S/RES/2405 (2018)
Security Council Distr.: General 8 March 2018
Resolution 2405 (2018)
Adopted by the Security Council at its 8199th meeting, on 8 March 2018
The Security Council, Recalling its previous resolutions on Afghanistan, in particular its resolution 2344 (2017) extending through 17 March 2018 the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Stressing the important role that the United Nations will continue to play in promoting peace and… [read more] stability in Afghanistan, Recalling its recent visit to Kabul from 13–15 January as an affirmation of the international community’s continued and steadfast support for a peaceful, secure, stable and prosperous Afghanistan, Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Afghanistan, as well as its continued support for the Government and people of Afghanistan as they rebuild their country and strengthen democratic institutions, Stressing the central importance of a comprehensive and inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned political process to support reconciliation for all those who are prepared to reconcile as laid forth in the Kabul Conference Communiqué and further elaborated in the Bonn Conference Conclusions, aimed at creating a peaceful and prosperous future for all the people of Afghanistan and welcoming efforts to advance the peace process, including via the High Peace Council, Emphasizing the vital role of the Kabul Process and welcoming the strategic consensus between the Government of Afghanistan and the international community on the Self-Reliance through Mutual Accountability Framework (SMAF), Welcoming the start of the fourth year of the National Unity Government and emphasizing the importance of all parties in Afghanistan working within its framework in order to achieve a peaceful and prosperous future for all the people of Afghanistan, Recalling the announcement by the Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan that parliamentary and district council elections will take place in 2018, emphasizing the importance of accelerated progress on electoral reform in Afghanistan and towards the holding of credible and inclusive parliamentary and district council elections in 2018 and presidential elections in 2019, and stressing the
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need for continued support of UNAMA in this regard, at the request of the Afghan authorities, 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, Reiterating the importance of advancing regional, interregional and international cooperation, in support of building a community of shared future for mankind, to promote long-term peace, security, prosperity, sustainable development and human rights in Afghanistan, and welcoming joint efforts to enhance dialogue and collaboration and to advance shared goals of economic development across the region, Recognizing in this regard the positive impact and ongoing importance of international commitments made at the NATO Warsaw Summit in 2016, and as reiterated in 2017, and the Brussels Conference on Afghanistan in 2016, and welcoming the announcement of the US Strategy for Afghanistan on 21 August 2017 and the European Union Strategy on Afghanistan, adopted on 16 October 2017 as important developments in the context of continued international support for security, development and stability in Afghanistan, Welcoming the contribution of the International Contact Group (ICG) to the United Nations efforts in coordinating and broadening international support for Afghanistan, Taking note of the Seventh Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on November 14–15 2017 and the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process Ministerial Meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan on 1 December 2017, Underlining the importance of operationally capable, professional, inclusive and sustainable Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) for meeting Afghanistan’s security needs, stressing the commitment of the international community to support their further development, and commending the resiliency, progress and exceptional courage displayed by ANDSF as well as their leading role in securing their country and fighting against international terrorism, and welcoming in this regard ongoing commitments to enhance the effectiveness and accountability of Afghan national security institutions, Expressing its deep concern about the continuous high level of violence in Afghanistan, especially the number of civilian casualties, condemning in the strongest terms all terrorist activity and all violent attacks, reiterating that attacks deliberately targeting civilians are prohibited under international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes, and calling for compliance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as applicable, Recognizing the continuously alarming threats posed by the Taliban, including the Haqqani Network, as well as by Al-Qaida, ISIL (Da’esh) affiliates and other terrorist groups, 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 all the above-mentioned 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, Expressing concern with the serious threat that anti-personnel mines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices (IED) pose to the civilian
