General Assembly Session 54 meeting 78

The Acting President

I now give the floor to the representative of Germany to introduce draft resolution A/54/L.58.

Mr. Kastrup (Germany)

I am pleased to introduce a draft resolution on Afghanistan under items 20 (f) and 50 of the agenda. The text we are introducing today represents a compromise that accommodates the different views of all delegations involved in the consultations. More than 80 countries participated in the negotiations, and I would like to thank them for their contributions and efforts that led to the text that is being presented today. Our intention during the negotiations was to secure consensus on this draft resolution, as we did in previous years. In keeping with this tradition, I trust that the draft resolution will again be adopted without a vote.

More than 80 Member States are sponsors of the draft resolution at the moment. The following countries, which do not appear in document A/54/L.58, have also joined as sponsors of this draft resolution: Argentina, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, Madagascar, Mali, the Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Samoa, Seychelles, the United Republic of Tanzania and Uruguay. These sponsors send a strong message to the warring Afghan parties and to all States concerned that it is the will of the international community that peace return to Afghanistan.

I would like to express my gratitude to all sponsors and invite other members that have not yet done so to co-sponsor the draft resolution. The list of sponsors will remain open until the draft resolution is before the Assembly for adoption. As the draft resolution still has to pass the Fifth Committee, this will be at the very end of this session of the General Assembly.

The draft resolution I am introducing today covers both political and humanitarian questions. Let me focus on the most important issues.

The situation in Afghanistan has continued to deteriorate in the past 12 months. The level of fighting reached an unprecedented scale at the end of July 1999, when the Taliban launched a ground and air offensive against the United Front. This offensive started only one week after the meeting of the "six plus two" group in Tashkent. It started despite repeated demands by the Security Council to stop the fighting and despite continuing attempts by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan to avert this Taliban offensive. The offensive has aggravated the already grave humanitarian and human rights situation and has led to massive loss of human life, executions, deliberate abuse and arbitrary detention of civilians, refugee flows, harassment, forcible displacement of civilians and extensive destruction of property.

In view of this grave situation, the draft resolution expresses the conviction that there is no military solution to the Afghan conflict. Despite repeated international appeals not to launch military offensives against each other, both Afghan parties continue fighting and still seem to believe, against all evidence to the contrary, that there can be a military solution. We call on the Afghan factions to stop looking for such a solution and to stop concentrating their efforts on the continuation of the war. They should instead focus their energies on the search for peace and on the reconstruction of their country. The draft resolution therefore calls upon all Afghan parties to immediately cease all armed hostilities, to renounce the use of force and to engage without delay or preconditions in a political dialogue under United Nations auspices. This dialogue should be aimed at achieving a lasting political settlement of the conflict by creating a broad-based, multi-ethnic and fully representative government acceptable to the Afghan people.

In accordance with previous resolutions on Afghanistan, the draft resolution that is being introduced reiterates that the main responsibility for a peaceful solution to the conflict lies with the Afghan parties. We welcome the intra-Afghan meetings held in Ashgabat and Tashkent, and we strongly urge all parties to take further confidence-building measures with a view to resuming direct intra-Afghan talks.

Despite the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, foreign military support to the Afghan parties continued through 1999. This military support consisted not only in the supply of arms, ammunition and military equipment, but also included the presence and involvement of foreign military personnel on the ground. The draft resolution condemns the continued foreign military support to the Afghan parties and calls upon all States to take resolute measures to prohibit their military personnel from planning and participating in combat operations in Afghanistan, to immediately withdraw their personnel and to ensure that the supply of ammunition and other war-making materials is halted.

We note with concern that, following years of negotiations, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General has had to freeze his activities because of the warring parties' insufficient cooperation. We hope that circumstances will quickly change so that he can again intervene.

Germany has always supported the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan (UNSMA). The draft resolution therefore supports the intention of the Secretary-General to redouble the efforts of UNSMA to achieve an immediate and durable ceasefire and the resumption of the dialogue between the Afghan parties.

We also support the intention of the Secretary-General that UNSMA should carefully monitor and encourage the various peace initiatives of non-United Nations actors, notably from the Afghan diaspora, while continuing to cooperate closely with the countries that are willing to help find a peaceful solution to the Afghan conflict, including those not represented in the "six plus two" group.

Germany further supports UNSMA's new Civil Affairs Unit, which will work inside Afghanistan with the primary objective of promoting respect for minimum humanitarian standards and deterring massive and systematic violations of human rights in the future. We hope that the deployment of a first group of civil affairs officers will be completed as soon as possible.

The United Nations cannot solve the Afghanistan conflict without the support of the international community in general and involved neighbouring countries in particular. The end of military support from outside is an essential prerequisite for the solution of the conflict in Afghanistan. The political will of the neighbouring countries to stop military support is essential, as they control all access to the landlocked country of Afghanistan. Therefore this draft resolution calls upon all signatories of the Tashkent Declaration on Fundamental Principles for a Peaceful Settlement of the Conflict in Afghanistan, adopted by the "six plus two" Group on 19 July 1999, to implement the principles contained therein, in particular the agreement of members of the group not to provide military support to any Afghan party and to prevent the use of their territories for such purposes. It is our conviction that if neighbouring countries decided to have peace in Afghanistan, we would be much closer to a solution to the Afghanistan conflict.

The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, unfortunately, has not notably changed during the last 12 months. The country's population continues to live under most deplorable circumstances. We are distressed that the bombing of civilians in Afghanistan continues. We are deeply concerned about the misery and despair caused by the wholesale destruction of houses, agricultural land and crops. The forced displacement of thousands of Afghans to the Shomali plains has created an almost unbearable environment. Men, women and children have to live without shelter or food, far from their homes.

In this context, it is with a certain relief that we learned of the recently established corridor through the front line. It enables United Nations organizations to provide internally displaced persons with the necessary goods. A first convoy passed the front line several days ago -- a sign of hope for the innocent victims of a meaningless war. We call upon all fighting parties to ensure unimpeded access to the affected population for the humanitarian personnel of the United Nations and its organizations as well as that of non-governmental organizations.

Germany continues to be deeply concerned about the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan. Notably in areas under the control of the Taliban, gender discrimination is systematically applied. The draft resolution states very clearly that the international community does not accept the exclusion of women and girls from public life. United Nations organizations have stated that there has been some progress concerning the access of women and girls to education and health care. We note this improvement, though it is far from being satisfactory, and we encourage all parties, especially the Taliban, to grant women their internationally guaranteed basic rights.

Another matter of concern is the safety and security of humanitarian personnel in Afghanistan. We strongly condemn the recent acts of violence against United Nations offices and United Nations personnel in various places in the country. We urge all parties to fully cooperate with the United Nations organizations in the field and to ensure their security.

Unfortunately, the laying of landmines has continued over the past year. My country attaches the highest priority to the complete cessation of landmine usage.

The conflict in Afghanistan has international implications, not only for the neighbouring countries but also for countries far beyond the region. This year Afghanistan has become by far the world's largest illicit producer of opium. Its output amounts to 75 per cent of the opium produced worldwide. Opium cultivation in Afghanistan has increased by 43 per cent over the previous year. This draft therefore strongly calls upon all Afghan parties to halt all illegal drug activities and to support international efforts to ban illicit drug production and trafficking. Drug trafficking from Afghanistan, which is associated with arms trafficking and other criminal activities, presents a substantial threat to the countries of the region.

We are deeply concerned that Afghan territory, particularly that under Taliban control, continues to be used to shelter and train terrorists. This draft resolution therefore strongly demands that all Afghan parties, and in particular the Taliban, take effective measures to ensure that the territory under its control is not used for terrorist bases and camps, and take the necessary steps to support efforts to bring indicted terrorists to justice without delay. Terrorists from Afghanistan can easily reach every country of the globe. This represents a serious threat to international peace and security. The bombings of the United States embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in August 1998 demonstrated that countries far away from the region have fallen victim to terrorist acts organized and planned in Afghanistan. In this context I would like to recall Security Council resolution 1267 (1999) of 15 October 1999. We urge the Taliban to comply with this resolution without further delay and to turn over Usama bin Laden in line with the resolution.

We hope that the draft resolution will be adopted by consensus. It is our deepest conviction that a durable settlement of the Afghan conflict can be achieved only through a ceasefire and a political dialogue. With this draft resolution we wish to send a strong message to the Afghan parties and to the countries with influence in Afghanistan -- a message saying that the international community wants the Afghan parties to stop fighting, and a message to the States with influence in Afghanistan to use their influence constructively in coordination with the United Nations, which we unanimously and strongly support.

Let me conclude by expressing our gratitude to the Secretary-General, to the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan and, especially, to the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi, for their tireless efforts to promote the peace process in Afghanistan. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all United Nations staff members who have been or still are working in Afghanistan for their excellent work under extreme and often discouraging conditions.

Ms. Korpi (Finland)

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union -- Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia -- and the associated countries, Cyprus and Malta, as well as the European Free Trade Association countries members of the European Economic Area, Iceland and Liechtenstein, align themselves with this statement.

