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S/RES/2041 (2012)
Security Council Distr.: General
22 March 2012
12-27286 (E)
*1227286*
Resolution 2041 (2012)
Adopted by the Security Council at its 6738th meeting, on
22 March 2012
The Security Council,
Recalling its previous resolutions on Afghanistan, in particular its resolution
1974 (2011) extending through 23 March 2012 the mandate of the United Nations
Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) as established by resolution 1662
(2006),
Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial
integrity and national unity of Afghanistan,
Reiterating support for the Transition (Inteqal) process which will entail the
assumption of full responsibility by Afghanistan’s institutions in the security sector,
consistent with the London, Kabul and Bonn Conferences and the Lisbon Summit,
recognizing that transition is not only a security process but also entails the full
assumption of Afghan leadership and ownership in governance and development,
and affirming that the United Nations support in Afghanistan takes full account of
the transition process in Afghanistan,
Emphasizing the Kabul Process towards the primary objective of accelerated
Afghan leadership and ownership, strengthened international partnership and
regional cooperation, improved Afghan governance, enhanced capabilities of
Afghan security forces, economic growth and better protection for the rights of all
Afghan citizens, including women, and welcoming specifically the commitments
made by the Afghan Government,
Stressing the importance of a comprehensive approach to address the security,
economic, governance and development challenges in Afghanistan, which are of an
interconnected nature, and recognizing that there is no purely military solution to
ensure the stability of Afghanistan,
Reaffirming its continued support for the Government and people of
Afghanistan as they rebuild their country, and strengthen the foundations of
sustainable peace and constitutional democracy,
Welcoming the International Afghanistan Conference in Bonn on 5 December
2011 and its Conference Conclusions (S/2011/762), as well as the declaration in
Bonn that the Process of Transition, to be completed by the end of 2014, should be
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followed by a Decade of Transformation (2015-2024) and welcoming further the
strategic consensus between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the
International Community on a renewed and enduring partnership for this
Transformation Decade based on firm mutual commitments,
Looking forward to the ministerial conference on Afghanistan to be held in
Tokyo in July 2012, which will address the international community’s commitments
and support towards Afghanistan’s sustainable economic development through the
Transition period and beyond, built upon the firm mutual commitments within the
Bonn Conference Conclusions, which also recognized the need for the Government
of Afghanistan to take forward governance and economic reforms,
Reaffirming specifically in this context its support for the implementation,
under the leadership and ownership of the Afghan people, of the commitments set
out in the London (S/2011/65) and Kabul Conference Communiqués, of the
Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) and of the National Drugs
Control Strategy, as part of the comprehensive strategy to be taken forward by the
Government of Afghanistan with the support of the region and the international
community and with a central and impartial coordinating role for the United
Nations, consistent with the Kabul Process and in line with the National Priority
Programmes,
Welcoming the “Third Ministerial Conference of the Paris Pact on Combating
the Illicit Traffic in Opiates Originating in Afghanistan”, held in Vienna on
16 February 2012, taking note of the Vienna Declaration and emphasizing the aim of
the Paris Pact to establish a broad international coalition to combat illicit traffic in
opiates, as part of a comprehensive approach to peace, stability, and development in
Afghanistan, the region and beyond,
Stressing the crucial importance of advancing regional cooperation as an
effective means to promote security, stability and economic and social development
in Afghanistan, recalling the importance of the Kabul Declaration of 22 December
2002 on Good-Neighbourly Relations (Kabul Declaration) (S/2002/1416),
welcoming, in this regard, the continued commitment of the international
community to support stability and development in Afghanistan, noting international
and regional initiatives such as the Istanbul “Heart of Asia” Summits, the
quadrilateral Summits of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and the Russian
Federation as well as the Trilateral Summit of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan in
February 2012 in Islamabad, as well those as by the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO), the Collective Security Organization (CSTO) and the South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and looking forward to the
Fifth Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) to be
held in Tajikistan on 26-27 March 2012,
Commending the outcome of the Istanbul Conference for Afghanistan held on
2 November 2011, where Afghanistan and its regional partners, with the support of
the international community, affirmed their commitment to strengthen regional
security and cooperation for a secure and stable Afghanistan, including through
enhanced regional dialogue and confidence-building measures, and looking forward
to the first follow-up on the Istanbul Conference, scheduled to convene at the
ministerial level in Kabul on 14 June 2012, and welcomes also, in this regard, the
first Senior Officials Preparatory Meeting of 29 February 2012 in Kabul,
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Looking forward also to the International Conference on Afghan Refugees in
May 2012 in Switzerland and a successful outcome for the population of Afghan
refugees and returnees in the region, which aims at the adoption of a roadmap for
