The Situation in Afghanistan

A/RES/75/90No PDF available

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 39The situation in Afghanistan, published in 2020.

What other versions does this mandate have?

17 versions · 2007–2025

This is an older version — the most recent is A/RES/79/317

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What subjects does this mandate have?

11 topics

Afghan Refugees Afghanistan Afghanistan Situation Drug Control Economic Development Governance Human Rights Internal Security Reconciliation Regional Cooperation Rule of Law

What does this mandate say?

68 operative paragraphs

Pledges its continued support to the Government and people of Afghanistan as they rebuild a stable, secure and economically self-sufficient State, free of terrorism, narcotics, transnational organized crime, including trafficking in persons, and corruption, and strengthen the foundations of a constitutional democracy as a responsible member of the international community;

Encourages all partners to constructively support the reform agenda of the Government of Afghanistan, as envisaged in the Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework II and the Afghanistan Partnership Framework, adopted at the 2020 Afghanistan Conference in Geneva, so as to secure a prosperous and democratic Afghanistan, focusing on strengthening the constitutional checks and balances that guarantee citizens’ rights and obligations and implementing structural reform to enable an accountable and effective Government to deliver concrete progress towards self-reliance for its people;

Supports the continuing and growing ownership of reconstruction and development efforts by the Government of Afghanistan, emphasizes the crucial need to achieve ownership and accountability in all fields of governance and to improve institutional capabilities, including at the subnational level, in order to use aid, stabilization and development finance more effectively, and reiterates in this regard the importance of effectively implementing mutual commitments of the Government of Afghanistan and the international community, as underscored in the Afghanistan Partnership Framework;

Welcomes the adoption of the Afghanistan Partnership Framework at the 2020 Afghanistan Conference in Geneva, which underscores the principle of partnership as an essential element for delivering effective support and sets a framework of conditions for sustained assistance for the last years of the Transformation Decade (2015–2024);

Emphasizes that threats to stability and development in Afghanistan and the region require closer and more coordinated cooperation as well as greater coherence and complementarity of approach between countries of the region and the international community, for the long-term peace, security, prosperity and sustainable development of the country, and underscores in this regard the standing of Afghanistan as a platform for such international cooperation;

Security

Reiterates once again its serious concern about the continuing high level of violence and the security situation in Afghanistan, stresses the need to continue to address the threat to the security and stability of Afghanistan caused by the violence committed by the Taliban, including the Haqqani Network, as well as Al-Qaida, Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) (Da’esh) and their affiliates, in particular ISIL-Khorasan Province, and other terrorist and criminal groups, including those involved in the narcotics trade, and foreign terrorist fighters, expresses further its serious concern about the increased number of cowardly and heinous attacks for which these terrorist groups have claimed responsibility, including killings of Afghan nationals, and their deplorable attempts to undermine relations between communities, posing a serious threat to the security of Afghanistan and the countries of the region, commends the progress of the Government of Afghanistan in combating these threats in the country, calls for enhanced regional cooperation in the fight against these groups, affirms its support for continued efforts in this regard, and reiterates its call for the full and serious implementation of measures and the application of procedures introduced in relevant Security Council resolutions, in particular resolutions 1267 (1999) of 15 October 1999, 1988 (2011) and 1989 (2011) of 17 June 2011, 2082 (2012) and 2083 (2012) of 17 December 2012, 2160 (2014) and 2161 (2014) of 17 June 2014, 2178 (2014) of 24 September 2014, 2253 (2015) of 17 December 2015, 2255 (2015) of 21 December 2015, 2368 (2017) of 20 July 2017 and 2396 (2017) of 21 December 2017;

Condemns in the strongest terms all unlawful acts of violence, intimidation and attacks, including those involving improvised explosive devices, suicide attacks, assassinations, including of public figures, abductions, indiscriminate attacks against civilians, violence perpetrated against women and children and sexual and gender-based violence, killings, attacks against individuals, media groups and organs of society engaged in the promotion and protection of universally recognized human rights, attacks against diplomatic and consular staff and premises, attacks against development aid, humanitarian and medical personnel and civilian infrastructure facilities, including schools, universities and other educational facilities, health clinics and hospitals, including maternity clinics and wards, and the targeting of Afghan and international forces, which have a deleterious effect on stabilization and development efforts in Afghanistan, and condemns the use of civilians as human shields;