For too many years the conflict in Afghanistan has caused enormous suffering for the Afghan people, who continue to bear the consequences of the civil war. The civilian population longs for peace, justice and order. Furthermore, the chronic fighting threatens the stability of the region and its economic development, causing repercussions far beyond Afghanistan and its neighbouring countries.

The European Union is deeply concerned about the sharp escalation of the military confrontation during the past months. We are dismayed that the Taliban ignored the call in the Tashkent Declaration for the Afghan conflict to be settled through peaceful political negotiation, and instead launched a major offensive. The European Union is particularly concerned about the suffering the fighting has caused to the civilian population and about the deteriorating humanitarian situation of the increasing number of internally displaced persons.

The European Union is profoundly disturbed by the reports of forced deportation of civilians by the Taliban from their places of residence. We urge the Taliban to end this practice immediately and allow those forcibly deported to return. We are equally concerned about the reports of forcible separation of men from their families and other forms of harassment, and about the widespread destruction of homes and agricultural land and crops by the Taliban.

The European Union reiterates its position, as expressed in its common position of 25 January 1999, that there is no military solution to this conflict and that only a political settlement, aimed at the establishment of a fully representative, broad-based Government, can lead to peace and reconciliation. We therefore appeal to all factions to agree on an immediate ceasefire and enter negotiations under United Nations auspices.

The European Union reaffirms its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Afghanistan. We are deeply disturbed by the reports of the growing presence, mainly on the side of the Taliban, of thousands of non-Afghan nationals, who mostly emanate from religious schools in Pakistan. The European Union strongly condemns all foreign interference in Afghanistan and urges that the supply to the warring factions of weapons, munitions and other material for military use, as well as the involvement of foreign military, paramilitary and secret service personnel, immediately stop. In this context, we wish to recall that the European Union continues to enforce the embargo on the export of arms, munitions, and military equipment provided for in its common position on Afghanistan of 17 December 1996, and we urge other countries to adopt a similar policy of restraint.

Moreover, we encourage all countries in the region to support the United Nations in promoting peace in Afghanistan and to use any influence they have in a positive way to convince the Afghan parties to cooperate with the United Nations. We regret that the "six plus two" group has not been able to find a unified approach vis-à-vis the warring parties, and we urge the group to redouble its efforts in this regard.

No society can achieve an acceptable degree of peace, justice and stability without full respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms. The European Union is deeply disturbed by reports of the killing and harassment of innocent civilians and persistent human rights violations, as well as breaches of humanitarian law in Afghanistan. We are gravely concerned by reports of persecutions based on ethnic origin or religion, which demonstrate the increasingly ethnic nature of the conflict. The European Union is also concerned over reports of the involvement of children in the conflict, and we urge the warring factions to take immediate steps to end this practice.

The European Union calls on all Afghan factions, and in particular the Taliban, to recognize, protect and promote all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to life, liberty and security of person, and to fully respect the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international instruments to which Afghanistan has subscribed.

The European Union denounces the continuing gender discrimination in Afghanistan. We urge the Afghan factions, and in particular the Taliban, to end discriminatory policies and to recognize, protect and promote the equal rights of women and men, including access to education and health facilities, employment, personal security and freedom from intimidation and harassment. The European Union will continue to take into account discriminatory policies when considering future decisions regarding the supply of aid and support to aid programmes in Afghanistan aimed at integrating gender concerns and actively attempt to promote the equitable participation of both men and women.

The European Union therefore strongly supports the Secretary General's proposal to establish a Civil Affairs Unit within the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan (UNSMA), the primary objectives of which would be to promote respect for minimum humanitarian standards and to deter massive and systematic violations of human rights in the future. We are looking forward to the rapid deployment of this Unit.

For years, the European Union has been the largest donor of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. The European Commission had to suspend funding for projects in Kabul in July 1998 because it had become increasingly difficult for agencies to deliver humanitarian aid in an efficient, effective and principled manner, especially in the health and education sectors. Subsequently, the European Commission had to scale down humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan for security reasons. Nevertheless, humanitarian activities were later resumed at the beginning of 1999, and we wish to continue helping the Afghan people. We would recall, however, that aid can continue only where it can be delivered in an effective manner, without discrimination, and where humanitarian organizations are able to carry out their work freely and safely. The absence of national reconciliation has a negative impact on donors engaged.

The European Union remains deeply concerned about the continuous restrictions imposed on the activities of United Nations and other humanitarian personnel.

In this context, the European Union calls on the Taliban to fully implement the agreements signed with the United Nations on the safety and security of United Nations personnel. We urge the warring factions to ensure the freedom of movement of national and international humanitarian personnel and their free and safe access to all those in need, without restrictions based on gender, race, religion or nationality, and to cooperate fully and sincerely with humanitarian organizations. In this regard, we condemn in the strongest terms the recent attacks against United Nations personnel and property following the imposition of sanctions against the Taliban by the Security Council.

The European Union strongly supports efforts to improve the effectiveness of aid through close coordination and complementarity between the United Nations peace efforts and the aid effort, as envisaged in the Strategic Framework common to the international donor community and United Nations organizations. Furthermore, the European Union reiterates its call for the Taliban to proceed with the immediate and thorough investigation of the murders of the United Nations staff members as well as the killing of Iranian diplomats during the Taliban attack against Mazar-i-Sharif in August 1998.

The European Union attaches high importance to the fight against illegal drugs and terrorism. Therefore, we are deeply concerned at the significant rise of the production and trafficking of drugs in Afghanistan this year, which further threatens regional stability and damages the health and well-being of the populations of Afghanistan, neighbouring States and elsewhere. We therefore call for a coordinated international response to the Afghan drug threat. In this regard, we recognize the role of the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention in the fight against drugs.

Furthermore, the European Union urges all Afghan parties to refrain from financing or providing training or shelter for terrorist organizations or otherwise supporting terrorist activities. We reiterate our call upon all Afghan factions, and in particular the Taliban, to close down training camps for foreign terrorists inside Afghanistan, and to take the necessary steps to ensure that those responsible for terrorist acts are brought to justice. In this regard, the European Union urges the Taliban to comply with Security Council resolution 1267 (1999) without further delay and to turn over Osama bin Laden in line with that resolution. The European Union and its member States are, in accordance with Security Council resolution 1267 (1999), imposing targeted sanctions against the Taliban.

The European Union is determined to play an effective role in efforts to stop the fighting and to restore peace, stability and respect for international law, including human rights, in Afghanistan. We are committed to making every effort to bring about a sustainable peace in Afghanistan, to put an end to foreign intervention, and to encourage intra-Afghan dialogue, in particular through support for the central role of the United Nations. We will also continue to give our full support to United Nations efforts in promoting peace and security in Afghanistan. In this regard, we would like to express our support for the Secretary-General's intention to strengthen the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan (UNSMA) with a view to assuring its primary role in conducting United Nations peacemaking activities in Afghanistan.

The European Union encourages in particular the joint initiative organized by the Council for Peace and National Unity in Afghanistan to convene a Loya Jirgah. We welcome the Rome meeting of November 1999 because it was clearly based on the principle that Afghanistan's future must be decided by Afghans themselves.

Finally, we would like to express our appreciation for the efforts made by UNSMA and by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan. We note with concern that the lack of progress so far in the negotiations with the parties to the conflict has led to the freezing of the activities of the Special Envoy, and we hope that increased readiness by the parties to the conflict to cooperate with the Special Envoy will enable him to resume his activities.

Mr. Ortique (United States)

The United States is pleased to be sponsoring draft resolution A/54/L.58, which highlights the international community's commitment to addressing the devastating effects of 20 years of civil war in Afghanistan and the mistaken policies of authorities there. My country continues to be concerned about the serious humanitarian crisis in northern Afghanistan. Up to 65,000 persons displaced by the Taliban in fighting just this summer are currently taking refuge in the opposition-controlled Panjshir valley. As winter sets in, they face serious shortages of food and shelter. Thousands of others have fled to Kabul and need support there. We welcome the Taliban's cooperation in allowing a United Nations humanitarian aid convoy to cross front lines into the Panjshir valley, and we urge them to continue to ensure that food assistance reaches the neediest in Afghanistan.

Persistent violations of human rights, especially those of women and girls, remain a primary concern of the United States. We were appalled by reports of the gross and systematic abuse of civilians during fighting in the Shomali plains in July, including separation of men from their families, summary executions and burning of homes, fields and orchards. On the other hand, we applaud the establishment of a Civil Affairs Unit within the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan (UNSMA) to promote respect for human rights, and we look for the deployment of the first group of civil affairs officers as soon as conditions allow.

We are alarmed that Afghanistan this year became the world's largest producer of illicit opium. The Secretary-General has reported that the number of hectares under opium poppy production is 43 per cent higher this year, and that opium poppy production has spread to 104 districts in Afghanistan, 31 more than last year. This is in direct conflict with the pledge made by the Taliban to the Executive Director of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme that they would support the elimination of all opium poppy. My country declares that all Afghan parties must halt illegal drug activities and cooperate with international efforts to stop the production and trafficking of illegal drugs everywhere.

