But even this funding is uncertain. To date, the 2022 humanitarian response plan has only received $1.9 billion out of a $4.4 billion requirement. That is not even half. Amid growing needs and a worsening food- security situation, such a funding gap is all the more alarming given that winter is almost upon us again.”
2022-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9137 (2022) · source
“There are disturbing reports, as well as videos and photos, indicating possible serious human rights violations committed in Panjshir. UNAMA has called on the de facto authorities to investigate allegations of extrajudicial killings in Panjshir in line with international standards. The de facto authorities have stated that they will conduct serious investigations into these allegations. The status of these investigations is unknown. UNAMA will continue to carefully monitor this and other reports of serious human rights violations. The economic situation in Afghanistan remains tenuous. While the Taliban claim they have increased exports, maintained the value of the Afghani currency and generated solid revenue collection, per capita income has collapsed to 2007 levels, erasing 15 years of economic growth.”
2022-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9137 (2022) · source
“In addition to attacks carried out by ISKP, a number of unclaimed incidents killed and wounded Afghans going about their daily lives, in particular while attending places of worship. I take this opportunity to express our condolences to all the victims and their family members. The reported presence of the Al-Qaida leader, Al-Zawahiri, in the heart of Kabul and the strike against him, as well as the continued presence of other terrorist groups, have forced a questioning of the Taliban’s counter-terrorism commitments, further deepening the trust gap with the international community. Those questions are still unanswered. Armed clashes persist between the de facto security forces and armed opposition groups in the Panjshir, Baghlan, Kapisa, Takhar and Badakhshan provinces.”
2022-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9137 (2022) · source
“In the past months, there has been a steady rise in security incidents monitored by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), both armed clashes and criminality, as well as high-profile deadly terrorist attacks. Our earlier warnings about the capabilities of the Islamic State-Khorosan Province (ISKP) were dismissed by the Taliban. But, in the past few months alone, ISKP has demonstrated that it can carry out assassinations of figures close to the Taliban, attacks against foreign embassies, as well as fire rockets across Afghanistan’s border to attack its neighbours, all while maintaining its long-standing sectarian campaign against Shia Muslims and ethnic minorities. We are particularly concerned about the recent attack at the Russian Embassy in Kabul, which killed 10 people, among them a Russian diplomat.”
2022-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9137 (2022) · source
“Yet in our discussions with numerous members of the de facto authorities at all levels, Taliban leaders state that that decision has been made and is maintained by Emir Haibatullah Akhundzada, defended by hardliners around him but questioned by most of the rest of the movement, who are either unable or unwilling to change that trajectory. The relegation of women and girls to the home not only deprives them of their rights, but Afghanistan as a whole is denied the benefit of the significant contributions that women and girls have to offer. Some of the Taliban’s claimed and acknowledged achievements are also eroding.”
2022-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9137 (2022) · source
“Mr. Potzel: I am afraid that patience is running out among many in the international community regarding a strategy of engagement with Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities. There have been some positive developments in the past few months, but they have been too few and too slow and are outweighed by the negatives. In particular, the ongoing ban on secondary education for girls — unique in the world — and growing restrictions on women’s rights are signals that the Taliban are indifferent to more than 50 per cent of the population and are willing to risk international isolation.”
2022-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9137 (2022) · source
“The Taliban has been ambiguous about to the extent to which it wants to engage, which it predicates on alignment with its interpretation of sharia law. It is vital to move beyond an exchange of hardened positions towards sustained dialogue among the Taliban, other Afghan stakeholders, the wider region and the international community, dialogue that should place the interests of all Afghans at its centre. The future stability of Afghanistan rests on meeting the needs of the Afghan people, preserving their rights and reflecting the country’s diversity in all governance structures. Let us all look ahead and together improve the situation rather than dwell on the past.”
2022-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9118 (2022) · source
“I believe that Afghanistan has not recovered from serious geopolitical shocks and interventions by foreign Powers. None of those interventions have achieved their designs. All of them have altered Afghanistan in ways that were unexpected and often unhelpful. Despite immense resources expended over the past few decades, Afghanistan remains significantly underdeveloped, vulnerable and in need of international assistance. United Nations officials and UNAMA, including through the Mission’s 11 field offices across the country, continue to engage with the de facto authorities. They facilitate engagement between the de facto authorities, community leaders, religious groups, women and civil society, aimed at promoting inclusive and participatory governance and rights and freedoms.”