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population, and noting the need to enhance coordination and information-sharing, both between Member States and with the private sector, Expressing serious concern at the presence and growth of ISIL (Da’esh) affiliates activity in Afghanistan, posing serious threats to the security of Afghanistan and the countries of the region, including in Central Asia, and affirming its support to the efforts by the ANDSF to combat them as well as assistance by Afghanistan’s international partners in this regard, Reaffirming that all parties to armed conflict must take all feasible steps to ensure the protection of civilians, especially women, children and displaced persons, including from sexual and gender-based violence, and that perpetrators of such violence must be held accountable, Noting the ongoing work of the Committee established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1988 (2011) and the continuation of the cooperation of the Afghan Government, the High Peace Council and UNAMA with the Committee, including its Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, and expressing its concern over the increasing cooperation of the Taliban with other organizations involved in criminal activities, Expressing its deep concern about the continued high level of civilian casualties, as noted in the February 2018 UNAMA report on Protection of Civilians in armed conflict, and condemning the suicide attacks, often in civilian-populated areas, and the targeted and deliberate killings, in particular of women and girls, including highlevel women officials and those promoting women’s rights, as well as journalists, Expressing its deep concern about the significant increase in the cultivation, production, trade and trafficking of illicit drugs in Afghanistan, as reflected in the Afghanistan Opium Survey published by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on 15 November 2017, encouraging the government of Afghanistan supported by the international community and regional partners to intensify efforts to address drug production and trafficking in a balanced and integrated approach, in accordance with the principle of common and shared responsibility in addressing the drug problem of Afghanistan, and recognizing the important role played by UNODC in this regard, Reaffirming that gender equality and women’s and girl’s empowerment, education, human rights, and full participation and engagement in all levels of decision-making are critical to efforts to maintain peace and security in Afghanistan, urging the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), and emphasizing the need for protection for women’s rights activists, Expressing serious concern over the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, and supporting the Afghan Government’s essential role in the provision of humanitarian assistance to its citizens in coordination with efficient and effective delivery by United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, consistent with a One UN approach, 1. Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General of 27 February 2018 (S/2018/165); 2. Expresses its appreciation for the United Nations’ long-term commitment, including throughout the Transformation Decade, 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, and stresses the need to ensure continued adequate resourcing for UNAMA to fulfil its mandate; 3. Welcomes the findings of the strategic review of the mandated tasks, priorities and related resources of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, and calls for the implementation of the recommendations of the
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Secretary-General, including with a view to aligning the mission’s substantive functions in support of peace efforts with the Secretary-General's emphasis on integrating conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding into the three pillars of the work of the United Nations within Afghanistan, including in support of an intra Afghan dialogue leading to a stable and inclusive political environment; 4. Decides to extend until 17 March 2019 the mandate of UNAMA, as defined in its resolutions 1662 (2006), 1746 (2007), 1806 (2008), 1868 (2009), 1917 (2010), 1974 (2011), 2041 (2012), 2096 (2013), 2145 (2014), 2210 (2015), 2274 (2016), 2344 (2017) and paragraphs 6 and 7 below; 5. Recognizes that the renewed mandate of UNAMA is in support of Afghanistan’s full assumption of leadership and ownership in the security, governance and development areas, consistent with the Transformation Decade (2015–2024) and with the understandings reached between Afghanistan and the international community in the international conferences in Kabul (2010), London (2010 and 2014), Bonn (2011), Tokyo (2012) and Brussels (2016), and the NATO Summits held in Lisbon (2010), Chicago (2012), Wales (2014), Warsaw (2016) and Brussels (2017); 6. Decides further that UNAMA and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, within their mandate and in a manner consistent with Afghan sovereignty, leadership and ownership, will continue to lead and coordinate the international civilian efforts, in full cooperation with the Government of Afghanistan and in accordance with the London, Kabul, Tokyo and Brussels Conferences Communiqués and the Bonn Conference Conclusions, with a particular focus on the priorities laid out below: (a) provide outreach as well as good offices to support, if requested by and in close consultation with the government of Afghanistan, the Afghan-led and Afghanowned peace process, including through support to the High Peace Council and its activities and proposing and supporting confidence-building measures also in close consultation with the government of Afghanistan 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), 1989 (2011) and 2082 (2012), 2083 (2012) and 2255 (2015) as well as other relevant