Commends the progress of the Government of Afghanistan in combating the threats to security in the country, recognizing the achievements of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces in this regard, welcomes the assumption of full security responsibility by the Forces, and further welcomes the commitment of the Government of Afghanistan, with a view to ensuring stability and providing conditions for the effective implementation of the rule of law and respect for human rights for all, including women’s full and equal enjoyment of these rights, to continuing its security sector reform by making the security provision, management and oversight of the Forces more effective and accountable, creating an enabling environment for women to meaningfully contribute to the security sector and transforming the Afghan National Police into an effective and efficient law enforcement, public order and service institution, and welcomes in this regard the progress being made in the Afghan national security institutions;

Stresses the need for the Government of Afghanistan, regional countries and the international community to continue to work closely together and to improve coordination in countering all unlawful acts of violence and terrorist attacks, calls upon all States to strengthen their international and regional cooperation to enhance information-sharing, border control, law enforcement and criminal justice to better counter the threats posed by foreign terrorist fighters, returning foreign terrorist fighters and terrorism financing in Afghanistan and the region, and affirms its support for continued efforts in this regard;

Recognizes the commitment of the international community to supporting the training, equipping, financing and capacity-building for the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces throughout the Transformation Decade (2015–2024), and calls upon the international community to continue providing the support necessary to increase security, public order, law enforcement, the security of Afghanistan’s borders and the preservation of the constitutional rights of Afghan citizens, as well as to provide continued support by training, equipping and contributing to the financing of the Forces in their mission to secure their country and fight against terrorism;

Also recognizes the positive impact and ongoing importance of commitments made by the European Union as part of the continued international support for security, stability and development in Afghanistan;

Welcomes the presence of the Resolute Support Mission, as reaffirmed by the Security Council in its resolution 2189 (2014);

Expresses its appreciation to allies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and international partners for having contributed personnel, equipment and other resources to the Resolute Support Mission, for the training, equipping, financing and development of capacity-building provided to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces and for their persistent commitment to continuing national contributions to the financial sustainment of the Forces until the end of the Transformation Decade in 2024, to sustaining the Mission and to continuing to deliver training, advice and assistance to the Afghan security institutions;

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 Afghanistan and regional partners and organizations, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and its Afghanistan Contact Group, to strengthen their partnership and cooperation;

Welcomes the efforts of the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia to address regional security cooperation;

Reaffirms the importance of ensuring that the territory of Afghanistan is not used by Al-Qaida, Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) (Da’esh) or other international terrorist groups and their affiliates to threaten or attack any other country, and that neither the Taliban nor any other Afghan group or individual should support terrorists operating on the territory of any country, and calls upon all Member States to deny, in a manner consistent with applicable international law, those groups sanctuary, freedom of operations, recruitment and financial, material or political support;

Remains deeply concerned about the persistent harm to civilians caused by anti-personnel landmines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices, welcomes the achievements to date in the implementation of the Mine Action Programme for Afghanistan, aimed at declaring Afghanistan mine-free by 2023, underscores the importance of sustained international assistance, encourages the Government of Afghanistan, with the support of the United Nations and all relevant actors, to continue its efforts to meet its responsibilities under the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, expresses concern at the use of improvised explosive devices by the Taliban and other groups against civilians and the Afghan security forces, and notes the need to enhance coordination and information-sharing between both Member States and the private sector to prevent the flow of improvised explosive device components to the Taliban and other groups;

Peace and reconciliation

Recognizes that there is no military solution and that an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned inclusive peace process, backed and supported by all regional actors and the international community, is essential for achieving long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan, welcomes the commitments of all Afghan parties to pursue the negotiation of an inclusive political settlement, calls for all Afghan parties to achieve a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire to end the conflict in Afghanistan, expand the gains of the past two decades and strengthen the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of a democratic Afghanistan at peace with itself, the region and the world, as well as to protect the constitutional rights of all Afghan citizens, reiterates its firm commitment to supporting the Government of Afghanistan in its efforts in this regard, and reaffirms that, to be successful, a political solution must ensure the renunciation of violence and the breaking of all ties to international terrorism, protect the human rights of all, including women, children and persons belonging to minorities, in accordance with international law and as enshrined in the Constitution of Afghanistan, and build a peaceful and democratic Afghanistan, with full respect for the implementation of the measures and application of the procedures introduced by the Security Council in its relevant resolutions;