The Taliban's continued harbouring of international terrorists in Afghanistan is of urgent concern to all nations. Bin Laden and his network continue to threaten not only the safety of Americans all over the world, but also other citizens in countless countries who may become victims of his terrorist policies.

Security Council resolution 1267 (1999) was an important step in combating international terrorism. The international community has sent a clear message to the Taliban that they must turn over Bin Laden to a country where he will be brought to justice. We have been gratified to hear from many Member States that they have taken action to implement sanctions against the Taliban. We urge all Member States to implement sanctions rapidly and fully and to assist the Security Council sanctions Committee by providing information on Taliban assets and aircraft in their countries.

I want to underscore that these sanctions are targeted against the Taliban. They have been carefully designed to minimize the impact on the people of Afghanistan and to allow humanitarian assistance to continue unimpeded. Neither the United States nor the international community has abandoned the Afghan people. The Afghan Support Group met this week in Ottawa to better coordinate international assistance. The United States continues to be the single largest donor to humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan, giving approximately $70 million in the last fiscal year, and has pledged over $0.5 million in response to the recent food crisis in Afghanistan.

But this has been a discouraging year for those who seek peace in Afghanistan: the Taliban launched a major military offensive; intra-Afghan talks under United Nations auspices have been suspended; the "six plus two" process has been of limited utility; foreign military support to Afghan parties continues; security concerns have kept most United Nations international staff out of Afghanistan; and Special Envoy Brahimi has frozen his activities.

One of the few rays of light has been the initiative of the former King of Afghanistan, Zahir Shah, to bring together a wide spectrum of Afghans to discuss a peaceful resolution of the conflict. A cross-section of Afghans met in Rome, from 22 to 25 November, to discuss plans for convening an emergency Loya Jirgah, which would provide the means for the Afghan people themselves to shape their future without outside interference. The United States encourages all Afghan parties to continue exploring avenues to a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

As winter sets in, the military situation in Afghanistan is largely in stalemate. Neither side appears strong enough to defeat the other. The chronic fighting promises only to produce more human suffering, more human rights violations, more illegal drug activity and more support for terrorism. My country urges the warring parties to set down their weapons and set the stage for Afghans throughout the world to negotiate an end to a conflict that has gone on far too long. If the Afghans will it, it can and will be done.

Mr. Yamazaki (Japan)

Let me begin by expressing my delegation's appreciation to the Secretary-General for preparing the reports on agenda items 20 (f) and 50. I would also like to thank most heartily the delegation of Germany for coordinating the important draft resolution before us. The draft resolution covers, in a comprehensive manner, issues related to Afghanistan in the areas of peace, security and humanitarian assistance, and it enjoys my Government's full support. We hope that it will be adopted by consensus.

Japan shares the deep concern expressed by the international community in the past months over recent developments in Afghanistan, where factional fighting has intensified and many people have been forcibly displaced from their homes. The suffering of the civilian population is increasing, and neighbouring countries are concerned about the influx of refugees. An additional source of great concern to us is the reported doubling of the opium poppy production in Afghanistan in the past year.

Japan supports the valuable efforts being made by the Secretary-General, his Special Envoy, Ambassador Brahimi, and the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan to restore peace to that war-ravaged country. We equally value the activities of the United Nations humanitarian organizations in Afghanistan. We recognize that they are working under extremely difficult conditions, but we encourage them to continue their crucial endeavours. Japan also appreciates the efforts made by the "six plus two" group, composed of the six States bordering Afghanistan as well as the Russian Federation and the United States of America, and hopes that their work, together with the additional efforts of other Member States, will complement the work of the United Nations and hasten a settlement of the conflict. Japan calls upon the parties to the conflict, especially the Taliban, to comply with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council so that a durable peace may finally be achieved in Afghanistan. We wish to reaffirm our belief that the conflict in Afghanistan can be settled only through peaceful negotiations with the objective of establishing a broad-based, multi-ethnic and representative government.

Today I would like to highlight four elements that are essential for the achievement of a peaceful settlement of this prolonged conflict.

First, the Taliban and the other Afghan factions should immediately cease fighting and resume their dialogue. A durable peace can be achieved only through peaceful means, and we support all efforts towards that end. In this context, I wish to reiterate my Government's offer to host a meeting at which all Afghan factions can engage in dialogue in neutral surroundings, with the aim of finding a way to achieve national reconciliation.

Secondly, the countries concerned, and neighbouring countries in particular, should not interfere in the conflict, but rather should use their influence on the warring factions to bring the fighting to an end. It is especially important that all concerned stop extending military assistance or supplying arms to the warring factions and that they refrain from any other measures that could prolong the hostilities.

Thirdly, in view of the tremendous human suffering of the Afghan people, the international community should continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. The Afghanistan Support Group, whose sixth meeting was held in Canada this week, is performing a crucial service by exploring ways to ensure the effective and efficient implementation of such assistance. Japan, for its part, has provided humanitarian assistance through United Nations agencies and programmes, amounting to $400 million over the past 10 years.

Fourthly, the international community should convey to the Afghan factions, their leaders and the people a clear message that it will extend assistance to their national reconstruction efforts once the fighting ceases and peace is restored and a broad-based, multi-ethnic and representative government is formed. The establishment of such a government is indispensable for the provision of reconstruction assistance by the international community. We hope that such a strong international commitment will encourage the warring factions to come to the negotiating table and settle the dispute peacefully. Japan, for its part, renews its own commitment and readiness to contribute to the reconstruction of Afghanistan once peace has been restored.

The path to peace in Afghanistan is a long and arduous one. I believe, however, that the international community must persist in its efforts to convince the conflicting parties that the achievement of durable peace will be to their benefit. Japan will continue to play an active role in this endeavour.

Mr. Vural (Turkey)

There is no doubt, and the Secretary-General's report clearly testifies to this fact, that the political and humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan continues to be one of the most preoccupying and pressing problems of the international community. In Turkey, we have deep-rooted historical and cultural ties with the Afghan people. Our only desire is to see the emergence of a stable, peaceful and prosperous nation. This summer the level of fighting reached an unprecedented level when the Taliban forces launched their large-scale military offensive. This military campaign brought new problems to the already grave humanitarian and human rights situation on the ground. We are deeply concerned by the human rights violations, the discrimination against girls and women and acts of religious extremism, especially in areas under the control of the Taliban.

The by-products of the Afghan crisis -- such as refugees, illicit cultivation and trafficking of narcotic drugs, and shelter for international terrorism -- have taken on transborder dimensions with international implications. In Afghanistan, drugs, terror and arms are creating a vicious cycle, destructive for all. The United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention advocates a coordinated international response to the threats emanating from Afghanistan. We share this view.

The ethnic and religious nature of the conflict has entailed gross human rights violations, murders and the displacement of populations in northern Afghanistan. In this respect, specific cases, such as the tragic murder of United Nations personnel and of the Iranian diplomats, remain to be thoroughly investigated by the Taliban. The increased humanitarian needs arising from the intensification of the conflict in Afghanistan have confirmed the importance of the humanitarian operations of the United Nations agencies and its partners. However, the security problems of and the constraints on the access of United Nations humanitarian assistance are adding to the suffering of the people.

Turkey appointed a coordinator for Afghanistan at the ambassadorial level in September 1998, with the objective of establishing contacts with the parties in Afghanistan and with the interested States and of contributing to finding a solution to the Afghan problem through peaceful means. Our first-hand observations confirm the obvious: there can be no military solution to the Afghan crisis. The only viable solution to the problem remains the establishment of a broad-based, multi-ethnic government in which all the parties are represented. The parties can benefit from traditional methods, such as a Loya Jirgah or from modern concepts that would lead to the establishment of a new representative body acceptable to the people of Afghanistan. However, such a reconciliation process cannot resume unless a ceasefire is declared and a true dialogue begins among the parties. This stands as a primary task.

The preservation of the territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan is of utmost importance. Collective diplomatic efforts, with the United Nations playing the central role, continue to be the only efficient instrument that might lead the Afghan parties to a dialogue. The activities of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, are commendable and should be accorded the solid backing of the international community. The Organization of the Islamic Conference should also maintain its useful cooperation with the United Nations regarding Afghanistan.

Turkey is currently working on launching a humanitarian aid programme which will directly target the Afghan people as a whole. We are giving priority to the neediest, among them the disabled, infants and widows. We believe that the humanitarian aid schemes targeting Afghanistan should be broad-based, covering all segments of Afghan society. Turkey is also considering contributing to the United Nations humanitarian aid programme for Afghanistan.

We believe that the Afghan people look forward to rebuilding their unity and harmony. The tormenting experience they have gone through only vindicates their aspiration for national reconciliation. Turkey, as always, is ready to contribute to such an outcome. It is with this purpose that we support and co-sponsor the draft resolution before the General Assembly. I would like to thank the Government and the delegation of Germany for coordinating the preparation of this excellent draft resolution. We hope that its adoption by consensus will constitute a further step in the right direction.