resolutions of the Council; (b) support, at the request of the Afghan authorities, the organization of future Afghan elections, including the parliamentary and district council elections as foreseen for 2018 and the presidential elections in 2019, as well as to strengthen, in support of the Government of Afghanistan’s efforts, including electoral reform efforts, the sustainability, integrity and inclusiveness of the electoral process, as agreed at the London, Kabul, Bonn, Tokyo and Brussels Conferences and the Chicago Summit; and provide capacity-building and technical assistance to the Afghan institutions involved in this process in close consultation and coordination with the government of Afghanistan; (c) 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 Government’s reform agenda, mobilization of resources, coordination of international donors and organizations as facilitator and co-convener of development policy fora, including in developing and monitoring frameworks of mutual accountability, promoting coherent information sharing and analysis, design and delivery of development assistance in a manner consistent with Afghan sovereignty, leadership and ownership, and direction of the contributions of United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, based on the “One
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UN” approach, in particular for counter-narcotics, reconstruction and development activities; at the same time, coordinate also in a manner consistent with the Afghan leadership, ownership and sovereignty, international partners for follow-up, in particular through information sharing, prioritize efforts to increase the proportion of development aid delivered through the Afghan Government, in line with the commitments made at the Kabul and Tokyo Conferences, and support efforts to increase the mutual accountability and transparency, and the effectiveness of aid use in line with the commitments made at the Kabul, Tokyo and Brussels Conferences, including cost-effectiveness in this regard; (d) 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; (e) continue, with the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, to cooperate with and strengthen the capacity of the Afghanistan 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 monitor places of detention, 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, including the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); (f) closely coordinate and cooperate, where relevant, with the non-combat Resolute Support Mission agreed upon between NATO and Afghanistan, as well as with the NATO Senior Civilian Representative; 7. Calls on UNAMA and the Special Representative to further increase efforts to achieve greater coherence, coordination and efficiency among relevant United Nations Agencies, Funds and Programmes in Afghanistan based on a “One UN” approach in close cooperation with the Government of Afghanistan with a view to maximizing their collective effectiveness in full alignment with the Government of Afghanistan’s reform agenda, and continue to lead, in a manner fully consistent with the Afghan leadership, ownership and sovereignty, international civilian efforts aimed at reinforcing the role of Afghan institutions to perform their responsibilities, with an increased focus on capacity building in key areas identified by the Afghan Government, with a view, in all UN programmes and activities, to move towards a national implementation model with a clear action-oriented strategy for mutually agreed condition-based transition to Afghan leadership and ownership including making greater use of country systems, in the following priority areas: (a) support 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, in line with the Government’s policies; (b) support the efforts of the Afghan Government in fulfilling its commitments as stated at the London, Kabul, Bonn and Tokyo 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 and the Self-Reliance through Mutual Accountability Framework (SMAF), with a view to helping bring the benefits of peace and the delivery of services in a timely and sustainable manner;
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(c) coordinate and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance, including in support of the Afghan Government and in accordance with humanitarian principles, with a view to reinforcing the Government’s capacity, 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, with a particular focus on development solutions in areas of high returns; 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. Stresses the critical importance of a continued and appropriate presence of UNAMA and other United Nations Agencies, Funds and Programmes in the provinces, based on a “One UN” approach and in close consultation and coordination with and in support of the priorities of the Afghan Government, in response to needs and with a view to security and including the objective of overall United Nations effectiveness; 10. Welcomes the continuing efforts of the Afghan Government to advance the peace process, including by the High Peace Council and the provincial peace committees, and the implementation of the Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Programme, to promote an inclusive, Afghan-led and Afghan-owned dialogue on reconciliation and political participation, including the effective and meaningful participation of women and women’s rights groups, as laid forth in the Kabul Conference Communiqué on dialogue for all those who as part of an outcome of such a process renounce violence, have no links to