Welcomes the efforts made by the Government of Afghanistan and all relevant Afghan actors in facilitating intra-Afghan negotiations and the start of Afghanistan peace negotiations in Doha, Qatar, on 12 September 2020 and their progress made to date, especially the agreement on rules of procedure between both negotiation parties on 2 December 2020, condemns the high rate of continued violence, which is contributing to an unacceptable number of casualties, calls for an immediate cessation of violence, strongly encourages parties to the negotiations to pursue confidence-building measures and to reduce violence, and further encourages parties to the negotiations to maintain perseverance and willingness to find common ground and to engage in good faith, with the aim of a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire and an inclusive political settlement to end the conflict and lead to a sovereign, unified and democratic Afghanistan that is on the path towards prosperity and self-reliance for the benefit of all Afghans;

Notes with appreciation the sustained support of neighbouring States and regional and international partners to facilitate Afghan-led and Afghan-owned efforts towards direct peace talks between the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban, and calls upon all neighbouring, regional and international partners of Afghanistan to continue their efforts to facilitate and support the Afghan-owned and Afghan-led inclusive and meaningful peace process, recognizing that success can be achieved only through the unified and close coordination of international efforts, and reaffirming the importance of further engagement of the United Nations in this regard;

Recalls that women play a vital role in the peace process, as recognized by the Security Council in its resolution 1325 (2000) and in related resolutions, including resolution 2242 (2015) of 13 October 2015, commends the steps taken by the Government of Afghanistan in implementing its National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security and in enhancing the role of women in the peace process, as manifested in their contribution to the development of the Afghanistan peace and reconciliation strategy, and strongly encourages all the parties to further implement the women and peace and security agenda, including by supporting the full, equal and meaningful participation of women, locally and at the highest level, in the peace process as well as in the consequent political settlement;

Calls upon all Afghan, regional and international parties to continue to support these peace efforts to include the effective and meaningful participation of women, youth, minorities, civil society and all victims and to safeguard and further consolidate the achievements with regard to State-building, social, political and economic reforms and the implementation of obligations and commitments relating to fundamental freedoms and human rights in Afghanistan, and calls upon all stakeholders to give due consideration and priority to child protection issues from the early stages of the peace process, in particular the integration of child protection provisions that put a strong emphasis on the best interests of the child and the treatment of children separated from armed groups as victims and focus on family and community-based reintegration;

Democracy, the rule of law, good governance and human rights

Emphasizes the importance of all parties in Afghanistan working together to achieve a unified, peaceful, democratic and prosperous future for all the people of Afghanistan and that the rule of law, democracy, human rights and good governance form the foundation for its achievement;

Recalls the commitment and welcomes the efforts of the Government of Afghanistan to improving and reforming the electoral process in Afghanistan, emphasizes the important role of the independent Afghan electoral institutions in upholding the integrity of the electoral process, and calls upon the Government of Afghanistan and its institutions, including the Independent Election Commission and the Electoral Complaints Commission, to ensure that future elections are credible and transparent, by building on the lessons learned and continuing to implement the electoral reforms and further technical and operational improvements necessary to strengthen voter trust and confidence;

Welcomes the increasingly wide and comprehensive dialogue on the political transition towards strengthening the unity of the Afghan people that respects its diversity and equality, and underscores its importance for consolidating representative democracy and Afghanistan’s security and political stability;

Calls upon the Government of Afghanistan to continue to reform the public administration sector in order to implement the rule of law and to ensure good governance and accountability, and welcomes the commitments, efforts and progress made by the Government in this regard;

Recalls Afghanistan’s obligations under international law, in particular human rights, refugee and humanitarian law and its constitutional guarantee of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all Afghans, without discrimination of any kind, stresses the need to fully implement the human rights provisions of the Constitution of Afghanistan, in particular those regarding the full enjoyment by women and girls, children, persons with disabilities and persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities of their human rights, and acknowledges efforts of the Government of Afghanistan in this regard;

