S/PV.5994
5994th meeting
Tuesday, 14 October 2008, 10.15 a.m.
New York
The situation in Afghanistan
Mr. Ettalhi (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) (spoke in Arabic): I should like first to express my gratitude to the Secretary-General for his comprehensive and detailed report (S/2008/617). I should also like to thank Mr. Kai Eide for the comprehensive briefing he has just given us. I welcome the efforts being made by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General despite the difficult conditions in which they are working.
I also wish to welcome the presence among us of Mr. Zahir Tanin, Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and to thank him for his statement. In keeping with his advice, I shall be cautious when speaking about Afghanistan.
This meeting is taking place at a time when, as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General has pointed out, the situation in Afghanistan is characterized by a serious deterioration. According to the report of the Secretary-General, this may be the most difficult time since the fall of the Taliban, especially as regards the great number of civilian victims, resulting from acts of war in the first eight months of this year — an increase of 39 per cent over the same period last year. That is a cause of concern to us; but of greater concern yet is the fact that 40 per cent, or about half, of the deaths have been due to attacks by pro-Government and international forces.
We appreciate all the steps and arrangements being taken by the forces to avoid civilian casualties and damage to property. However, the figures are nevertheless quite significant, and we believe that there is room for improvement. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General has indicated that the international forces are trying to reduce the number of civilian victims. We hope that those efforts will lead to the desired results. In that regard, we also condemn the acts of insurgent forces that result in civilian casualties.
This meeting is taking place two years after the London Conference and four months after the Paris Conference, where the Afghanistan National Development Strategy was adopted. Pledges of assistance have exceeded $21 billion. It may be worth assessing the progress made in the implementation of the Strategy, especially as regards the commitments made and the performance of the Afghan Government in the area of development. We believe that, as Mr. Tanin has said, development is a very important element of security and stability.
There can be do doubt that there has been much progress in a number of areas, including in demining and combating narcotics, as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General mentioned in his briefing; in the vaccination of children; and in improving regional relations and launching a dialogue between Afghanistan and its neighbours. However, we must accept that many shortcomings remain despite all the efforts and commitments. I believe that all of that must be properly assessed and that we must look into the causes that have led to the current situation.
As I said the last time I addressed the Council on this issue, I believe we all agree that the solution will require a general rapprochement, and not just recourse to force, if we are to restore stability. We believe that inclusive national reconciliation among the various sectors of the population, as called for by President Karzai and, previously, by the Constitutional Council, is very important to establishing stability. There must also be parallel efforts in the area of development, so as to ensure dignified socio-economic conditions for all Afghan citizens, so that they do not have to turn to illegal means of earning a living. That should also contribute to the fight against corruption and extremism. The Afghan Government should thus regain the people’s confidence in its ability to meet their essential needs. We hope that the latest Government reshuffle will promote development and concentrate on the various priorities.
The report of the Secretary-General of last March (S/2008/159) indicated that there had been violations of prisoners’ rights and cases of abuse and torture. There were accusations with regard to lengthy arbitrary detention in detention centres. The United Nations Mission was not able to verify those accusations, and the latest report (S/2008/617) does not indicate any progress in that respect. The report indicates that the situation has remained the same and that the jails and detention centres in Afghanistan are being seriously neglected. We reiterate the importance of respect for human rights by all and the need for respect for international law.
My delegation is extremely concerned about the food crisis that the Afghan people are facing given the surge in food prices, the drought and the global financial crisis, which affects Afghanistan in the same way as it does other developing countries. We join with the Secretary-General in his call, echoed by the Afghan Vice-President, for more than $400 million to deal with the crisis. I am sure that members are aware of the misery and suffering in Afghanistan and the large number of children who live in isolated areas in mountainous regions and valleys, carrying flour on their backs from Pakistan to Afghanistan.
Finally, my delegation stresses the important role of UNAMA in providing assistance. We stress the need for an enlargement of the Mission, taking into account the comments of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, and for providing the Mission with the resources it needs to do its work in the different areas of the country, in line with the priorities highlighted by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, so that the Mission can accomplish its tasks. In all of this, as the representative of Italy just said, we must take account of Afghan ownership of the process and its effectiveness.