international terrorist organizations, respect the Constitution and are willing to join in building a peaceful Afghanistan, and as further elaborated in the principles and outcomes of the 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 relevant Security Council resolutions; 11. Stresses the role of UNAMA in supporting, if requested by and in close consultation with the Government of Afghanistan, an inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process, while continuing to assess, including in collaboration with the AIHRC, the impact of the aforementioned peace process, with reference to the relevant parameters set out in the Kabul Conference Communique’ and the Bonn Conference Conclusions, and encourages the international community to assist the efforts of the Government of Afghanistan in this regard; 12. Calls on all regional and international partners of Afghanistan to continue efforts to support peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan, through the Kabul Process for Peace and Security, initiated on 6 June 2017 in Kabul under the leadership of the Government of Afghanistan, working toward holding early, direct talks between the Government of Afghanistan and authorized representatives of Taliban groups, and welcomes ongoing international efforts to advance peace and stability in Afghanistan; 13. Welcomes the adoption of the Strategic Plan for Peace and Reconciliation presented by the High Peace Council of Afghanistan, calls for its effective implementation, emphasizes that the peace agreement signed between the Government of Afghanistan and the High Peace Council with Hezb-e-Islami (HIG) of 29 September 2016 is an important development in the Government’s overall peace efforts and calls for its effective implementation;
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14. Underscores the importance of a sustainable democratic development in Afghanistan based on inclusive, transparent and credible elections, welcomes in that regard the forthcoming organization of parliamentary and district council elections in 2018 and presidential elections in 2019 in line with the relevant international conferences and the commitment of the Government of Afghanistan to deliver further improvements to the electoral process and emphasizes the importance of accelerated progress in this regard, and requests that, upon the request of the Government of Afghanistan, UNAMA provides assistance to the relevant Afghan institutions to support the integrity and inclusiveness of the electoral process, including measures to enable the full and safe participation of women, both as voters and candidates; 15. Welcomes the new Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework (ANPDF) setting out the strategic policy priorities of Afghanistan towards achieving Self-Reliance and the presentation of 5 new national priority programs, on a citizens’ charter, women’s economic empowerment, urban development, comprehensive agriculture and national infrastructure, to improve the conditions for advancing sustainable development and stability, and welcomes the international community’s long-term support for Afghanistan on the basis of mutual accountability as stated in the SMAF, and underlines the crucial importance of continued and sequenced implementation of the reform agenda, national priority programs and the development and governance goals as agreed in the SMAF; 16. Calls on international donors and organizations and the Afghan Government to adhere to their commitments made at the Kabul, Bonn, Tokyo, London, and Brussels Conferences; 17. Calls on the United Nations, as well as the broader international community, to continue to support the Government of Afghanistan’s reform agenda; 18. Reaffirms the central role played by the JCMB, in a manner consistent with Afghan leadership, ownership and sovereignty, in facilitating the coordination and monitoring of the implementation of the Government of Afghanistan’s reform agenda, and calls upon all relevant actors to enhance their cooperation with the JCMB in this regard; 19. Reiterates the importance of increasing, in a comprehensive framework, the functionality, professionalism and accountability of the Afghan security sector in line with resolution 1325 (2000) and its successor resolutions on Women, Peace and Security, including 2242 (2015), through appropriate vetting procedures, women’s equal and effective participation and full involvement in all stages of the security sector reform process, and training, including on women’s and children’s rights and their protection, in support of the implementation of Afghanistan’s 1325 National Action Plan, and stresses the importance of the commitment by the Government of Afghanistan and the international community to ensure a capable, professional and sustainable Afghan National Defence and Security Force (ANDSF); 20. 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 and assistance, including through the contribution of trainers, resources, advisory teams, advice in developing a sustainable defence planning process, and assistance in defence reform initiatives; 21. Welcomes the ongoing efforts of the Afghan authorities to enhance the capabilities of the Afghan National Police, calls for further efforts towards that goal, including the commitment by the Ministry of Interior and the Afghan National Police to develop an effective strategy for coordinating increased recruitment, retention, training and capacity development for women in the Afghan National Police, fully implement Afghanistan’s 1325 National Action Plan, and further the implementation