Recognizes the membership of Afghanistan in the Human Rights Council, and welcomes the commitment and responsibility assumed in upholding and promoting human rights at the national, regional and international levels, within the framework of relevant international human rights instruments to which it is a party;

Reiterates its concern at the destructive consequences of violent and terrorist activities, including against persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities, for the enjoyment of human rights and for the capacity of the Government to ensure human rights and fundamental freedoms for all Afghans, and stresses the need to further promote tolerance and to ensure respect for the right to freedom of expression, including for journalists, and the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief as enshrined in the Constitution of Afghanistan and the international covenants and respective protocols to which Afghanistan is a party;

Emphasizes the necessity of investigating allegations of current and past violations of international humanitarian and international human rights law in Afghanistan, and stresses the importance of facilitating the provision of efficient and effective remedies to the victims and of bringing the perpetrators to justice in accordance with national and international law;

Supports the implementation of provisions of the Mass Media Law ensuring free media, while noting with concern and condemning the continuing intimidation and violence targeting Afghan journalists and media workers, such as cases of abduction and killing of journalists, unequivocally condemns all attacks, reprisals and violence against journalists and media workers, and urges an end to impunity, and that the harassment of and attacks on journalists be investigated by Afghan authorities and that those responsible be brought to justice;

Reiterates its unwavering commitment to the rights of Afghan women and girls as enshrined in the Constitution of Afghanistan, as well as the promotion and protection of women’s full ability to exercise their equal enjoyment of human rights in Afghanistan, including the elimination of child, early and forced marriage, and in particular the ongoing goal to achieve equality among people irrespective of their gender, the full and equal participation of women in all spheres of Afghan life, including in policymaking and decision-making, the eradication of sexual and gender-based violence, including against children, and the provision of humanitarian responses that are principled and targeted towards vulnerable and marginalized groups, including through the provision of protections and psychosocial, financial and institutional support and services and by seeking to end all forms of sexual and gender-based violence;

Commends the achievements and efforts of the Government aimed at increasing women’s participation and leadership in policymaking and decision-making, countering discrimination and protecting and promoting the equal rights of women and men consistent with its national and international obligations and commitments, including and pursuant to the Constitution of Afghanistan, including the National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan, the Afghan National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, the Law on the Elimination of Violence against Women, the national strategy to prevent violence against women, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women;

Welcomes measures taken by the Government of Afghanistan towards the protection of women’s and girls’ full and equal enjoyment of human rights, including the establishment of a special secretariat within the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission to investigate allegations of harassment of women in government institutions and the appointment of women ambassadors, ministers, deputy ministers, human rights commissioners and heads of electoral bodies and a woman inspector general, mayors, prosecutors and judges, as well as the recent decision by the Cabinet to appoint one female deputy governor in all 34 provinces;

Emphasizes the need to ensure respect for the rights of the child and their fundamental freedoms in Afghanistan and to end and prevent all grave violations and abuses against children as a result of the ongoing armed conflict, condemns the increased incidents of killing and maiming of children, the continued abduction, recruitment and use of children, and violence against and sexual exploitation of children, calls for the full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, its Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and its Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict by all States parties, as well as of Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) of 26 July 2005, and all other subsequent resolutions on children and armed conflict, and Council resolutions 1998 (2011) of 12 July 2011 and 2286 (2016) of 3 May 2016 on attacks against schools and hospitals, in particular by terrorist and criminal groups;

Commends the progress made by and the efforts and commitment of the Government of Afghanistan in the implementation of the action plan for the prevention of underage recruitment by forces associated with the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, and of the additional road map towards compliance with the aforementioned action plan, which includes the revised Penal Code, envisages punishment for the perpetrators of all crimes against children, including of bacha bazi, legislation banning the underage recruitment and use of child soldiers as well as establishing, equipping, staffing, training and providing adequate oversight of local child protection units, urges the Parliament of Afghanistan to adopt the Child Protection Act as soon as possible, allowing for its full implementation by the Government, continues to call for an end to the recruitment and use of children by all parties within all ranks, and stresses the need to refrain from detaining children on national security-related charges where appropriate, including children formerly associated or associated through family links with armed groups designated as terrorists by the United Nations, as well as the importance of considering children primarily as victims;