action,
Stressing the central and impartial role that the United Nations continues to
play in promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan by leading the efforts of the
international community, including, jointly with the Government of Afghanistan, the
coordination and monitoring of efforts in implementing the Kabul Process through
the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB) in support of the priorities set
up by the Government of Afghanistan and expressing its appreciation and strong
support for the ongoing efforts of the Secretary-General, his Special Representative
for Afghanistan and in particular the women and men of UNAMA who are serving
in difficult conditions to help the people of Afghanistan,
Expressing its appreciation to the Secretary-General for the comprehensive
review undertaken in accordance with the request in paragraph 43 of Security
Council resolution 1974 (2011) and taking due note of its findings contained in the
Secretary-General’s report on Afghanistan dated 5 March 2012 (SC/2012/133),
Reaffirming that, consistent with the transition process, the role of
international actors will evolve further from direct service delivery to support and
capacity-building for Afghan institutions, enabling the Government of Afghanistan
to exercise its sovereign authority in all its functions, including the phasing out of
all Provincial Reconstruction Teams, as well as the dissolution of any structures
duplicating the functions and authority of the Government of Afghanistan at the
national and subnational levels,
Stressing the importance of a comprehensive and inclusive, Afghan-led and
Afghan-owned political process in Afghanistan to support reconciliation for all
those who are prepared to reconcile as laid forth in the 20 July 2010 Kabul
Conference Communiqué and further elaborated in the 5 December 2011 Bonn
Conference Conclusions supported by the Government of Afghanistan and the
international community, with full respect for the implementation of measures and
application of the procedures introduced by the Security Council in its resolutions
1267 (1999) and 1988 (2011) as well as other relevant resolutions of the Security
Council and noting, in this context, the establishment of the Committee pursuant to
Security Council resolution 1988 (2011),
Recalling the support of the Traditional Loya Jirga in November 2011 to the
Government of Afghanistan’s reconciliation process and supporting the aims of the
High Peace Council and its outreach efforts both within and outside Afghanistan,
Recalling the Government of Afghanistan’s commitments at the Kabul
Conference to strengthen and improve Afghanistan’s electoral process, including
long-term electoral reform, in order to ensure that future elections will be
transparent, credible and democratic, and reaffirming that Afghanistan’s peaceful
future lies in the building of a stable, secure, economically sustainable state, free of
terrorism and narcotics and based on the rule of law, strengthened democratic
institutions, respect for the separation of powers, reinforced constitutional checks
and balances and the guarantee and enforcement of citizens’ rights and obligations,
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Welcoming the contribution of the International Contact Group to the United
Nations efforts in coordinating and broadening international support for
Afghanistan,
Emphasizing once again the agreement reached at the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization’s (NATO) Lisbon Summit 2010 between the Government of
Afghanistan and countries contributing to the International Security Assistance
Force (ISAF) to gradually transfer full security responsibility in Afghanistan to the
Afghan National Security Forces country-wide by the end of 2014, taking note of
the Declaration by NATO and the Government of the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan on an enduring partnership signed in Lisbon on 20 November 2010
acknowledging the joint efforts under the Transition (Inteqal) process, welcoming
the progress made so far in the implementation of the first and second tranche of
Transition, and looking forward to the phased and responsible extension of the
process to the rest of the country,
Underlining the importance of operationally capable, professional and
sustainable Afghan National Security Forces for meeting Afghanistan’s security
needs, with a view to lasting peace, security and stability, stressing the long-term
commitment, beyond 2014, and into the Transformation Decade (2015-2024), of the
international community to support the further development, including training, and
professionalization of the Afghan national security forces,
Looking forward to the discussion on Afghanistan at the forthcoming NATO
Summit in Chicago,
Recognizing that security gains must be supported by progress in Afghan
governance and development capacity, noting, in this context, the synergies in the
objectives of UNAMA and of ISAF as also noted in resolution 2011 (2011), and
stressing the need for optimized cooperation, coordination and mutual support,
taking due account of their respective designated responsibilities,
Recognizing once again the interconnected nature of the challenges in
Afghanistan, reaffirming that sustainable progress on security, governance, human
rights, the rule of law, and development, as well as the cross-cutting issues of
anti-corruption, counter-narcotics and transparency are mutually reinforcing and
welcoming the continuing efforts of the Afghan Government and the international
community to address these challenges through a comprehensive approach,
Reiterating the need for all United Nations agencies, funds and programmes,
through the Country Team mechanism and a “One-UN” approach under the
guidance of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, to increase efforts,
in full consultation and cooperation with the Government of Afghanistan, to achieve
greater coherence, coordination, efficiency and full alignment with the National
Priority Programmes identified by the Government of Afghanistan,