Mr. Nejad Hosseinian (Iran)

I wish to begin by expressing my thanks to the Secretary-General for the complete report that we have received from him on the situation in Afghanistan. I should also like to thank him for the regular reports we received every three months throughout last year on the same issue. These reports reflect the sustained and dedicated efforts of the Secretary-General himself, as well as of his Special Envoy, Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, and his colleagues in the Department of Political Affairs and the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan (UNSMA), to bring about a political settlement to the crisis in Afghanistan.

Mr. Nejad Hosseinian (Iran)

Since last year's debate in the General Assembly on Afghanistan, the situation in that war-stricken country has, unfortunately, further deteriorated and the humanitarian situation worsened. Blatantly disregarding the international community's efforts for a peaceful settlement of the conflict and the desire of the Afghan people to reach national reconciliation, the Taliban made another futile attempt last summer to solve the problem by armed force. The counter-offensive launched one week later by the United Front resulted in its recapturing virtually all the lost ground, demonstrating once again that military action is not a solution.

Although the fighting made no overall difference to the military balance between the two warring sides, it added to the misery of the civilian population. Credible and continuing reports from Afghanistan indicated that the Taliban adopted what amounted to a scorched-earth policy in those areas where their offensive took place. There are reliable reports that the Taliban have intentionally burned houses and villages and systematically destroyed the agricultural base in the Shomali plains in order to dissuade the displaced inhabitants from going back.

The Secretary-General, in his report contained in document A/54/378, points out that

"The Taliban's conduct of forced displacement of the civilian population during their recent offensive in the Shomali plains is a particularly alarming signal which reflects the movement's apparent disregard for the concerns expressed by the international community." (A/54/378, para. 39)

The Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, in his briefing to the Security Council on 27 August 1999, provided the Council with detailed accounts of what he referred to as a "scorched-earth policy" conducted by the Taliban in the same area.

The acts committed by the Taliban in the Shomali plains appear to follow the same pattern as the massacre of thousands of innocent people in the wake of the Taliban capture of Mazar-i-Sharif in August 1998 and the systematic ethnic cleansing in Bamian in April and May this year, which were meant to change the demographic map of Afghanistan. We are deeply concerned by the ethnic nature of the conflict and by reports of persecution on the grounds of ethnic origin and religious persuasion. We regret that the conditions for investigation of the massacres committed previously by the Taliban were not met and that the preventive effect of such an investigation was thwarted. We also regret that Afghan women and girls continue to be denied access to health care, education and employment in all areas under the control of the Taliban.

While the situation in Afghanistan remains tragic, its wider repercussions are becoming ever more dangerous. The region and the wider world continue to be affected by the instability spreading from the lawlessness and chaos associated with this conflict and the wide-ranging threats arising from it: drug trafficking, refugee crisis and terrorism.

A chaotic situation, on the one hand, and the ill-advised policy pursued by the Taliban, on the other, have allowed Afghanistan to become by far the world's largest producer of opium, with, as the Secretary-General put it, 75 per cent of the world's opium production. Moreover, the statistics provided by the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) show that the illicit production of opium in Afghanistan roughly doubled in 1998 and 1999 to a record 4,600 metric tonnes.

It is self-evident that the rising trend in drug trafficking originating from the territory held by the Taliban is indeed a devastating and threatening global menace which affects all human societies. It is not only inflicting national human and financial damage, but is prone to cause inter-State tension, which may lead to regional and international instability.

The Islamic Republic of Iran, sharing a long border with Afghanistan, is currently engaged in a costly war against heavily armed drug traffickers on its eastern borders. Since the beginning of the current year, 160 Iranian anti-drug personnel have lost their lives in confrontation with armed smugglers, raising the total number of forces killed in this field to 2,852 since 1981. This year, a total of 170 metric tonnes of narcotics have been seized. The Islamic Republic of Iran has allocated billions of dollars to anti-drug projects in the past two decades, with the estimated cost of next year's campaign alone surpassing $1 billion.

We are of the view that the question of drug trafficking remains the common responsibility of all nations, especially those that have the greatest capabilities to confront this issue. Our efforts in this regard could succeed if coupled with the meaningful support and practical cooperation of the international community. We strongly believe that the United Nations system, as well as Member States, should play a more active part by providing meaningful political, material and financial assistance to countries neighbouring Afghanistan in order to strengthen their border security. I cannot fail to express appreciation for the practical initiatives which have been taken by UNDCP in providing assistance to strengthen the national basis for combating illicit drugs in our region.

My country has had to carry a disproportionate burden of the decades-long struggle in Afghanistan. We continue to host significant numbers of Afghan refugees. Unfortunately, the periodic resumption of the fighting in northern and central Afghanistan and the lack of will to work towards peace not only have created new internal displacements and fresh refugee flows to our country, but also undermine seriously the efforts towards voluntary repatriation of the Afghan refugees.

Despite the fact that nearly 2 million Afghan refugees living in Iran continue to place unduly heavy burdens on our country's limited resources, the Islamic Republic of Iran continues to abide by its international commitments in this respect. Likewise, owing to the international scope and nature of refugee crises, recognized by the relevant convention, we hope that other Member States will also confirm their commitments to the relevant convention by trying more effectively to put an end to the Afghan crisis and assisting more seriously those refugees living in Iran and those willing to return to Afghanistan.

Furthermore, lawlessness in Afghanistan continues to provide favourable conditions for terrorist bases and training camps. This situation obviously has negative implications for peace and security in the region and far beyond. While condemning the Taliban leadership for harbouring and maintaining terrorist camps in the Afghan territory under their control, we believe that terrorism is only one of the many side effects of the lingering conflict in Afghanistan, and that it cannot be addressed effectively and adequately unless the international community takes resolute action to stop the fighting in Afghanistan.

Adding to the destabilizing effects of the situation are disturbing reports about thousands of non-Afghan nationals taking part in the fighting on the side of the Taliban. If this trend is not reversed, the nature of the senseless war in Afghanistan may increasingly evolve towards an even more widespread and destructive regional conflict. Therefore, we call upon all concerned to adopt strict measures aimed at preventing their nationals from joining the Afghan parties.

We deeply regret that the summer military offensive by the Taliban took place in the wake of the high-level meeting of the "six plus two" group in Tashkent, held last July. At the same time, we take note of the continued readiness of the United Front to engage in a peace process with the Taliban, as noted by the Secretary-General in his two previous reports, and we regret that the Taliban continue to reject such a constructive approach.

The international character of and the apparent lack of solution for the situation in Afghanistan call for a reinforced effort of the United Nations and its Member States. We appeal to them to continue their efforts in order to bring an early end to the fighting and to promote the negotiating process in Afghanistan. Despite its shortcomings, the "six plus two" group remains a useful forum and mechanism in the peace process and should therefore be supported by the international community. We hope that the failure of the latest offensive by the Taliban to achieve its key objective will finally persuade them and their supporters that further fighting is futile and will encourage them to support peace initiatives.

We believe it is timely to recall that all of the resolutions of the Security Council on Afghanistan have been adopted unanimously, and the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly have gained increasing support from Member States with each passing year. At the fifty-third session of the General Assembly, nearly one third of the delegations sponsored the resolution on Afghanistan. It is even more encouraging to see that the number of sponsors of the current draft resolution has so far grown to nearly half of the general United Nations membership. Such strong support for the General Assembly draft resolution would indicate with great seriousness that ignoring the decisions of the United Nations and openly defying the international community cannot be continued with impunity.

The Islamic Republic of Iran continues to believe that because of the historical realities and the traditional and multi-ethnic structure of Afghanistan, only a genuinely broad-based, multi-ethnic and fully representative government which protects the rights of all Afghan people, with no distinction, can bring peace and normalcy to Afghanistan.

The issue of the tragic murder of the staff of the Consulate-General of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Republic News Agency's correspondent in Mazar-e-Sharif by the Taliban forces in August 1998 is still pending and remains unresolved. The Taliban, as the international community, including the Council itself, is fully aware, continue to stubbornly disregard the rules of international law and have yet to implement Security Council resolution 1214 (1998), which condemned this crime and in paragraph 5 called upon "the Taliban to cooperate with the United Nations in investigating these crimes with a view to prosecuting those responsible". I would like to emphasize that the Islamic Republic of Iran is determined to vigorously pursue the matter to a conclusion by which justice is served. We remain hopeful that the United Nations will continue its valuable efforts in this regard.

In closing, I would like to recall that the resumed fighting has led to large numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons. There are very few facilities available to these people. The situation in the Panjshir Valley, a remote and inaccessible area with insufficient means of subsistence, is especially alarming. Emergency humanitarian relief assistance, particularly food, clothing, medicine and shelter, is in great demand in that area and in many other parts of Afghanistan. We commend the Secretary-General for the coordination of all international efforts to deliver emergency assistance to Afghan people who need it and call upon the international community to spare no efforts in assisting those in need in Afghanistan.

In the light of the foregoing, my delegation has co-sponsored draft resolution A/54/L.58. I wish to place on record our appreciation to the delegation of Germany for the broad and lengthy consultations and coordination it carried out on this draft resolution.

Mr. Kolby (Norway)

I would like to begin by paying a special tribute to the Secretary-General for his efforts to find a peaceful solution to the armed conflict in Afghanistan, and to his Special Envoy, Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, for his tireless work over the last two years.