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of their gender integration strategy, stresses the importance of international assistance through financial support and provision of trainers and mentors, and notes the importance of a sufficient and capable police force for Afghanistan’s long-term security; 22. Reiterates its concern about the security situation in Afghanistan, in particular the ongoing region based violence and attacks by the Taliban, including the Haqqani Network, as well as by Al-Qaida, ISIL (Da’esh) affiliates and other terrorist groups, violent and extremist groups, illegal armed groups, criminals, and foreign terrorist fighters, and calls upon all States in this regard to strengthen their international and regional security cooperation to enhance information-sharing, border control, law enforcement and criminal justice to better counter the threat posed, including from returning foreign terrorist fighters; 23. 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, including the Haqqani Network as well as Al-Qaida, ISIL (Da’esh) affiliates, and by other terrorist groups, violent and extremist groups, and illegal armed groups of civilians as human shields, and underlines the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of such acts accountable and bring them to justice, and urges all states, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Government of Afghanistan and all other relevant authorities in this regard; 24. Strongly condemns the continued flow of weapons, including small arms and light weapons (SALW), military equipment and IED components to the Taliban, including the Haqqani network, as well as by Al-Qaida, ISIL (Da’esh) affiliates and other terrorist groups, violent and extremist groups, illegal armed groups and criminals, and encourages Member States to share information, establish partnerships and develop national strategies and capabilities to counter IEDs; 25. Further condemns in the strongest terms all acts of violence against diplomatic and consular officials and other representatives of the international community in Afghanistan; 26. Strongly condemns the continued attacks against humanitarian and development workers, and urges all parties to the conflict to comply fully with international humanitarian law, and to cooperate fully with the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies and organizations and to ensure the safe, rapid, and unhindered access of humanitarian personnel, as well as the delivery of supplies and equipment, in order to allow such personnel to efficiently perform their task of assisting affected civilian populations, including refugees and internally displaced persons; 27. Reiterates that all parties to armed conflict must comply fully with the obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law to ensure the respect and protection of humanitarian personnel and medical personnel, their means of transport and equipment, as well as hospitals and other medical facilities; 28. Reiterates its support for the Government of Afghanistan, and in particular to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF), in securing their country and in their fight against terrorism, including in relation to the nexus with transnational organized crime, and against violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism, and calls upon the Afghan Government, with the assistance of the international community, to continue to address the threat to the security and stability
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of Afghanistan posed by the Taliban, including the Haqqani Network, as well as by Al Qaida, ISIL (Da’esh) affiliates and other terrorist groups, violent and extremist groups, illegal armed groups, criminals and those involved in the production, trafficking or trade of illicit drugs; 29. Stresses that effective inter- and intra-agency cooperation by law enforcement and security agencies is a critical element of an effective counterterrorism strategy, and encourages Afghanistan to further strengthen coordination, both among national law enforcement bodies and with counterparts in other States, recognizes the ongoing efforts by Afghanistan in creating a comprehensive and integrated national strategy to counter terrorism and violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism, and encourages Afghanistan, with the support of the international community, to further develop such a strategy as well as effective mechanisms for its implementation that include attention to the conditions conducive to terrorism in accordance with obligations of Afghanistan under international law, and recalls the recommendations and related technical assistance needs identified in the Report on the focused visit of the Counter-Terrorism Committee to Afghanistan; 30. Encourages the engagement of relevant local communities and non-governmental actors and the participation and leadership of women and women’s organizations in developing strategies to counter terrorism and violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism, including through countering incitement to commit terrorist acts, creating counter narratives and other appropriate interventions, and building their capacity to do so effectively; 31. Stresses the importance of relevant national strategies for the prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of foreign terrorist fighters; 32. Welcomes the achievements to date in the implementation of the Mine Action Programme of Afghanistan, notably the ratification of Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of War to the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, and