Welcoming the efforts of countries that are increasing their civilian, including
humanitarian efforts to assist the Government and the people of Afghanistan and
encouraging the international community to further enhance their contributions in a
coordinated manner with the Afghan authorities and UNAMA, with a view to
strengthening Afghan leadership and ownership, including at the Tokyo Conference
in July 2012,
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Stressing the need to further improve the reach, quality and quantity of
humanitarian aid, ensuring efficient, effective and timely coordination and delivery
of humanitarian assistance, including through enhanced coordination among the
United Nations agencies, funds and programmes under the authority of the Special
Representative of the Secretary-General and between the United Nations and other
donors, especially where it is most needed, supporting the Afghan Government to
increasingly take the lead in coordinating humanitarian assistance to its citizens,
Emphasizing the need for all, within the framework of humanitarian
assistance, of upholding and respecting the humanitarian principles, of humanity,
neutrality, impartiality and independence,
Reiterating its concern about the security situation in Afghanistan, in particular
the ongoing violent and terrorist activities by the Taliban, Al-Qaida and other
violent and extremist groups, illegal armed groups, criminals and those involved in
the production, trafficking or trade of illicit drugs, and the strong links between
terrorism activities and illicit drugs, resulting in threats to the local population,
including children, national security forces and international military and civilian
personnel,
Recognizing the continuously alarming threats posed by the Taliban, Al-Qaida
and other violent and extremist groups and illegal armed groups as well as the
challenges related to the efforts to address such threats, and expressing its serious
concern over the harmful consequences of violent and terrorist activities by the
Taliban, Al-Qaida and other violent and extremist groups and illegal armed groups
on the capacity of the Afghan Government to guarantee the rule of law, to provide
security and basic services to the Afghan people, and to ensure the improvement and
protection of their human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Recalling its resolutions 1674 (2006), 1738 (2006) and 1894 (2009) on the
protection of civilians in armed conflict, expressing its serious concern with the
increased high number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan, in particular women
and children, the increasingly large majority of which are caused by the Taliban,
Al-Qaida and other violent and extremist groups and illegal armed groups,
reaffirming that all parties to armed conflict must take all feasible steps to ensure
the protection of civilians, calling for all parties to comply with their obligations
under international law including international humanitarian and human rights law
and for all appropriate measures to be taken to ensure the protection of civilians,
and recognizing the importance of the ongoing monitoring and reporting to the
United Nations Security Council, including ISAF, of the situation of civilians and in
particular civilian casualties, taking note of the progress made by Afghan and
international forces in minimizing the civilian casualties, as recognized in the
4 February 2012 report by UNAMA on the protection of civilians in armed conflict,
Expressing also concern with the serious threat that anti-personnel mines,
remnants of war and improvised explosive devices pose to the civilian population,
and stressing the need to refrain from the use of weapons and devices prohibited by
international law,
Encouraging the international community and regional partners to further
effectively support Afghan-led sustained efforts to address drug production and
trafficking, notably through the JCMB’s working group on counter-narcotics as well
as regional initiatives, recognizing the threat posed by illicit drug production, trade
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and trafficking to international peace and stability in different regions of the world,
and the important role played by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC) in this regard, and stressing the important role of the United Nations to
continue to monitor the drug situation in Afghanistan,
Supporting the Afghan Government’s continued ban of Ammonium Nitrate
fertilizer, and urging prompt action to implement regulations for the control of all
explosive materials and precursor chemicals, thereby reducing the ability of
insurgents to use them for improvised explosive devices, and calling upon the
international community to support the Afghan Government’s efforts in this regard,
Recalling the declaration addressed to the International Narcotics Control
Board (INCB) by the Government of Afghanistan that there is no legal use for acetic
anhydride in Afghanistan for the time being and that producing and exporting
countries should abstain from authorizing the export of this substance to
Afghanistan without the request from the Afghan Government, and encouraging,
pursuant to resolution 1817 (2008), Member States to increase their cooperation
with the INCB, notably by fully complying with the provisions of article 12 of the
United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and
Psychotropic Substances, 1988,
Recalling its resolutions 1265 (1999), 1296 (2000), 1674 (2006), 1738 (2006)
and 1894 (2009) on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, its resolutions 1325
(2000), 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1960 (2010) on women and
peace and security, and its resolution 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009) and 1998 (2011) on
children and armed conflict, and taking note of the report of the Secretary-General
(S/2011/55) on Children and Armed Conflict in Afghanistan as well as the
conclusions of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict
(S/AC.51/2011/3),
1. Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General of 5 March 2012
(S/2012/133);
2. Expresses its appreciation for the United Nations long-term commitment
to support the Government and the people of Afghanistan and reiterates its full
support to the work of UNAMA and the Special Representative of the Secretary-
General;
3. Decides to extend until 23 March 2013 the mandate of UNAMA, as
defined in its resolutions 1662 (2006), 1746 (2007), 1806 (2008), 1868 (2009), 1917
(2010), 1974 (2011) and paragraphs 4, 5, 6 and 7 below;
4. Recognizes that the renewed mandate of UNAMA takes full account of
the transition process and is in support of Afghanistan’s full assumption of
leadership and ownership in the security, governance and development areas,
consistent with the understandings reached between Afghanistan and the
international community in the London, Kabul and Bonn Conferences and the
Lisbon Summit;
5. Calls on the United Nations, with the support of the international
community, to support the Government of Afghanistan’s National Priority
Programmes covering the issues of security, governance, justice and economic and
social development and to support the full implementation of mutual commitments
made on these issues at the Kabul and London Conferences, and reaffirmed as part
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of the strategic consensus at the Bonn Conference, as well as on continuing
implementation of the National Drug Control Strategy, and requests that UNAMA,
in an increasingly enabling function, assist the Government of Afghanistan on its
way towards ensuring full Afghan leadership and ownership, as defined by the
Kabul process;
6. Decides further that UNAMA and the Special Representative of the
Secretary-General, within their mandate and guided by the principle of reinforcing
Afghan sovereignty, leadership and ownership, will continue to lead and coordinate
the international civilian efforts, in accordance with the London and Kabul
Conference Communiqués and the Bonn Conference Conclusions, and with a
particular focus on the priorities laid out below:
(a) promote, as co-chair of the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board
(JCMB), more coherent support by the international community to the Afghan
Government’s development and governance priorities, including through supporting
the ongoing development and sequencing of the National Priority Programmes,
mobilization of resources, coordination of international donors and organizations,
and direction of the contributions of United Nations agencies, funds and
programmes, in particular for counter-narcotics, reconstruction and development
activities; at the same time, support efforts to increase the proportion of
development aid delivered through the Afghan Government, in line with the
commitments made at the Kabul Conference, and support efforts to increase the
transparency and effectiveness of the Afghan Government’s use of such resources;
(b) continue the cooperation with ISAF and the NATO Senior Civilian
Representative at all levels and throughout the country in support of the ongoing
transition to full Afghan leadership and ownership agreed to at the Kabul and
London Conferences and the Lisbon Summit, in a sustainable manner to ensure the
protection and promotion of the rights of all Afghans, in accordance with their
existing mandates, in order to optimize civil-military coordination, to facilitate the
timely exchange of information and, to ensure coherence between the activities of
national and international security forces and of civilian actors in support of an
Afghan-led development and stabilization process, including through engagement
with provincial reconstruction teams and engagement with non-governmental
organizations, in particular through its participation on the Joint Afghan-NATO
Inteqal Board (JANIB) as an observer;
(c) provide outreach as well as good offices to support, if requested by the
Afghan Government, the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process of peace and
reconciliation, including through the implementation of the Afghan Peace and
Reintegration Programme and proposing and supporting confidence-building
measures within the framework of the Afghan constitution and with full respect for
the implementation of measures and application of the procedures introduced by the
Security Council in its resolutions 1267 (1999), 1988 (2011) and 1989 (2011) as
well as other relevant resolutions of the Council;
(d) support, at the request of the Afghan authorities, the organization of
future Afghan elections, as well as to strengthen, in support of the Government of
Afghanistan’s efforts, the sustainability, integrity and inclusiveness of the electoral
process, as agreed at the London, Kabul and Bonn Conferences, and provide
capacity-building and technical assistance to the Afghan institutions involved in this
process;
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(e) support regional cooperation, with a view to assisting Afghanistan utilize
its role at the heart of Asia to promote regional cooperation, and to work towards a
stable and prosperous Afghanistan, building on the achievements made;
7. Also reaffirms that UNAMA and the Special Representative, leveraging
the competencies of the United Nations country team and taking into account the
transition process, will continue to lead international civilian efforts with an
emphasis on enabling and strengthening the role of Afghan institutions to perform
their responsibilities in the following priority areas:
(a) promote through an appropriate UNAMA presence, to be determined in
full consultation and cooperation with the Government of Afghanistan, and in
support of the Afghan Government’s efforts, implementation of the Kabul Process
throughout the country including through enhanced cooperation with the United
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and facilitate inclusion in and understanding of
the Government’s policies;
(b) support the efforts of the Afghan Government, in fulfilling its
commitments as stated at the London, Kabul and Bonn Conferences, to improve