Norway has for many years been involved in Afghanistan through our support for various United Nations agencies and through a number of Norwegian and international non-governmental organizations. Norway chaired the second meeting of the Afghanistan donor group in New York in December 1997. Our support for the people of Afghanistan is based on a strong commitment to a negotiated solution to the armed conflict.

We welcome the Secretary-General's report on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security. Though we are deeply saddened by the lack of progress achieved so far, we recognize that, because of its increasing regional and international implications, it is necessary to keep the Afghan conflict high on the international agenda.

As the Secretary-General rightly points out in his report, the military conflict in Afghanistan is the root cause of a wide range of problems, including illegal drug trafficking, human rights abuses, religious extremism, terrorism and a lack of social and economic development. In addition to the disastrous consequences in terms of loss of human life and civilian suffering, the escalation of the military conflict last summer has further aggravated all these problems. Norway is greatly disturbed by the failure of the Afghan parties, in particular the Taliban, to recognize this, and by their lack of willingness to resume negotiations.

It is crucial to find a peaceful solution to the military conflict in Afghanistan. We welcome the peace initiatives taken by non-belligerent Afghan groups, such as the Loya Jirgah convened by the former King of Afghanistan in Rome in November.

Norway welcomes the Tashkent Declaration on Fundamental Principles for a Peaceful Settlement of the Conflict in Afghanistan. We regret that the situation has deteriorated since the meeting of the "six plus two" group in Tashkent last summer. We call upon the Afghan parties to implement the many constructive recommendations set out in the Declaration. We also call on the members of the "six plus two" group to adhere to their agreement not to provide military support to any Afghan party and to prevent their respective territories from being used for this purpose.

Once again, we would like to stress the regional dimension of the Afghan conflict. Drug trafficking and other illegal activities are impeding economic development in the whole region. As the world's largest producer of illicit opium, Afghanistan is a threat to stability and prosperity in its neighbouring countries as well. Norway is deeply worried by the reported rapid growth in drug abuse in the region. The social and economic cost of illegal drug trafficking adds to the destructive effects of the military conflict.

We appeal to all countries in the region to join in a common effort to put an end to the illegal traffic of drugs and arms, which is helping prolong the military conflict in Afghanistan. A political settlement of the Afghan conflict would make an important contribution to peace and stability in the whole region.

Norway strongly condemns the violations of human rights that are taking place in Afghanistan, including those inflicted on ethnic minorities, women and girls. We urge the warring factions to respect the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Norway is particularly alarmed by the violation of women's and children's rights. Education for all, including for girls and women, is the best possible investment in a country's future. We call upon the parties, in particular the Taliban, to promote free access to education, employment and health care for all citizens. Norway strongly denounces the recruitment of child soldiers, and we urge the parties to respect the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the tenth anniversary of which we celebrated last month.

Norway is alarmed by the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, especially for the large number of internally displaced people. It is crucial to bring an end to the fighting and to ensure safe access for humanitarian organizations. We call for a rapid return of the refugees, and we urge the parties to the conflict to allow relief agencies to provide assistance effectively and efficiently to all victims.

Through the Strategic Framework for Afghanistan, the United Nations has taken into account the interaction between political, humanitarian, human rights and other factors. Norway strongly supports this effort to give humanitarian assistance a place in the political process for peace and reconciliation.

Finally, we reaffirm our commitment to the re-establishment of peace in Afghanistan, and we give our full support to the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan in its efforts to bring about a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Mr. Granovsky (Russia)

Last year's events do not inspire us with hope for an early end to the armed conflict in Afghanistan and for the beginning of serious political dialogue among the major warring Afghan parties. There were certain expectations in connection with the activities of the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi, and also in connection with contacts between the Afghan sides in Ashgabat and Tashkent.

The adoption of the Tashkent Declaration on Fundamental Principles for Peaceful Settlement of the conflict in Afghanistan by the neighbours and friends of Afghanistan, the "six plus two" group was an important step forward. The States that signed this document urgently called upon the warring parties to renew their peaceful political negotiations with a view to establishing a broadly representative Government for Afghanistan; they expressed their readiness to promote such negotiations under the aegis of the United Nations and to make commitments not to provide military support to any Afghan party whatsoever.

However, only a few days later, the Taliban launched a new offensive. This led to the renewal of large-scale hostilities in Afghanistan and to yet another breakdown in international peace efforts. Hostilities continue to escalate in Afghanistan, because of the Taliban leadership, which embarked upon its policy of force to impose a solution to the Afghan problems. Of special concern is the fact that thousands of non-Afghan students, as well as hundreds of mercenaries and fighters from other countries, continue fighting on the Taliban's side.

We must put an end to the increasing outside interference in intra-Afghan affairs. Neighbours of Afghanistan must strictly comply with the relevant principles set forth in the Tashkent Declaration.

It is no secret that the Taliban-controlled territory in Afghanistan is being used to support international terrorism and extremism of all stripes and to encourage unlawful production of and trafficking in drugs. As a result of the Taliban's activities, Afghanistan has acquired a solid reputation as one of the world's hotbeds of terrorism and drugs, the negative effects of which are already being felt directly far beyond the limits of that country, including in some regions of Russia and the States of Central Asia. All of this directly affects the interests of our security, and we, along with our partners in the Commonwealth of Independent States will continue to take all necessary steps in this connection.

Russia supported Security Council resolution 1267 (1999), which strongly condemned the Taliban for sponsoring international terrorism and demanded that it hand over Usama bin Laden, the international terrorist. In the light of reports of bin Laden's support for terrorist groups on Russian territory, compliance with this resolution takes on special significance for us.

We call upon the international community to lend active support to the activities of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, designed to strengthen the opportunities for States neighbouring Afghanistan to halt the transport or flows of drugs.

In their resolutions, the Security Council and the General Assembly condemned the activities of the Taliban and put forward clear requirements regarding the principles for an Afghan settlement. The main requirement is the holding, under the auspices of the United Nations, of intra-Afghan negotiations designed to establish a broadly representative and multi-ethnic government that would ensure respect for the rights of all Afghans and fulfil Afghanistan's obligation, in accordance with international law, to comply with human rights law and international humanitarian law.

We would like to emphasize that talk of some kind of international recognition of the administration of the Taliban is in direct contradiction of these United Nations demands. The new spiral of fierce armed resistance begun by the Taliban has led to a worsening of the suffering of the Afghan population and to new flagrant violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law.

We demand that the Taliban movement immediately put an end to such practices, ensure the safety of international humanitarian personnel and fulfil other appropriate conditions for the lending of urgent humanitarian assistance by the international community to all of those who are in need of it, without any type of discrimination.

The United Nations, playing the central role in coordinating international efforts in Afghan matters, must take active steps to end the bloodshed and bring the parties to a peaceful settlement. We support the efforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan and of the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan, in fulfilment of General Assembly and Security Council resolutions.

We believe that the members of the "six plus two" group should take practical steps to carry out their obligations and thereby promote the establishment of favourable conditions to break the deadlock in the Afghan crisis. We welcome the latest meeting, which was concluded yesterday in Ottawa, of the Afghanistan Support Group, in which representatives of donor States, including Russia, and a number of international and non-governmental organizations participated. We hope that the results of that meeting will help enhance the effectiveness of international humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

Russia is prepared to continue constructive cooperation with all interested parties to find a settlement to the conflict in Afghanistan on the basis of General Assembly and Security Council resolutions.

Mr. Aboul Gheit (Egypt)

The humanitarian and political situation in Afghanistan continues to be a major source of concern for the international community. Continued fighting between the warring parties has become an unbearable burden for the Afghan people. There is therefore an ever-increasing need for the international community to pay more attention to the daily problems faced by the Afghan people, who aspire only to the bare essentials of life and security.

In this context, I would like to commend the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan (UNSMA) and the specialized agencies for their efforts aimed at alleviating the pain and suffering of the Afghan people. We appeal to all Afghan parties to cooperate with the Mission and to facilitate the work of the specialized agencies and others in providing assistance to the Afghan people.

There is no doubt that the continued fighting has exacerbated and complicated the problem of refugees and internally displaced persons. Furthermore, the warring parties' disregard for international norms and laws in dealing with unarmed civilian inhabitants has contributed to an exacerbation of the situation. This has resulted in waves of migration, sometimes voluntary and sometimes forced. People are migrating from their places of origin, thus complicating and worsening the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. We therefore believe that there is an urgent need to find a prompt solution to the refugee problem in order to enable the refugees to return voluntarily to their homelands and to provide them with the necessary living conditions.

Egypt would like to express its concern over the content of the report of the Secretary-General with regard to the possibility of an acute food shortage in Afghanistan next year. We urge the parties to the conflict that are taking intransigent positions as regards establishing a dialogue with the other parties to realize the gravity of the catastrophe facing the Afghan people and to demonstrate a sense of responsibility towards their people by overcoming their narrow interests and by taking immediate steps towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict in good faith and honesty.