encourages the Government of Afghanistan, with the support of the United Nations and all the relevant actors, to adopt an action plan for its effective implementation and to continue its efforts towards the removal and destruction of anti-personnel landmines, anti-tank landmines and explosive remnants of war and to provide assistance for the care, rehabilitation, and economic and social reintegration of victims; 33. Notes concern over the continued high levels of child casualties and recruitment and use of children in Afghanistan, in particular by terrorist and extremist groups, commends the Government of Afghanistan for introducing legislation banning the recruitment and use of children in its armed forces and for establishing local child protection units, and welcomes the progress made on the implementation of the action plan for the prevention of underage recruitment, stresses the need for protection of schools and hospitals, reiterates its strong condemnation of all violations and abuses committed against children in situations of armed conflict, and calls for those responsible to be brought to justice, and in this context, requests UNAMA to continue to support efforts to strengthen the protection of children affected by armed conflict, including engagement with the Afghan Government to fully implement the Action Plan and Road Map, and actions to promote accountability and address other violations and abuses, including sexual violence against children, and requests the Secretary-General to continue to give priority to the child protection activities and capacity of UNAMA and to include in his future reports the matter of children and armed conflict in the country in line with the relevant Security Council resolutions; 34. Calls upon States to strengthen their efforts as well as international and regional cooperation to counter the threat to the international community posed by the production, trafficking, and consumption of illicit drugs originating in
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Afghanistan which significantly contribute to the financial resources of the Taliban and its associates and could also benefit Al-Qaida, ISIL (Da’esh) affiliates and other terrorist groups, and to act in accordance with the principle of common and shared responsibility in addressing the drug problem of Afghanistan, including through cooperation against the trafficking in illicit drugs and precursor chemicals, also underlining the importance of border management cooperation, emphasizes the need for enhanced regional and international support of Afghanistan's National Drug Action Plan (NDAP), and welcomes the continued efforts of the UNODC in empowering the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics in its implementation, and appreciates the work of the Paris Pact initiative, its “Paris-Moscow” process and its partners, including the EU, NATO, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), as well as the work of the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre for combating the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors (CARICC), and encourages the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011) and the Committee established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) to continue to pay attention to the linkages between the proceeds of organized crime, inter alia, the illicit production and trafficking of drugs and their chemical precursors and the financing, respectively, of the Taliban, including the Haqqani Network, and of ISIL (also known as Da’esh), Al-Qaida, and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities; 35. Reiterates the importance of accelerating the establishment of a fair and transparent justice system, eliminating impunity and strengthening the rule of law throughout the country, stresses 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, welcomes the National Plan on the Elimination of Torture as well as the revised Penal Code and efforts of the Government of Afghanistan at taking steps to ensure consistency with Afghanistan’s international obligations and commitments, emphasizes the need for full implementation of such efforts, calls upon the Government of Afghanistan to fulfil its expressed commitment to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, and calls for full respect for relevant international law including humanitarian law and human rights law; 36. Recognizes the anti-corruption commitments by the Government of Afghanistan and welcomes in this regard the establishment of the High Council on Rule of Law, Governance, Justice and Anti-Corruption, the Anti-Corruption Justice Center and National Procurement Commission, and the adoption of the national anti-corruption strategy on 28 September, and calls for its effective implementation, encourages all Afghan institutions, including the executive and legislative branches, to tackle corruption and to ensure good governance, welcomes progress in this regard, and stresses the need for further national efforts to implement plans for addressing corruption as well as international efforts to provide technical assistance in this area; 37. Calls for full respect for and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, in accordance with international law, including international humanitarian law, throughout Afghanistan, and notes with concern the continued restrictions on freedom of media, including attacks against journalists by terrorist as well as extremist and criminal groups, as well as ongoing reports of threats against human rights defenders, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, religious figures as well as investigators, judges and prosecutors; 38. Calls for enhanced efforts to secure the rights of women and girls and to ensure that women and girls are protected from violence and abuse, including from