governance and the rule of law including transitional justice, budget execution and
the fight against corruption, throughout the country in accordance with the Kabul
Process, with a view to helping bring the benefits of peace and the delivery of
services in a timely and sustainable manner;
(c) continue, with the support of the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights, to cooperate with and build capacity of the
Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), to cooperate also with
the Afghan Government and relevant international and local non-governmental
organizations to monitor the situation of civilians, to coordinate efforts to ensure
their protection, to promote accountability, and to assist in the full implementation
of the fundamental freedoms and human rights provisions of the Afghan
Constitution and international treaties to which Afghanistan is a State party, in
particular those regarding the full enjoyment by women of their human rights;
(d) coordinate and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance, in
support of the Afghan Government and in accordance with humanitarian principles,
with a view to building the capacity of the Government so it can assume the central
and coordinating role in the future, including by providing effective support to
national and local authorities in assisting and protecting internally displaced persons
and to creating conditions conducive to the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable
return of refugees from neighbouring and other countries and internally displaced
persons;
8. Calls upon all Afghan and international parties to coordinate with
UNAMA in the implementation of its mandate and in efforts to promote the security
and freedom of movement of United Nations and associated personnel throughout
the country;
9. Reiterates the need to ensure security of United Nations staff and its
support for the measures already taken by the Secretary-General in this regard;
10. Stresses the importance of a continued presence of UNAMA and other
United Nations agencies, funds and programmes in the provinces, consistent with
the transition process, in support of and in cooperation with the Afghan
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Government, in response to needs and with a view to security and including the
objective of overall United Nations effectiveness, and strongly supports the
authority of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the coordination
of all activities of United Nations agencies, funds and programmes in Afghanistan
based on a “One-UN” approach;
11. Encourages the Secretary-General to continue his current efforts to take
necessary measures to address the security issues associated with the United Nations
presence and, during the current process of transition, particularly encourages
careful coordination with the Afghan national security forces, supported by the
Assistance Force, as appropriate;
12. Underscores the importance of a sustainable democratic development in
Afghanistan with all Afghan institutions acting within their clearly defined areas of
competence, in accordance with the relevant laws and the Afghan Constitution and
welcomes, in this regard, the commitment of the Government of Afghanistan at the
Kabul Conference, reaffirmed at the Bonn Conference, to deliver further
improvements to the electoral process, including addressing the sustainability of the
electoral process, and, taking into account the commitments by the international
community and the Afghan Government made at the London, Kabul and Bonn
Conferences, reaffirms UNAMA’s supporting role, at the request of the Afghan
Government, in the realization of these commitments, and requests that, upon the
request of the Government of Afghanistan, UNAMA provide assistance to the
relevant Afghan institutions to support the integrity of the electoral process; and
further calls upon members of the international community to provide assistance as
appropriate;
13. Welcomes the continuing efforts of the Afghan Government to advance
the peace and reconciliation process, including by the High Peace Council and the
implementation of the Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Programme, to promote
an inclusive, Afghan-led dialogue on reconciliation and political participation as
laid forth in the 20 July 2010 Kabul Conference Communiqué on dialogue for all
those who “renounce violence, have no links to international terrorist
organizations,” including Al-Qaida, “respect the constitution,” including its human
rights provisions, notably the rights of women, “and are willing to join in building a
peaceful Afghanistan,” and as further elaborated in the principles and outcomes of
the 5 December 2011 Bonn Conference Conclusions, and encourages the
Government of Afghanistan to make use of UNAMA’s good offices to support this
process as appropriate, in full respect of the implementation of measures and
procedures introduced by the Security Council in its resolution 1267 (1999) and
1988 (2011) as well as other relevant resolutions of the Council;
14. Welcomes also the measures taken by the Government of Afghanistan,
and encourages it to continue to increase the participation of women as well as
minorities and civil society in outreach, consultation and decision-making
processes, and recalls that women play a vital role in the peace process, as
recognized in Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and related resolutions,
therefore reiterates the need for the full, equal and effective participation of women
at all stages of peace processes and urges their involvement in the development and
implementation of post-conflict strategies in order to take account of their
perspectives and needs;
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15. Notes the establishment of the Committee pursuant to Security Council
resolution 1988 (2011), its methods and procedures, welcomes, in this context, the
cooperation of the Afghan Government and UNAMA with the Committee including
by providing relevant information for updating the 1988 List, and by identifying
individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with the Taliban in
constituting a threat to the peace, stability and security of Afghanistan, as per the
designation criteria set out in Security Council Resolution 1988 (2011), and notes
that means of financing or supporting these individuals, groups, undertakings and
entities includes but is not limited to proceeds derived from illicit cultivation,
production and trafficking of narcotic drugs and their precursors originating in and
transiting through Afghanistan, and encourages the continuation of such
cooperation;
16. Stresses the role of UNAMA in supporting, if requested by the
Government of Afghanistan, an inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process of
peace and reconciliation, including the Afghan Peace and Reintegration Programme,
while continuing to assess, including in collaboration with the AIHRC, its human
rights and gender implications, including the promotion and protection of human
rights, and encourages the international community to assist the efforts of the
Government of Afghanistan in this regard including through continued support to
the Peace and Reintegration Trust Fund;
17. Commends the outcome of the Istanbul Conference for Afghanistan held
on 2 November 2011 and welcomes the ongoing Afghan-led regional effort within
the framework of the Istanbul Process on Regional Security and Cooperation for a
Secure and Stable Afghanistan and calls on Afghanistan and its regional partners to
continue to enhance regional dialogue and confidence;
18. Welcomes ongoing efforts by the Government of Afghanistan, its
neighbouring and regional partners and international organizations including the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to foster trust and cooperation with each
other as well as recent cooperation initiatives developed by the countries concerned
and regional organizations, including the Trilateral Summits of Afghanistan,
Pakistan and Turkey, the Trilateral Summit of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan in
February 2012 in Islamabad as well as SCO and SAARC, and further welcomes the
reaffirmation in the outcome documents of the Istanbul and Bonn Conferences of
the principles set out in the Good Neighbourly Relations Declaration of 2002;
19. Stresses the importance of increasing cooperation between Afghanistan
and its international and regional partners against the Taliban, Al-Qaida and other
violent and extremist groups and illegal armed groups, in promoting peace and
prosperity in Afghanistan and in fostering cooperation in the economic and
development sectors as a means to achieve the full integration of Afghanistan into
regional dynamics and the global economy;
20. Calls for strengthening the process of regional cooperation, including
measures to facilitate regional trade and transit, including through regional and
bilateral transit trade agreements, expanded consular visa cooperation and
facilitation of business travel, to expand trade, to increase foreign investments and
to develop infrastructure, including infrastructural connectivity, energy supply,
transport and integrated border management, with a view to promoting sustainable
economic growth and the creation of jobs in Afghanistan, noting the historic role of
Afghanistan as a land bridge in Asia and looks forward to the Fifth Regional
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Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) to be held in
Tajikistan on 26-27 March 2012;
21. Reaffirms the central role played by the JCMB in coordinating,
facilitating and monitoring the implementation of the Afghanistan National
Development Strategy (ANDS) and the National Priority Programmes and calls
upon all relevant actors to enhance their cooperation with the JCMB in this regard
with a view to further improve its efficiency;
22. Calls on international donors and organizations and the Afghan
Government to adhere to their commitments made at the Kabul Conference and
previous international conferences, as reaffirmed at the Bonn Conference, and
reiterates the importance of further efforts in improving aid coordination and
effectiveness, including by ensuring transparency, combating corruption; and
enhancing the capacity of Government of Afghanistan to coordinate aid;
23. Calls upon the Afghan Government, with the assistance of the
international community, including ISAF and the Operation Enduring Freedom
coalition, in accordance with their respective designated responsibilities as they
evolve, to continue to address the threat to the security and stability of Afghanistan
posed by the Taliban, Al-Qaida and other violent and extremist groups, illegal armed
groups, criminals and those involved in the production, trafficking or trade of illicit
drugs;
24. Reiterates the importance of increasing, in a comprehensive framework,
the functionality, professionalism and accountability of the Afghan security sector
through appropriate vetting procedures, training, mentoring, equipping and
empowerment efforts, for both women and men, in order to accelerate progress
towards the goal of self-sufficient and ethnically balanced Afghan security forces
providing security and ensuring the rule of law throughout the country and stresses
the importance of the long-term commitment by the international community,
beyond 2014, to ensure a capable, professional and sustainable Afghan National
Security Force;
25. Welcomes in this context the continued progress in the development of
the Afghan National Army and its improved ability to plan and undertake
operations, and encourages sustained training efforts, including through the
contribution of trainers, resources and Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams
through the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan, and advice in developing a
sustainable defence planning process as well as assistance in defence reform
initiatives;
26. Takes note of the ongoing efforts of the Afghan authorities to enhance the
capabilities of the Afghan National Police, calls for further efforts towards that goal