Policies that breed terrorism and that support and encourage the production of drugs to finance the war machine have also become a major concern for the international community. There is no doubt that Security Council resolution 1267 (1999) and the presidential statement issued by the Council on 22 October 1999 constituted two very clear messages to the party in power: that it should realize the gravity of the situation and take into consideration the international community's great concern.

The Islamic world began the holy month of Ramadan yesterday, a month that calls for tolerance and the resolution of conflicts. I would like to take this opportunity to launch an appeal to the party that is contributing to the deterioration of the situation to cling to the genuine pillars of Islam, a religion that calls for equality among people -- both men and women -- and for putting an end to bloodshed and living in social interdependence. We urge all intransigent parties to refrain from any practices that fail to do justice to this holy religion, which has always called for peace and dialogue.

Mr. Haque (Pakistan)

Twenty years ago, in the month of December, Afghanistan was invaded by the forces of the former Soviet Union. Since that fateful day, Afghanistan and its suffering people have continued to be traumatized by war and conflict. The year 1989 was a watershed year in Afghanistan's history. Soviet forces withdrew and left behind a totally ravaged country. With the departure of foreign forces from their country, the Afghan people expected peace and the reconstruction of their shattered infrastructure, economy and lives. At a time when the Afghan need for external help and assistance in the rebuilding of the country was the greatest, the international community quickly disengaged itself. It ignored the people who had made great sacrifices to preserve their independence and sovereignty and who were just emerging from the ashes of a fierce, decade-long battle against foreign occupation. The conflict that rages in Afghanistan today is in large measure a direct consequence of that neglect, which continues to this day. As the Secretary-General has noted in his report, the response of the international community to the 1999 consolidated appeal for assistance to Afghanistan has been disappointing.

The effects of the two decades of conflict in Afghanistan have been truly devastating. Death and destruction have visited almost every Afghan household. Millions continue to live as refugees in foreign lands. The Afghan economy is in shambles, cities and towns have been reduced to rubble, the countryside has been ravaged, and institutional and State structures have been destroyed.

Tragically for the people of Afghanistan, the period covered in the report of the Secretary-General has not been much different from yesteryear's. Some brief flickers of hope were kindled, but were quickly stamped out by violent spells of internecine strife.

The two rounds of intra-Afghan talks in Ashkabad, held in February and April this year, enabled the two main parties to reach a framework agreement. However, unfortunately, the hopes generated by this process were soon dashed by mutual accusations and recriminations between the two warring sides, and the agreement fell by the wayside.

On 19 and 20 July, the "six plus two" group met in Tashkent. It was the first time that the group also met the two Afghan sides. The meeting adopted the Tashkent Declaration on Fundamental Principles for a Peaceful Settlement of the Conflict in Afghanistan.

The Declaration envisaged a two-stage process for the peaceful settlement of the conflict. In the immediate term, the Afghan parties were to be encouraged to adopt measures for building mutual confidence, including a ceasefire and direct negotiations on the exchange of prisoners of war and the lifting of internal blockades to promote reciprocal trade and the delivery of humanitarian assistance. The second stage called for the Afghans to draw up basic principles for the future States structures in Afghanistan and the establishment of a broad-based, multi-ethnic and fully representative Government.

The members of the "six plus two" collectively undertook not to provide military support to any Afghan party and to prevent the use of their territories for such purposes. A similar call was issued to the international community, including the adoption of measures to prevent the delivery of weapons to Afghanistan. Unfortunately, almost immediately after the Tashkent meeting, the deeply entrenched mutual suspicions between the two main Afghan parties led to a new round of hostilities, which began with rocket attacks on 27 July on Kabul by the United Front and a ground offensive by the Taliban forces the next day.

In response to an appeal by Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani, Pakistan undertook the initiative to facilitate reconciliation between the two Afghan parties. As a facilitator, Pakistan merely undertook to faithfully convey the views of the two sides to each other. A number of meetings were held with both sides, but the initiative did not succeed because of the contradictions in the private views and public pronouncements of the representatives of the United Front as well as their excessive demands, which were not acceptable to the Taliban.

The latest round of hostilities now appears to have run out of steam. It is our sincere hope that during the intervening period between now and next spring, the two sides will realize the futility of conflict and the wisdom of rebuilding an Afghanistan at peace with itself.

We believe that an end to outside interference in Afghanistan would help to promote the prospects of peace and an intra-Afghan dialogue. Pakistan has proposed on a number of occasions the imposition of an arms embargo applicable to the whole of Afghanistan. An embargo on military supplies would greatly reduce the ability of the Afghan factions to continue to wage their self-destructive war. We will continue to work for this objective.

However, we believe that the arms embargo must also be accompanied by a comprehensive international programme for the reconstruction of Afghanistan and the rehabilitation of the Afghan refugees. The economic reconstruction of Afghanistan would strengthen and reinforce the impulses for peace and stability in that country.

The continuation of war in Afghanistan has direct and dire consequences for Pakistan, since our countries share a border that extends over 2,500 kilometres. Pakistan cannot isolate itself from the fallout of the conflict in Afghanistan. The influx of millions of Afghan refugees to Pakistan has imposed heavy social and economic costs on Pakistan. While the overall size of the Afghan refugee population in Pakistan has ebbed and flowed, approximately 1.8 million refugees remain in Pakistan even today. They represent the largest concentration of refugees in any part of the world.

Pakistan has no option but to deal as best it can with the ground realities in Afghanistan, particularly the fact that the Taliban government controls 90 per cent of the territory, including the capital, Kabul. Our problems as a neighbour of Afghanistan are different from the ones of those who find it easy to prescribe panaceas, offer advice or make demands from afar.

No country in the world stands to gain more than Pakistan from the return of peace and stability to Afghanistan. Accordingly, our policy towards Afghanistan is predicated on a desire to promote a peaceful solution to the Afghan conflict.

We have fully supported the efforts of the United Nations as well as the initiatives of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in the shared belief that there can only be a negotiated solution to Afghanistan. We are convinced also that only an intra-Afghan consensus can ensure durable peace in Afghanistan. There can be no solution imposed from outside. That is an immutable lesson of Afghan history.

The key to peace in Afghanistan lies in the engagement of both Afghan parties and not in the isolation of one or the other. The international community must remain neutral between the parties for it to remain a credible interlocutor. To demonize one side would be counterproductive. It is through impartiality that the international community can hope to bring durable peace to Afghanistan. It is not possible, nor would it be fair, to single out any one Afghan party and hold it responsible for the cumulative ills of the last 20 years in Afghanistan.

It must not be forgotten that in the intervening period between the end of foreign occupation of Afghanistan and the advent of the Taliban movement, the very factions that now form the United Front were at war among themselves as well as against other Afghan groups. The Taliban emerged only a few years back, as a reaction to the excesses of the Afghan warlords. As such, the blame for the disaster in Afghanistan cannot be laid at the door of the Taliban, to the exclusion of those who preceded them.

Pakistan believes that the "six plus two" group can, and must, play its role in finding a durable solution to the conflict in Afghanistan. We do not share the doubts expressed by some about the effectiveness of that group. The Tashkent Declaration was a clear manifestation of the agreement of the group on the steps to be taken for the return of peace to Afghanistan. Furthermore, while we appreciate the decision of the Secretary-General to strengthen and upgrade the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan, we regret that the work of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General has been frozen, at his own request. We believe that the United Nations, the Secretary-General and his Special Envoy must continue their efforts to promote peace in Afghanistan. The international community must remain engaged and utilize to the maximum the window of opportunity presented by the onset of winter for the promotion of negotiations between the warring parties.

I would now briefly like to comment on the draft resolution contained in document A/54/L.58, which was presented to the General Assembly earlier this afternoon. We proposed a number of constructive amendments to inject some balance into the text. A few of our proposals were accepted; most were not. In our view, the draft resolution, as submitted, remains one-sided and biased. Pakistan does not condone excesses by any party to the conflict in Afghanistan. However, we note that the draft resolution holds the Taliban primarily responsible for most, if not all aspects of the Afghan situation. It ignores some constructive steps on the part of the Taliban, whether they relate to the destruction of heroin laboratories, to the successful crop substitution efforts under the pilot programme of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme or to improvements, howsoever limited, in education and health care for women and girls. It does not acknowledge that large areas under the control of the Taliban are relatively stable and secure, which could encourage the voluntary return of refugees, provided international assistance is forthcoming.

We also note that the Secretary-General has announced his intention to progressively move the head office of the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan to Kabul. Obviously, such a decision is predicated on improved and more secure conditions in areas controlled by the Taliban Government. The draft resolution also eschews any criticism of the United Front, whether in relation to external military support, human rights excesses, violations of international humanitarian law, drug trafficking, the use of anti-personnel landmines or other issues. Above all, the draft resolution sends out the wrong message to the two main Afghan parties currently locked in battle.

The one-sided nature of the text would strengthen the belief among the Taliban that they are discriminated against unfairly by the United Nations. It would also encourage the United Front to raise its expectations and demands, secure in the belief that it enjoys the support of powerful countries. This would militate against and complicate the prospects of negotiations for peace between the Afghan parties. Due to these serious shortcomings, Pakistan has decided to dissociate itself from the draft resolution in document A/54/L.58, being considered by the General Assembly.