Recalls Security Council resolutions 2250 (2015) on the maintenance of international peace and security and 2419 (2018) of 6 June 2018 on youth, peace and security, reaffirms the important role that youth can play in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, welcomes the appointment of Afghanistan’s third youth representative to the United Nations, recognizes in this regard the efforts of the Government of Afghanistan in enhancing the representation of youth for the prevention and resolution of conflict, and encourages continued efforts in this regard;

Reiterates its appreciation for the anti-corruption commitment made by the Government of Afghanistan, welcomes in this respect its reform efforts, including the establishment of the anti-corruption commission, the adoption of relevant legislative acts, including the Anti-Corruption Law of 2018, and the establishment of related institutions in previous years, including the Ombudsperson’s Office, emphasizes that sustained and effective efforts in fighting corruption in Afghanistan remain critical for the country’s future, as highlighted in the fourth annual anti-corruption report of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan in June 2020, and urges the Government of Afghanistan to consider the recommendations in the report, take decisive action and accelerate the implementation of adopted and further reforms, develop and implement a long-term strategy that builds on past achievements, promote the rule of law and address impunity for corruption, and establish a more effective, accountable and transparent administration at the national, provincial and local levels of government in order to create conditions for sustained future peace and prosperity, and calls upon the international community to support the efforts of Afghanistan to meet governance objectives in this regard;

Counter-narcotics

Expresses its continued deep concern at the serious threat and harm that illicit opium cultivation and methamphetamine production as well as consumption and trafficking of these drugs continue to cause to the security, development and governance of Afghanistan, as well as to the region and beyond, and the fact that such activities can significantly contribute to the financial resources of terrorist groups, recognizing the important role played by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in this regard;

Welcomes the efforts of the Government of Afghanistan in fighting drug production in Afghanistan, and calls upon the Government of Afghanistan, with the assistance of the international community and regional partners, to accelerate the implementation of the National Drug Control Strategy, including through law enforcement operations aimed at seizing, dismantling and destroying drug stockpiles and laboratories, and alternative livelihood programmes, and to mainstream counter-narcotics throughout national programmes, as well as to take firm measures to fulfil its commitments to counterdrug efforts in the framework of existing policy documents;

Stresses the importance of a comprehensive and balanced approach in addressing the drug problem of Afghanistan, which, to be effective, must be integrated into the wider context of efforts carried out in the areas of security, governance, the rule of law, human rights, public health and economic and social development, in particular in rural areas, including the development of improved alternative livelihood programmes;

Notes with great concern the strong nexus between drug trafficking and the terrorist activities of the Taliban, including the Haqqani Network, as well as Al-Qaida, Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) (Da’esh) and their affiliates, in particular ISIL-Khorasan Province, and other terrorist groups, and foreign terrorist fighters, which pose a serious threat to security, the rule of law and development in Afghanistan and the region, and stresses the importance of the full implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions in this regard, including resolutions 2255 (2015) and 2368 (2017), and in this regard emphasizes the need for the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011) and the Committee 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 of and trafficking in drugs and their chemical precursors and the financing, respectively, of the Taliban, including the Haqqani Network, and of ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities;

Calls upon the international community to continue to assist the Government of Afghanistan in implementing its National Drug Control Strategy and National Drug Action Plan and its efforts to eliminate the cultivation and production of, trafficking in and consumption of illicit drugs, increase support for Afghan law enforcement and criminal justice agencies, agricultural and rural development for the creation of improved alternative, licit livelihoods for farmers and demand reduction support, increase public awareness of counter-narcotics issues and build the capacity of drug control institutions and care and treatment centres for drug users, reiterates its call upon the international community to channel counter-narcotics funding through the Government of Afghanistan, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and other relevant organizations and mechanisms to the extent possible, notes that the problem of the illicit production, cultivation, trafficking and consumption of narcotic drugs, as well as the problem of precursors, should be addressed on the basis of the principle of common and shared responsibility of the Government of Afghanistan and the international community, and welcomes and supports relevant international and regional projects, activities and initiatives such as the Paris Pact Initiative;

Stresses the need to further strengthen joint, coordinated and resolute efforts by the Government, supported by the international community and regional partners, to intensify sustained efforts to address drug production and trafficking through a balanced and integrated approach, in accordance with the principle of common and shared responsibility in addressing the drug problem of Afghanistan;

