The UN Secretary General spoke to reporters during a meeting on the situation in Afghanistan. UN chief in Doha: We all need peace in Afghanistan Peace and Security
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday stressed that if Afghanistan’s de facto authorities want long-term peace and development in the country, they must lift restrictions imposed on women and girls.
Speaking to reporters during the two-day meeting in Doha, Guterres said the participants – special envoys for Afghanistan at the national and regional levels – had reached consensus on a plan of action. Note that representatives of the Taliban did not take part in the negotiations.
“We want Afghanistan to live in peace, peace within the country and peace with neighboring countries, and that it could assume the obligations of a sovereign state in relation to the international community, its neighbors and the rights of its own population,” said the head of the UN.
He added that conference delegates had reached a mutual understanding on the necessary steps, and noted the proposals set out in the independent review conducted pursuant to Security Council Resolution 2679.
Key Threats
According to Guterres, the authors of the review identified all the main problem areas. In particular, they recommended taking steps to ensure that Afghanistan does not become a hotbed of terrorist activity.
In addition, the review notes the critical role of respect for human rights, especially women and girls, and creating an inclusive state.
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The authors express alarm over the production and trafficking of drugs in the country, but also acknowledge the progress made in the fight against these illegal activities.
The UN chief emphasized the need to provide effective humanitarian assistance to the country’s population, and also addressed the issue of long-term development of Afghanistan.
Guterres noted ongoing cooperation such as infrastructure development and trade between Afghanistan and neighboring countries , as well as bilateral agreements to combat the illegal drug trade.
Breaking the deadlock
The UN Secretary-General added that There are a number of key issues on which the international community is at an impasse.
On the one hand, he said, the country suffers because the Afghan government is not recognized internationally and is not integrated into global institutions and the world economy. On the other hand, there is international consensus that the human rights situation, especially for women and girls, is deteriorating.
Guterres said it was necessary to break this impasse and a joint road map that would simultaneously take into account the problems of both the international community and the de facto authorities.
Unacceptable conditions
Responding to a journalist’s question about the absence of Afghanistan’s de facto authorities at the meeting in Doha, the UN chief said that the Taliban had put forward a number of “unacceptable” conditions.
“These conditions , first of all, would deprive us of the opportunity to speak with other representatives of Afghan society and would require treatment, which, I would say, would in many ways constitute official recognition,” he explained.
Overall, Guterres said the meeting and its discussions were “absolutely necessary.”
“Obviously, it would be better if we had the opportunity discuss our findings with the de facto authorities. This did not happen today, but will happen in the near future,” the UN head noted.