Mr. Vohidov (Uzbekistan)

Allow me at the outset to express our gratitude to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his annual report on the situation in Afghanistan, in which he sheds light on the events that have taken place in Afghanistan over the past year in the military, political and humanitarian spheres, and also sets out his views of further ways and means of considering and resolving the Afghan problem. We believe that the report as a whole served as a good basis for drawing up the draft resolution submitted for our consideration today.

It is clear that the many years of conflict in Afghanistan have been a source of pain not only to the Afghan people, but also to the peoples of Central and South Asia, as well as to the rest of the international community. The long-lasting civil war and the continued instability have long since crossed the border of Afghanistan and spread their negative effects far beyond the region. The international community cannot fail to express its concern over what is taking place today in that long-suffering country and its vicinity.

The terrible consequences of the civil war in Afghanistan include constant violations of human rights and freedoms, the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of peaceful inhabitants, the dangerous spread of the trade in drugs and arms, the growing threat of international terrorism, regional extremism and the radicalization of the peaceful, humanistic and lofty character of one of the world's major religions, Islam. These phenomena are taking on increasingly negative forms, and the victims are the completely innocent inhabitants of the States Members of the United Nations.

The item under consideration in the General Assembly today has been on its agenda for almost 20 years, since 1980. Once again, the international community must express its concern about the fate of that country, and all its peoples and ethnic groups, and about the fact that war and conflict have deprived its people of their homeland, doomed it to destruction and deprivation, reversed its economic development and lowered standards of living for decades to come. For Uzbekistan, which has a common border with Afghanistan, this issue is of special concern and very timely. The re-establishment in Central Asia of new, independent States with significant human and natural resources has resulted in the creation of a new geopolitical region that, with further consistent progress, might be transformed into one of the dynamically developing markets of the world in the twenty-first century. However, the success of such an important development will depend to a significant extent on ensuring a peaceful settlement of the Afghan conflict and establishing lasting peace, security and stability throughout the region.

The rapid achievement of a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Afghanistan, to which there can be no alternative, would give a powerful impetus to the establishment of conditions necessary for ensuring mutually advantageous regional cooperation among all the countries of the region. Uzbekistan therefore believes that is extremely important for Afghanistan to become a peaceful, stable and secure State with a strong, authoritative, multi-ethnic, broad-based and representative government that is capable of achieving national consensus and ensuring internal stability, respect for the norms of international law and good-neighbourly relations with neighbouring countries.

In recent years, the Republic of Uzbekistan has consistently made efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Afghan problem with the specific intention of strengthening regional stability and security. Such aspirations determined the constructive approach taken by my country, within the framework of the "six plus two" group, in carrying out under the auspices of the United Nations its activities to seek ways and means of finding a political settlement of the conflict in Afghanistan.

I should like to note that, despite some recent criticism of a lack of success in the activities of the "six plus two" group, the group has in a relatively short time gained experience, in cooperation with other interested countries, in seeking ways to break the deadlock in the Afghan crisis. Since its inception the group has shown itself to be an effective international mechanism with enormous potential for achieving a peaceful solution to the Afghan problem. In our view, this potential was visible also in the high-level meeting of the "six plus two" group held on 19 and 20 July 1999 at Tashkent, with the participation of the Afghan sides, and in the adoption of the Tashkent Declaration on Fundamental Principles for a Peaceful Settlement of the Conflict in Afghanistan. Judging from the reaction of the international community, that Declaration and the relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions are viewed as the principal international documents relating to a peaceful long-term settlement of the Afghan conflict.

To achieve effective results, the members of the group must display the necessary political will in fulfilling their commitments under the Tashkent Declaration, as repeatedly urged by the international community at large. Here, it is important too that the Afghan parties should heed the views of the international community and take a genuinely positive and constructive approach to a peaceful settlement of the Afghan conflict. Settlement of the Afghan conflict is a matter first and foremost for the Afghans themselves. All parties to the Afghan conflict, including the forces backing them, must realize that, even more than in the past, there can be no military solution now or in the future.

In our view, the only way out of the situation is to bring about an immediate end to hostilities, a ceasefire, and a resumption of dialogue among the Afghan sides with a view to beginning a negotiating process, under United Nations auspices, intended to achieve lasting peace and stability.

Uzbekistan is convinced that the United Nations, as a generally acknowledged neutral mediator, must continue to play a central role in all international efforts to achieve a peaceful settlement of the Afghan conflict. In that connection, we welcome and support the efforts made by the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, and by the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan. We place high value too on the endeavours of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, who in recent years has devoted himself to active peace negotiations with a view to achieving a peaceful settlement of the Afghan problem. We firmly call upon the Afghan parties to cooperate constructively and positively with the Special Envoy's peacemaking efforts; that would enable him to fulfil his mandate more effectively.

The most important elements of Uzbekistan's foreign policy relating to the peaceful settlement of the Afghan conflict are the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan and the maintenance of its sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and national unity. While Uzbekistan's policy upholds the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, we intend vigorously to support United Nations initiatives to break the deadlock in the Afghan problem, to cooperate actively with all interested parties in bringing peace to that country, and to support contacts with the Afghan parties to the conflict.

We are gravely concerned also about other aspects of the inter-Afghan crisis. The use of Afghan territory for training international terrorists and extremists and for conducting planning and training for terrorist acts has a highly destabilizing effect throughout the region, and particularly in Central Asia. In that connection, we sharply condemn all activities of terrorist and extremist groups in Afghanistan aimed against the interests of States Members of the United Nations and of their citizens. We welcome and support all General Assembly and Security Council resolutions on this matter. In that connection, Uzbekistan fully supports Security Council resolution 1267 (1999) of 15 October 1999.

Nor can we fail to be gravely concerned also about the establishment on Afghan territory of major drug production centres. These harmful substances are increasingly spreading to neighbouring countries and to other regions and subject their vulnerable societies to the most nefarious influences. According to the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, illegal production of opium in Afghanistan doubled between 1998 and 1999, to 4,600 metric tonnes. The illegal drug trade, which is usually coupled with arms trafficking and other criminal activities, poses a serious threat to the entire region. We are concerned about this and call upon the Afghan parties to put an immediate end to all unlawful activities in this sphere; we support the efforts of the international community and of international organizations, in particular the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, to put an end to the illegal production of narcotic drugs in Afghanistan.

It would be in everyone's interest to enter the twenty-first century having done away with the blights on our planet, first and foremost the armed conflicts that daily cost many thousands of innocent lives. On the threshold of the new millennium, we must face an urgent challenge, to which the world community has been giving its most focused attention: to make effective progress in the peace process in Afghanistan and to put an early end to the many years of destructive war there. Uzbekistan intends to play a most active role in international efforts to that end.

Based on that position of principle Uzbekistan has joined in sponsoring the draft resolution before the Assembly today.

Mr. Farhâdi (Afghanistan)

In discussing the draft resolution now before us, my delegation would like to thank the Secretary-General for his comprehensive report of 16 November 1999 on the situation in Afghanistan (A/54/536). The report for the first time takes a new approach to determining, inter alia, the extent of foreign military involvement in Afghanistan, particularly in comparison with previous reports, and it explicitly asserts the existence of foreign military units. The amply documented facts contained in the report enable the international community to cross-check the realities about the now-revealed agenda of both Pakistan and its mercenaries, the Taliban, in Afghanistan and in the region.

By the same token, the report highlights important facts relating to the existence of international terrorist networks operating from the region and beyond in collaboration with the Taliban militia, the colossal increase in opium production in the Taliban-held areas of Afghanistan and, finally, the persistent threat to international peace and security posed by the talibanization of the region. In addition, the report amply reflects the Taliban's gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. In addition, the report amply reflects the Taliban's gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.

Before addressing certain specific aspects of this report, I feel obliged to remind this Assembly of the Islamic State of Afghanistan's continued projection of the far-reaching ominous repercussions emanating from Talibanism, since as early as 1995. There were early warnings of the imminent threat of Talibanism, including its profound links to the extremist and terrorist networks of the region and beyond, its close collaboration with the politico-military drug mafia of Pakistan and its politico-ideological agenda in South and Central Asia, all of which constitute a major threat to the peace and stability of the region and the world.

Regrettably, despite these early warnings, the initial rise of the Taliban was galvanized by short-sighted views coming from certain countries in the region and beyond. These countries aimed at capitalizing on the Taliban for their own strategic and mercantilistic interests, without an in-depth analysis of crucial realities such as the geopolitical situation of Afghanistan, the significance of its not being allied with any regional country, its desire not to be subservient to any country, the ethnic composition of its people and their resolve not to succumb to any foreign domination.

Allow me to highlight by category certain main points of the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Afghanistan (A/54/536).