Social and economic development

Recalls the desire of the Government and the people of Afghanistan to reinvigorate their country’s standing as a platform of international cooperation, and in this regard welcomes the efforts of regional and international partners and organizations in advancing sustainable development, regional connectivity, and reconstruction, which are vital to ensuring stability and economic prosperity in Afghanistan;

Welcomes the Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework II, aligned with the Afghanistan Partnership Framework as part of the new aid architecture adopted at the 2020 Afghanistan Conference in Geneva, setting out the strategic policy priorities of the Government of Afghanistan and guiding its reform activities within the three pillars of peacebuilding, State-building and market-building, in the pursuit of increased self-reliance by the end of the Transformation Decade in 2024;

Renews its commitment to long-term support for the economic development of Afghanistan on the basis of mutual accountability, as stated and renewed in the Afghanistan Partnership Framework, urgently appeals to all States, the United Nations system and international and non-governmental organizations, including the financial institutions, to continue to provide, in close coordination with the Government of Afghanistan and in accordance with the Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework II and the strategic policy priorities contained therein, all possible and necessary humanitarian, recovery, reconstruction, development, financial, educational, technical and material assistance for Afghanistan, and underscores the crucial importance of continued and sequenced implementation of the reform agenda, policy priorities and the development and governance goals as agreed upon in the Afghanistan Partnership Framework;

Recognizes the substantial development and notable progress achieved by Afghanistan with the steadfast support of the international community in the past years, expresses its support for the reaffirmation and consolidation of the partnership between Afghanistan and the international community throughout the Transformation Decade (2015–2024), during which Afghanistan will consolidate its sovereignty through strengthening a fully functioning, sustainable State in the service of its people, urges the Government of Afghanistan to involve all elements of Afghan society, in particular women, in the development and implementation of relief, rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction programmes, and encourages continued implementation of the National Priority Programme on Women’s Economic Empowerment;

Welcomes the progress made in implementing the Self-Reliance through Mutual Accountability Framework and the commitment to continuing the reforms agreed upon and confirmed with the Afghanistan Partnership Framework at the 2020 Afghanistan Conference in Geneva, and the monitoring mechanism included therein, in which the Government of Afghanistan reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening governance, grounded in human rights, the rule of law, protecting and advancing the rights of women and girls, combating corruption, and adherence to the Constitution of Afghanistan and held it as integral to sustained growth and economic development whereas international partners committed to increasing transparency in their communications and reporting, and in which the Government of Afghanistan and international partners jointly agreed to undertake regular aid portfolio reviews, in a spirit of ensuring the alignment of off-budget aid financing, and progress in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals;

Commends the Government of Afghanistan for aligning its development strategy with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and urges the international community to assist the Government in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals;

Also commends the Government of Afghanistan for improving budgetary transparency and its efforts to reach fiscal sustainability, notes the challenges ahead, and urges that continued efforts be made to meet revenue targets;

Recognizes the necessity for further improvement in the living conditions of the Afghan people, and emphasizes the need to strengthen and support the development of the capacity of the Government of Afghanistan to deliver basic social services at the national, provincial and local levels, in particular education and public health services;

Reiterates the necessity of providing Afghan children, especially Afghan girls, with educational and health facilities in all parts of the country, and welcomes the progress achieved in the sector of public education;

Notes with concern the dire humanitarian situation affecting Afghanistan, with millions of people facing emergency levels of food insecurity, further amplified owing to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, and hundreds of thousands of Afghans newly displaced by increased violence and conflict, and urges the international community to assist in providing the necessary support and to work with the Government of Afghanistan and humanitarian organizations to respond effectively to the needs identified in the Humanitarian Response Plan, updated in the light of the pandemic, which presents a profound challenge to Afghanistan’s health system and socioeconomic and humanitarian situations;

Recognizes the need to address the impacts of climate change, natural disasters and environmental issues in Afghanistan, and emphasizes the need for local, subnational, national, regional and international action to enhance efforts to build resilience, especially for the most vulnerable, by investing in resilience, including disaster risk reduction, strengthening adaptation strategies and enhancing joint risk assessments and risk management strategies, including methods to monitor environmental changes, to cut the impact and cost of natural disasters;