2022-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9118 (2022) · source
“Discussions focused on the importance of counter-terrorism and counter-narcotic efforts, economic and infrastructure development, inclusive governance and respect for human and civil rights, especially the rights of women, including the education of girls. It is especially important for the Taliban to understand that their neighbours, regional partners and the wider Islamic world want them to be part of the international community. Afghanistan is a landlocked country that depends on its neighbours for access to trade routes, but it is also a country with tremendous potential resources, which if properly harnessed could benefit Afghanistan, the region and the rest of the world. As I have mentioned, I will have more to tell the Council a few weeks from now about the specific situation in the country.”
2022-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9118 (2022) · source
“Last week’s inaugural meeting of the Media Violation Commission is a welcome development, if indeed it works to prevent further restrictions on the free media space. Lastly, I would like to commend the region’s response to the current situation. Afghanistan’s neighbours are the most immediately affected and sometimes feel threatened by events in Afghanistan. They have responded by convening meetings at the foreign minister level, first in Islamabad and then in Tehran and Beijing. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has also mobilized, holding a special meeting at the Foreign Minister level in Islamabad last year. Last month, an International Conference on Afghanistan took place in Tashkent, with the participation of a high- level Taliban delegation.”
2022-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9118 (2022) · source
“UNAMA documented human rights violations targeting specific groups, such as former Government officials and members of the Afghan national defence and security forces; individuals accused of affiliation with ISIL-KP and the National Resistance Front; civil society, media and women, including those accused of so-called moral crimes. UNAMA is particularly concerned about reports of action taken by de facto officials of the committee for the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice that has resulted in the verbal harassment, ill-treatment and arbitrary arrest of people as they go about their daily lives. Attacks on human rights defenders, journalists and media workers, combined with the impact of broader policy measures taken by the de facto authorities, have had a chilling effect on freedom of the media and civic activism.”
2022-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9118 (2022) · source
“The past three weeks have seen the highest number of civilian casualties in a one-month period since 15 August 2021, in a series of improvised explosive device attacks in Kabul, most of them claimed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan Province (ISIL-KP). Such attacks often target specific ethnic and religious groups. We are encouraged to hear that the de facto authorities are looking into what can be done to ensure greater security for those communities. In July, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released its report entitled Human Rights in Afghanistan, covering the 10-month period between the Taliban takeover on 15 August 2021 and 15 June of this year. It reflects the human rights priorities set out in the UNAMA mandate given by the Council.”
2022-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9118 (2022) · source
“Ignoring persistent rumours of internal differences, the Taliban continues to present itself as a unified, cohesive governing entity. The Kabul-based Cabinet meets regularly, with outcomes of meetings reported publicly by the de facto authorities. However, the relationship between the Cabinet in Kabul and the Kandahar- based Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhunzada remains unclear. Practices governing by decree and through policy decisions, which are declared to be in line with Islam and Afghan traditions, have further curtailed fundamental human rights and freedoms, especially for women and girls, such as the 23 March announcement of the continued closure of secondary education for girls. Today Afghanistan is the only country in the world that denies girls a full right to education.”
2022-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9118 (2022) · source
“They include efforts to facilitate access to assets belonging to the Afghan Central Bank for the benefit of the Afghan people, in addition to international assistance that supports basic human needs — in other words, interventions that go beyond merely providing humanitarian assistance and also support the resilience of Afghan communities. Humanitarian aid is not a long-term solution. Poverty reduction, as well as the delivery of basic goods and services, must ultimately rely on sustained economic growth. Donors have repeatedly stated that a resumption of economic cooperation hinges primarily on Taliban action to reverse regressive policies. Thirdly, the Taliban de facto authorities are faced with a growing number of governance challenges.”
2022-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9118 (2022) · source
“First, the current regime in Afghanistan has not been recognized by any member of the international community. The reasons for that are clear. The international community has norms regarding human rights — especially those of women and girls — representative governance and international collective security. Afghanistan is part of the international system, and the Taliban needs to adhere to its international obligations, but instead it is requesting recognition based on the fact that it has secured territorial control. Secondly, there is no question that the sanctions on the Taliban have affected the Afghan economy since the Taliban took control. That has been documented in previous reports of the Secretary-General, who has also called for measures to allow the Afghan economy to breathe.”
2022-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9118 (2022) · source
“Mr. Potzel: The focus of the request for this briefing has been on the humanitarian and economic situation, and I fully endorse the comments by my colleague Mr. Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Since the takeover by the Taliban one year ago, the United Nations has remained exceptionally focused on addressing the humanitarian and human needs in Afghanistan. And, as Mr. Griffiths stated, the needs in Afghanistan continue to be significant. In just a few weeks I am scheduled to brief the Security Council on the overall situation in Afghanistan. In addition, the Security Council will soon receive a report from the Secretary- General on the situation in Afghanistan. But given this opportunity, I would like to provide a few thoughts on the current situation.”
2022-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9118 (2022) · source