Under India's Presidency, UNSC adopts strong resolution on Afghanistan

New York

The UN Security Council, under India's Presidency, adopted astrong resolution demanding that territory of Afghanistan not be used tothreaten any country or shelter terrorists and that it expects the Taliban willadhere to commitments made by it on regarding the safe and orderly departurefrom the country of Afghans and all foreign nationals.

The Security Council on Monday adopted the resolution sponsored by France, UKand the US with 13 members voting in favour, none against and permanent,veto-wielding members Russia and China abstaining.

This was the first resolution adopted by the powerful 15-nation Council on thesituation in Afghanistan following the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban andcame on the penultimate day of India's Presidency of the Security Council forthe month of August.

Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorialintegrity, and national unity of Afghanistan, the resolution "condemns inthe strongest terms the deplorable attacks" of August 26 near the HamidKarzai International Airport in Kabul for which the Islamic State in KhorasanProvince, an entity affiliated with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant(Da'esh) claimed responsibility and which resulted in deaths and injuries ofover 300 civilians and 28 military personnel.

The UNSC resolution took note of the Taliban's condemnation of the attack.

The resolution demands that Afghan territory not be used to threaten or attackany country or to shelter or train terrorists, or to plan or to financeterrorist acts, and reiterates the importance of combating terrorism inAfghanistan, including those individuals and entities designated pursuant toresolution 1267 (1999), and notes the Taliban's relevant commitments.

The resolution notes the Taliban statement of August 27, 2021, in which theTaliban committed that Afghans will be able to travel abroad, may leaveAfghanistan anytime they want to, and may exit Afghanistan via any bordercrossing, both air and ground, including at the reopened and secured Kabulairport, with no one preventing them from travelling, expects that the Talibanwill adhere to these and all other commitments, including regarding the safe,secure, and orderly departure from Afghanistan of Afghans and all foreignnationals.

The Council, through the resolution, also took note of the "dangeroussecurity situation" around the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabuland "expresses concern that intelligence indicates further terroristattacks may take place in the area, calls on the relevant parties to work withinternational partners to take steps to strengthen security and to preventfurther casualties, and requests that every effort be made to allow for therapid and secure reopening of the Kabul airport and its surrounding area."

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield in her explanation of the votesaid through the resolution we have spoken once again on the urgent need totackle the serious threat of terrorism in Afghanistan. Last week's horrificattack in Kabul demonstrated the very real threat that terrorist groups likeISIS-K pose. President Joe Biden has made clear that America will do what'snecessary to defend our security and our people. And the entire internationalcommunity is committed to ensuring that Afghanistan is never again a safe havenfor terrorism."

She said the resolution establishes clear expectations regarding the future ofAfghanistan - that the Security Council expects the Taliban to live up to itscommitment to facilitate safe passage for Afghans and foreign nationals whowant to leave Afghanistan, whether it's today, tomorrow, or after August 31'.

On the abstentions by Russia and China, she said we were disappointed with theabstentions of Russia and China. I will tell you that within the P5 we consultedvery closely.

"We took into account some of the concerns that both the Chinese and theRussians raised in the draft resolution that was eventually approved. So, thefact that they abstained, I think they will have to explain themselves. But Ithink the Security Council spoke strongly, and what's in the resolution, Ithink, are issues that are important to every single member of the SecurityCouncil including China and Russia, she said.

Russia's Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow was forcedto" abstain during the vote on the resolution on Afghanistan because theauthors of the draft ignored our principled concerns.

He said despite the fact that the resolution was proposed against the backdropof a terrible terrorist attack, the authors categorically refused to refer to apassage on the fight against terrorism containing internationally recognisedterrorist organisations ISIL and the East Turkistan Islamic Movement.

We see this as a reluctance to acknowledge the obvious and a desire to divideterrorists into ours and theirs and... to downplay the terror threats comingfrom these groups.

We understand the reasons that incited the authors to try to use the authorityof the Security Council to adopt the resolution in this form and in such atight timeframe but perhaps if we had more time, the result of the vote wouldhave been different.

Chinese Ambassador Geng Shuang said the countries concerned circulated thedraft resolution last Friday evening, demanding action to be taken on Monday.

China has huge doubts about the necessity and urgency of adopting thisresolution and the balance of its content. Despite this, China has stillparticipated constructively in the consultations and put forward important andreasonable amendments together with Russia. Unfortunately, our amendments havenot been fully adopted.," Geng said.

China has always opposed imposing or forcefully pushing for resolution by anysponsors. Based on the above considerations China has abstained from this draftresolution," Geng added.

He said in the face of the fundamental changes in the domestic situation inAfghanistan, it is necessary for the international community to engage with theTaliban, and actively provide them with guidance.

UK's envoy to the UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward said the resolution is animportant step towards a unified international response to the situation inAfghanistan.

We will continue to build on this to ensure the Council holds the Talibanaccountable on its commitments. The Taliban will be judged by the internationalcommunity on the basis of their actions on the ground, not their words.

The strong resolution reaffirms the importance of upholding human rightsincluding those of women, children and minorities, encourages all parties to seekan inclusive, negotiated political settlement, with the full, equal andmeaningful participation of women, that responds to the desire of Afghans tosustain and build on Afghanistan's gains over the last twenty years. It callsfor strengthened efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan,calls on all parties to allow full, safe, and unhindered access for the UN andall humanitarian actors to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches allthose in need.