Refugees

Expresses its appreciation to those Governments that continue to host Afghan refugees, in particular Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran, acknowledging the huge burden that they have so far shouldered in this regard, asks for continued generous support by the international community, and also asks relevant international organizations, in particular the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration, to continue to work closely with Afghanistan and the countries hosting Afghan refugees with a view to facilitating their voluntary, safe and dignified return and sustainable reintegration;

Expresses its concern over the increase in the number of internally displaced persons in and refugees from Afghanistan, stresses that stability and development in Afghanistan can be achieved if its citizens can live in peace and see a future for themselves within their country, reiterates to host countries and the international community the respective obligations of States under international refugee law with respect to the protection of refugees, calls upon States to respect the principle of voluntary return and the right to seek asylum and to ensure full, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian relief agencies in order to provide protection and assistance to internally displaced persons and refugees, and calls upon countries to continue to accept an appropriate number of Afghan refugees for resettlement, as a manifestation of their shared responsibility and solidarity;

Welcomes the commitment of the Government of Afghanistan to making the repatriation and reintegration of Afghan refugees one of its highest national priorities, including their voluntary, safe and dignified return and their sustainable reintegration into national development planning and prioritization processes, and encourages and supports all efforts of the Government for further implementation of the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime;

Reaffirms its firm support for the implementation of the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees to Support Voluntary Repatriation, Sustainable Reintegration and Assistance to Host Countries endorsed by the international community in 2012;

Welcomes the continued return of Afghan refugees and internally displaced persons, in a voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable manner, while noting with concern the security challenges of Afghanistan;

Regional cooperation

Stresses the crucial importance of advancing constructive and sustainable regional cooperation as an effective means of promoting and complementing peace, security, stability and economic and social development and the creation of jobs in Afghanistan and the region, recognizes in this regard the importance of the contribution of neighbouring and regional partners and regional organizations, welcomes the continued commitment of the international community to supporting the stability and development of Afghanistan, encourages further improved relations and enhanced engagement between Afghanistan and its neighbours, calls for further efforts in this regard, including in the framework of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process on Regional Security and Cooperation for a Secure and Stable Afghanistan, and welcomes other international and regional initiatives in this regard;

Welcomes the important initiatives for regional connectivity, notably in the frameworks for ongoing cooperation under the auspices of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Programme and of the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan, and the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process confidence-building measures to facilitate increased trade throughout the region;

Emphasizes, in this regard, the importance of strengthening local and regional networks of transportation that will facilitate connectivity for economic development, stability and self-sustainability, particularly the completion and maintenance of local railroad and land routes, the development of regional projects to foster further connectivity and the enhancement of international civil aviation capabilities, and expresses its appreciation for all initiatives and efforts to advance regional cooperation, partnership and connectivity, based on transparency, openness and inclusiveness, with the aim of enhancing dialogue and collaboration to advance shared goals of economic development across the region;

Welcomes and urges further efforts to strengthen the process of regional economic cooperation, also welcomes joint efforts to enhance dialogue and collaboration and to advance economic development across the region, including measures to facilitate regional connectivity, trade and transit, expanded consular visa cooperation and the facilitation of business travel, 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, notes the historical role of Afghanistan as a land bridge in Asia, recalls that such regional economic cooperation plays an important role in achieving stability and development in Afghanistan, in this regard urges all relevant stakeholders to create a feasible and secure environment for the full implementation of these development initiatives and trade agreements, welcomes the progress made by these initiatives and projects, and calls upon all regional countries to facilitate trade and transit;

United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board

Expresses its appreciation for the appointment of the new Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the work of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, as mandated by the Security Council in its resolution 2543 (2020), stresses the continued importance of the central and impartial coordinating role of the United Nations in promoting a more coherent international engagement, and acknowledges the central role played by the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board in this regard;

Calls for the continued implementation of the recommendations of the Secretary-General, with a view to supporting efforts for peace and ensuring greater coordination, coherence and efficiency among relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, based on the “One United Nations” approach, in line with the reform agenda and the policy priorities of the Government of Afghanistan;

Requests the Secretary-General to continue to report every three months on developments in Afghanistan, as well as on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution;

Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-seventh session the item entitled “The situation in Afghanistan”.

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