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SC/7345 |
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SECURITY COUNCIL ENDORSES ESTABLISHMENT OF UN ASSISTANCE MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN FOR INITIAL Resolution 1401 (2002) Adopted Unanimously NEW YORK, 28 March (UN Headquarters) -- The Security Council this morning endorsed the establishment, for an initial period of 12 months, effective today, of a United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), with the mandate and structure laid out in the 18 March report of the Secretary-General (document S/2002/278). Unanimously adopting resolution 1401 (2002), the Council called upon all Afghan parties to cooperate with UNAMA in the implementation of its mandate and to ensure the security and freedom of movement of its staff throughout the country. It reaffirmed its strong support for the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and endorsed his full authority, in accordance with its relevant resolutions, over the planning and conduct of all United Nations activities in Afghanistan. It stressed that the Mission's provision of focused recovery and reconstruction assistance could greatly assist in the implementation of the Bonn Agreement of 5 December 2001 and, to that end, urged bilateral and multilateral donors, in particular through the Afghanistan Support Group and the Implementation Group, to coordinate very closely with the Special Representative, the Afghan Interim Administration and its successors. The Council also stressed, in that context, that while humanitarian assistance should be provided wherever there was a need, recovery or reconstruction assistance ought to be provided, through the Afghan Interim Administration and its successors, and implemented effectively, where local authorities contributed to the maintenance of a secure environment and demonstrated respect for human rights. By other terms of the text, the Council requested the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to continue to work in close consultation with the Secretary-General and his Special Representative. It also requested the Secretary-General to report to the Council every four months on the implementation of this text. By the resolution, the Council also stressed the inalienable right of the Afghan people themselves freely to determine their own political future. Further, it reaffirmed its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Afghanistan. By other terms, the Council stressed the vital importance of combating the cultivation and trafficking of illicit drugs and of eliminating the threat of land mines, as well as of curbing the illicit flow of small arms. The Council also encouraged donor countries that pledged financial aid at the Tokyo Conference on the reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan to fulfil their commitments as soon as possible. Report of Secretary-General When the Council met this morning to take action on the text on Afghanistan, it had before it the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security (document A/56/875-S/2002/278). The report summarizes key developments since the signing of the Agreement on provisional arrangements in Afghanistan pending the re-establishment of permanent government institutions, the so-called "Bonn Agreement", on 5 December 2001, and sets out the structure for the proposed United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). The Secretary-General states in his report that few would have imagined in October 2001 that the Taliban regime's collapse could so quickly be followed by the installation of an internationally recognized Interim Administration, which has already established sufficient international credibility and legitimacy that donors, United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations alike are firmly committed to following its lead in helping to administer life-saving assistance, restore basic services around the country and work towards formulating a national development framework. According to the report, a critical turning point in the peace process will be the convening of the Emergency Loya Jirga, a traditional assembly of provincial elders and powers, which must occur before 22 June. It is vitally important that the legitimate political aspirations of individuals and groups be pursued peacefully, constructively and in free and fair conditions, so as not to erode the credibility and legitimacy of the process. Risks to peace remain, however, the report states. Questions about future stability are raised not only by continued fighting between coalition forces and Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters, but also by mistrust between rival factions. A priority is, therefore, the restoration of mutual trust and confidence and timely action to stem the re-emergence of factors that plunged the country back into war in 1992. Speed is of the essence in security assistance and aid in building the Afghan military and civilian police forces. According to the Secretary-General, the proposed mission -- UNAMA -- under the leadership of his Special Representative, is intended to ensure that all United Nations assistance efforts are channelled towards supporting the implementation of the peace process by the Afghan people. Its proposed size and structure is relatively lean. However, it will not be able to carry out its functions effectively unless the security situation is addressed immediately, with the assistance of those countries that have the means to do so. The UNAMA would have two main arms, or pillars. Pillar 1 would encompass political affairs, and pillar 2 would encompass relief, recovery and reconstruction. Each pillar would be headed by a Deputy Special Representative, at the rank of Assistant Secretary-General, reporting directly to the Special Representative. The Mission would be headquatered in Kabul, with regional offices based in seven cities: Bamiyan, Gardez, Herat, Jalalabad, Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif and one city in the north-east. The Mission would not have any uniformed personnel, with the exception of a few advisers on military and civilian matters, and a few lightly armed international personnel required to provide close protection. Resolution Following is the text of resolution 1401 (2002): "The Security Council, "Reaffirming its previous resolutions on Afghanistan, in particular its resolutions 1378 (2001) of 14 November 2001, 1383 (2001) of 6 December 2001, and 1386 (2001) of 20 December 2001, "Recalling all relevant General Assembly resolutions, in particular resolution 56/220 (2001) of 21 December 2001, "Stressing the inalienable right of the Afghan people themselves freely to determine their own political future, "Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Afghanistan, "Reiterating its endorsement of the Agreement on provisional arrangements in Afghanistan pending the re-establishment of permanent government institutions, signed in Bonn on 5 December 2001 (S/2001/1154) (the Bonn Agreement), in particular its annex 2 regarding the role of the United Nations during the interim period, "Welcoming the establishment on 22 December 2001 of the Afghan interim authority and looking forward to the evolution of the process set out in the Bonn Agreement, "Stressing the vital importance of combating the cultivation and trafficking of illicit drugs and of eliminating the threat of land mines, and the importance of curbing the illicit flow of small arms, "Having considered the report of the Secretary-General of 18 March 2002 (S/2002/278), "Encouraging donor countries that pledged financial commitments at the Tokyo Conference on the reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan to fulfil their commitments as soon as possible, "Commending the United Nations Special Mission in Afghanistan (UNSMA) for the determination shown in the implementation of its mandate in particularly difficult circumstances, "1. Endorses the establishment, for an initial period of 12 months from the date of adoption of this resolution, of a United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), with the mandate and structure laid out in the report of the Secretary-General of 18 March 2002 (S/2002/278); "2. Reaffirms its strong support for the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and endorses his full authority, in accordance with its relevant resolutions, over the planning and conduct of all United Nations activities in Afghanistan; "3. Stresses that the provision of focussed recovery and reconstruction assistance can greatly assist in the implementation of the Bonn Agreement and, to this end, urges bilateral and multilateral donors, in particular through the Afghanistan Support Group and the Implementation Group, to coordinate very closely with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, the Afghan Interim Administration and its successors; "4. Stresses, in the context of paragraph 3 above, that although humanitarian assistance should be provided wherever there is a need, recovery or reconstruction assistance ought to be provided, through the Afghan Interim Administration and its successors, and implemented effectively where local authorities contribute to the maintenance of a secure environment and demonstrate respect for human rights; "5. Calls upon all Afghan parties to cooperate with UNAMA in the implementation of its mandate and to ensure the security and freedom of movement of its staff throughout the country; "6. Requests the International Security Assistance Force, in implementing its mandate in accordance with resolution 1386 (2001), to continue to work in close consultation with the Secretary-General and his Special Representative; "7. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Council every four months on the implementation of this resolution; "8. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter." * *** * |
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