and stresses the importance, in this context, of international assistance through
financial support and provision of trainers and mentors, including the contribution
of the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan, the European Gendarmerie Force
(EGF) contribution to this mission and the European Union through its police
mission (EUPOL Afghanistan);
27. Welcomes the progress in the implementation by the Afghan Government
of the programme of disbandment of illegal armed groups and its integration with
the Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Programme, and calls for accelerated and
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harmonized efforts for further progress, with support from the international
community;
28. Condemns in the strongest terms all attacks, including Improvised
Explosive Device attacks, suicide attacks, assassinations and abductions, targeting
civilians and Afghan and international forces and their deleterious effect on the
stabilization, reconstruction and development efforts in Afghanistan, and condemns
further the use by the Taliban and other extremist groups of civilians as human
shields;
29. Condemns also attacks against humanitarian workers, emphasizing that
the attacks impede efforts to aid the people of Afghanistan, and underlines the need
for all parties to ensure full, safe and unhindered access of all humanitarian actors,
including United Nations staff and associated personnel, and comply fully with
applicable international humanitarian law;
30. Welcomes the achievements to date in the implementation of the Mine
Action Programme of Afghanistan, and encourages the Government of Afghanistan,
with the support of the United Nations and all the relevant actors, to continue its
efforts towards the removal of anti-personnel landmines, anti-tank landmines and
explosive remnants of war in order to reduce the threats posed to human life and
peace and security in the country; and expresses the need to provide assistance for
the care, rehabilitation, and economic and social reintegration of victims, including
persons with disabilities;
31. Recognizes the progress made by ISAF and other international forces in
minimizing the risk of civilian casualties, as described in the 4 February 2012
UNAMA report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, and calls on them to
continue to take robust efforts in this regard, notably by the continuous review of
tactics and procedures and the conduct of after-action reviews and investigations in
cooperation with the Afghan Government in cases where civilian casualties have
occurred and when the Afghan Government finds these joint investigations
appropriate;
32. Expresses its strong concern about the recruitment and use of children by
Taliban, Al-Qaida and other violent and extremist groups in Afghanistan as well as
the killing and maiming of children as a result of the conflict, reiterates its strong
condemnation of the recruitment and use of child soldiers in violation of applicable
international law and all other violations and abuses committed against children in
situations of armed conflict, in particular attacks against schools, education and
health care facilities, and the use of children in suicide attacks and calls for those
responsible to be brought to justice;
33. Stresses the importance of implementing Security Council resolution
1612 (2005), 1882 (2009) and 1998 (2011), in this context, supports the decree by
the Minister of the Interior reaffirming the government’s commitment to preventing
violations of the rights of the child dated 6 July 2011, welcomes the establishment of
the Afghan Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee on Children and Armed Conflict
and the subsequent signing by the Afghan Government of the action plan, and its
annex, on children associated with national security forces in Afghanistan and calls
for the full implementation of the provisions of the plan, in close cooperation with
UNAMA, and requests the Secretary-General to continue to give priority to the
child protection component of UNAMA;
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34. Remains concerned at the serious harm that opium cultivation,
production and trafficking and consumption continue to cause to the security,
development and governance of Afghanistan as well as to the region and
internationally, takes note of the UNODC Afghanistan Opium Survey 2011 released
in October 2011, calls on the Afghan Government, with the assistance of the
international community, to accelerate the implementation of the National Drug
Control Strategy, including through alternative livelihood programmes, and to
mainstream counter-narcotics throughout national programmes, and encourages
additional international support for the four priorities identified in that Strategy,
commends the support provided by the UNODC to the Triangular Initiative and the
Central Asian Regional Coordination and Information Centre (CARICC) within the
framework of the Paris Pact Initiative and the Rainbow Strategy and the UNODC
regional programme for Afghanistan and neighbouring countries; as well as the
contribution of the Domodedovo Police Academy of Russia;
35. Calls upon States to strengthen international and regional cooperation to
counter the threat to the international community posed by the production,
trafficking, and consumption of illicit drugs originating in Afghanistan, with a view
to its progressive elimination, in accordance with the principle of common and
shared responsibility in addressing the drug problem of Afghanistan, including
through strengthening the law enforcement capacity and cooperation against the
trafficking in illicit drugs and precursor chemicals and money-laundering and
corruption linked to such trafficking, and calls for full implementation of its
resolution 1817 (2008);
36. Appreciates the work of the Paris Pact initiative and its “Paris-Moscow”
process in countering the production, trafficking and consumption of opium and
heroin from Afghanistan and the elimination of poppy crops, drug laboratories and