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sexual- and gender-based violence, and that perpetrators of such violence and abuse are held accountable, and emphasizes the importance of ensuring equal protection under the law, equality before the courts in accordance with international law, and equal access to justice, including through measurable and action-oriented objectives and the integration of gender expertise, knowledge and capacity; 39. Welcomes the commitment of the Government of Afghanistan to empower women politically and economically, and reiterates in this regard the importance of increasing the full and effective participation and leadership of women in decisionmaking, including in peace talks and overall peacebuilding strategies at the national and subnational level, and calls on the Government of Afghanistan to fully implement and finance the 1325 National Action Plan, and encourages the Government of Afghanistan to identify further opportunities to support participation of women in the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process, and requests the support of UNAMA in this regard, and requests the Secretary General to continue to include in his reports to the Security Council relevant information on the process of integration of women into the political, economic and social life of Afghanistan and further calls upon members of the international community to provide assistance as appropriate; 40. Reaffirms its support to the ongoing Afghan-led regional efforts within the framework of the “Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process on Regional Security and Cooperation for a Secure and Stable Afghanistan” and the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) Summits, and welcomes ongoing efforts to build trust and cooperation, including by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, SCO, including its Afghanistan contact group which met in Moscow on 11 October 2017, CSTO, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), and Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), as well as through the Moscow dialogue consultations, the Quadrilateral Coordination Group of Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the United States of America, the Trilateral Summit of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan, the Trilateral Summit of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey, the Trilateral Summit of Afghanistan, Pakistan and the UK, the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Minister’s Dialogue, and the Quadrilateral Cooperation and Coordination Mechanism (QCCM) in Counter Terrorism by Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and Tajikistan; 41. Welcomes and urges further efforts to strengthen the process of regional economic cooperation, including measures to facilitate regional connectivity, trade and transit, including through regional development initiatives such as the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (the Belt and Road) Initiative, and regional development projects, such as the Turkmenistan-AfghanistanPakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA-1000), the Chabahar port project, agreed between Afghanistan, India and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Lapis Lazuli Transit, Trade and Transport Route agreement and the Turkmenistan-Aqina and Herat-Khawaf railway segments, and bilateral transit trade agreements, expanded consular visa cooperation and facilitation of business travel, to expand trade, increase foreign investments and 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 and the region, and in this regard urges all relevant stakeholders to ensure a secure environment, integrate their development policies and strategies and promote the practical connectivity cooperation for these development initiatives and trade agreements to be fully implemented; 42. Recalls that regional security cooperation plays a key role in maintaining stability in Afghanistan and the region, welcomes the progress achieved by Afghanistan and regional partners in this regard, and calls for further efforts by
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Afghanistan and regional partners and organizations, to strengthen their partnership and cooperation, including to enhance the capabilities of the Afghan security forces and to enhance security in the region; 43. Expresses its concern over the continued high levels of internally displaced persons in and refugees from Afghanistan, strongly encourages intensified efforts by the Government of Afghanistan in ensuring the protection of all internally displaced persons in line with the Afghanistan national policy on Internally Displaced Persons and in making voluntary repatriation and reintegration of Afghan refugees in safe and dignified conditions among its highest national priorities, strongly supports the Government of Afghanistan’s efforts to create the necessary conditions for the voluntary repatriation and sustainable reintegration of Afghan refugees in the country, and calls for continued and enhanced international assistance in this regard; 44. 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, including at the subnational level, and priorities as set out in this resolution; 45. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter. [^]
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