stores as well as the interception of drug convoys, underlines the importance of
border management cooperation and welcomes the intensified cooperation of the
relevant United Nations institutions with the OSCE and the CSTO in this regard;
37. Reiterates the importance of the full, sequenced, timely and coordinated
implementation of the National Priority Programme on Law and Justice for All, by
all the relevant Afghan institutions and other actors in view of accelerating the
establishment of a fair and transparent justice system, eliminating impunity and
contributing to the affirmation of the rule of law throughout the country;
38. Stresses in this context the importance of further progress in the
reconstruction and reform of the prison sector in Afghanistan, in order to improve
the respect for the rule of law and human rights therein, emphasizes the importance
of ensuring access for relevant organizations, as applicable, to all prisons and places
of detention in Afghanistan, and calls for full respect for relevant international law
including humanitarian law and human rights law, noting the recommendations
contained in the report of the Assistance Mission dated 10 October 2011;
39. Notes with strong concern the effects of widespread corruption on
security, good governance, counter-narcotics efforts and economic development, and
urges the Afghan Government, with the assistance of the international community,
to vigorously lead the fight against corruption, and to enhance its efforts to establish
a more effective, accountable and transparent administration and notes the
commitments and efforts of the Government of Afghanistan in this regard;
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40. Encourages all Afghan institutions, including the executive and
legislative branches, to work in a spirit of cooperation, calls on the Afghan
Government to pursue continued legislative and public administration reform in
order to tackle corruption and to ensure good governance, as agreed at the Bonn
Conference, with full representation of all Afghan women and men, and
accountability at both national and subnational levels, and stresses the need for
further international efforts to provide technical assistance in this area and reiterates
the importance of the full, sequenced, timely, and coordinated implementation of the
National Priority Programme on National Transparency and Accountability in this
regard;
41. Calls for full respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms,
including those of human rights defenders, and of international humanitarian law
throughout Afghanistan, welcomes the growth in Afghan free media, but notes with
concern the continued restrictions on freedom of media, and attacks against
journalists, commends the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission
(AIHRC) for its courageous efforts to monitor respect for human rights in
Afghanistan as well as to foster and protect these rights and to promote the
emergence of a pluralistic civil society, applauds AIHRC for its organization of the
Civil Society Forum at the Bonn Conference, stresses the importance of full
cooperation with the AIHRC by all relevant actors and of allowing their
independence as well as of ensuring their safety, and supports broad engagement
across government agencies and civil society for the realization of the mutual
commitments made, including the commitment to provide sufficient government
financing for the AIHRC;
42. Recognizes that despite progress achieved on gender equality, enhanced
efforts, including on measurable and action oriented objectives, are necessary to
secure the rights of women and girls and to ensure all women and girls in
Afghanistan are protected from violence and abuse, enjoy equal protection under the
law and equal access to justice, strongly condemns discrimination and violence
against women and girls, in particular violence aimed at preventing girls from
attending schools, stresses the importance of implementing Security Council
resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1960 (2010),
notes the mainstreaming commitments introduced therein, and of ensuring that
women fleeing domestic violence are able to find safe and secure refuge;
43. Welcomes the Afghan Government’s commitment to strengthen the
participation of women in all Afghan governance institutions, including elected and
appointed bodies and the civil service, supports efforts to accelerate implementation
of the National Action Plan for Women in Afghanistan (NAPWA), to integrate its
benchmarks into the National Priority Programmes and to develop a strategy to
implement fully the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) law, including
services to victims, recalls that the promotion and protection of women’s rights are
an integral part of peace, reintegration and reconciliation, and requests the
Secretary-General to continue to include in its reports to the Security Council
relevant information on the process of integration of women into the political,
economic and social life of Afghanistan;
44. Recognizes the importance of voluntary, safe, orderly return and
sustainable reintegration of the remaining Afghan refugees for the stability of the
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country and the region, and calls for continued and enhanced international
assistance in this regard;
45. Affirms also the importance of voluntary, safe, orderly return and
sustainable reintegration of internally displaced persons;
46. Notes the need to continue to strengthen, with the support of the
international community, Afghanistan’s absorption capacity for the full
rehabilitation and reintegration of the remaining Afghan refugees and internally
displaced persons;
47. Requests that the Secretary-General reports to the Council every three
months on developments in Afghanistan, and to include in his reports an evaluation
of progress made against the benchmarks for measuring and tracking progress in the
implementation of UNAMA’s mandate and priorities as set out in this resolution;
48. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.