First, on foreign intervention and the existence of foreign military units in Afghanistan: references to the existence of non-Afghan combatants arriving from Pakistan are made in paragraphs 5, 33, 35 and 75 of the report. Paragraph 75 in addition confirms the involvement of Pakistani fighters in the combat against the armed forces of the Islamic State of Afghanistan, reading,

"Equally alarming and unacceptable is the growing presence of thousands of foreign volunteers', mainly on the side of the Taliban. Those non-Afghan fighters, some still children under the age of 14, come mostly from religious schools in Pakistan. Reports indicate that there are also independent units of Arab and other non-Afghan fighters who are fighting along with the Taliban troops, but under separate commands. It is deeply disturbing that an increasing number of non-Afghan fighters are taking part in the actual combat, as well as the planning and logistical support of military offensives."

While we thank the Secretary-General for having rightly included in his report the crucial factor of the existence of Pakistani and other foreign fighters in Afghanistan, the Islamic State of Afghanistan expects the Security Council to identify the Pakistani aggression in Afghanistan and to call upon that country to withdraw its so-called volunteers and its military personnel from Afghanistan, as it did earlier this year from Kargil, in the interest of peace and stability in the region.

On the unilateral withdrawal of the Taliban militia from the United Nations-sponsored Ashgabat peace talks, their total disregard of the Tashkent "six plus two" meeting and the summer Pakistani-Taliban offensive, paragraphs 10 to 17 of the report of the Secretary-General refer to the three rounds of intra-Afghan talks brought about through the discreet efforts of the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan and certain neighbouring countries during the year. Two successive rounds of these talks took place in Ashgabat, 10-11 February and 11-14 March 1999. However, on 10 April, the Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, issued a statement calling for a unilateral suspension of the talks by the Taliban. Subsequent diplomatic efforts to bring the Taliban back to the negotiating table proved futile.

On 19 July of this year, at the invitation of the Government of Uzbekistan, member States of the "six plus two" group met in Tashkent and adopted the Declaration on Fundamental Principles for a Peaceful Settlement of the Conflict in Afghanistan, known as the Tashkent Declaration. The Declaration made strong appeals to both sides to refrain from initiating any major new military offensives, as simultaneously called for by Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Afghanistan.

The appeals met with belligerent contempt from the Taliban troops, who, accompanied by armed Pakistani and Arab fighters, soon thereafter launched a major military offensive north of Kabul. Putting this major offensive in perspective, paragraph 4 of the Secretary-General's report reads,

"The level of fighting reached an unprecedented scale for 1999 when the Taliban launched a major ground and air offensive against UF on 28 July. The offensive, which Taliban leaders called a decisive battle to defeat UF, not only shattered the hopes for peace raised at the Tashkent meeting of the Six plus Two' group, but also added further problems to the already grave humanitarian and human rights situations on the ground."

Significant, however, is the fact that the relentless last-ditch attempt by the Secretary-General's Special Envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi, aimed at averting this major offensive through the influence that Pakistan maintains on the mercenary group, as referred to in paragraph 34 of the report, yielded no tangible results.

Remaining incontrovertibly convinced of the massive and direct involvement of Pakistan in the fighting, and as the evolution of the military events throughout the year have grown more and more revealing to the international community, the Islamic State of Afghanistan sees the July offensive as a Pakistani offensive against the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan.

Pakistan's acts of aggression in Afghanistan require clear and resolute action by the United Nations. The Islamic State of Afghanistan is of the conviction that mere rhetoric and adopting policies of appeasement towards the aggressor will do nothing but further embolden the aggressor. It is, we believe, high time for the United Nations to take strong measures against the aggressor in the case of Afghanistan, thereby upholding the sacred purpose of the maintenance of international peace and security and sparing the lives of innocent people who are victims of years of foreign intervention.

As regards the grave breaches of international humanitarian law and human rights by the Taliban: while today marks the fifty-first anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and we are on the verge of the twenty-first century and of the next millennium, it is dismaying to see the Taliban championing the cause of human rights violations and of breaches of international humanitarian law.

Paragraphs 58 to 62 of the report explain the Taliban's massive and gross human rights violations, which have continued unabated throughout the year. The report reflects the widespread suffering and the many miseries the people of Afghanistan have continued to be subjected to by the Taliban militia during this past year, whose acts have included deliberate targeting of civilians and non-combatants, summary execution of women and children, forced displacement of civilians, arbitrary detention, the separation of families and women from their menfolk, the abduction of children and women, the looting and burning of their houses and the systematic destruction of their entire agricultural infrastructure.

In this regard, the Pakistani daily, The Frontier Post, on 6 December -- just four days ago -- published an article by a Pakistani commentator in which he said,

"They [the Taliban] could not establish well-recognized norms of governance which should have been acceptable ... within or outside Afghanistan. Their mode of governance has practically disabled the Afghans to shape their own future and pushed Afghanistan [into] the backyard of the underdeveloped world ... Summary executions, separation of men from families, arbitrary detentions, abduction and disappearance of women, burning and destruction of homes and property, including chopping of trees, are reported to be common."

The Frontier Post continues,

"Such lawlessness can only destabilize a society to a state of [no] return. Such [a] state of affairs demands that human rights issues of the people of Afghanistan should be addressed on [a] priority basis by the international community. A meaningful advance can be made only if a government representing all ethnic groups is established as a first step."

The commentator, Mr. M. S. Qazi, then writes that vis-à-vis the Taliban, "a review of Pakistan's foreign policy objectives is essential".

The conditions described above by the Secretary-General and the Pakistani commentator draw a picture of the realities in the Taliban-held Afghan areas. Unfortunately, despite these realities many Pakistani statesmen and officials flaunt the grandeur of their relations with the Taliban, claiming that the Taliban have restored peace and normalcy in many parts of Afghanistan. The reality in the Taliban-held Afghan areas is that there has been a de facto military occupation by Pakistan, by which more than half of the nation has been placed under virtual house arrest, gender apartheid instituted in the form of the most misogynistic regime, all international laws and norms continuously breached, terrorism publicly sponsored, other countries threatened and the largest quantity of illicit opium in the world produced.

There is also a flip side to the Pakistani interpretation of the realities in the Taliban-held Afghan areas. In fact, in virtually all Taliban-held territories of Afghanistan there are varying degrees of resistance against the Taliban and their Pakistani mentor. Naturally, the resistance is aimed at breaking their firm military grip.

While we are thankful to the Secretary-General for his tragic picture of the atrocities -- all of which were committed against civilians by the Taliban -- the Islamic State of Afghanistan further expects the Secretary-General to invite the Security Council to pay due attention to this alarming situation and to the significant suffering of the Afghan people. Given the situation, there is a dire need to take the necessary measures against the perpetrators. Failure to act vigorously against such crimes, we believe, would undoubtedly lead to a sense of unaccountability and impunity for those involved in the heinous crimes enumerated by the Secretary-General.

Regarding the massive production of narcotics by the Taliban militia, the world's largest illicit supplier of opium, the United Nations International Drug Control Programme testified earlier this year that more than 96 per cent of Afghan opium -- a quantity estimated at 4,600 metric tons and with an end value of $100 billion -- comes from areas under the control of the Taliban.

My delegation spoke last year from this very rostrum about the evil triangle that is haunting our region. The evil triangle we seek to reveal is between, first, the politico-military mafia of Pakistan; secondly, branches of international terrorism and drug traffickers operating from the region; and thirdly, the notorious Taliban militia.

Combating such a transnational organized crime network, which finances the hegemonic purposes of Pakistan and the Taliban's war machine, in addition to associated terrorist groups, demands firm and robust action by the international community and the countries of the region. Mere reports that only establish facts without making an in-depth analysis of the phenomenon and recommendations for a concerted strategy to combat the problem are not enough to advance the struggle against illicit drug trafficking.

As regards the Security Council's sanctions against the Taliban, one of the major political developments within the framework of the United Nations is resolution 1267 (1999), unanimously adopted on 15 October 1999. As is explained by the Secretary-General in paragraph 22 of his report, the Security Council resolution imposing sanctions on the Taliban was to become effective unless the Taliban turned over Mr. bin Laden within 30 days from the date of the resolution's adoption. Given the lack of resolve by the Taliban to comply with the demand, the sanctions came into effect on 14 November 1999.

In this context, we have welcomed the clause on humanitarian exceptions, which would ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people who are innocent, irrespective of their geographical location. The main objective of the sanctions is to curtail the financial resources of the Taliban and their money-laundering operations, which come mainly from the proceeds of drug trafficking and donations from their rich and wrong-headed overseas sympathizers.

However, ample amounts of commentary and criticism from different Afghan circles, expressing their disappointment over the formulation and limited nature of the resolution, which is understood to be mainly focused on the extradition of only one individual, continue to raise many questions. They clearly construe this resolution to indicate that all breaches of the peace and violations of international law as enshrined in the Charter, including interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign State and the perpetration of heinous crimes by non-Afghan combatants, including Pakistani military personnel and armed "volunteers", as well as the Taliban militia, shall go unpunished. They interpret the Security Council resolution, in fact, as giving them a green light to engage in a scorched-earth policy, to openly pursue the looting and torching of houses, and to commit crimes against humanity, war crimes and violations of international humanitarian law. Many eyebrows have been raised about the resolution and questions raised about the strange attitude of indifference towards the Pakistani aggression, the continued crimes of armed Pakistani and Taliban men and the double standard of the Security Council towards the principles of equality of States and the disposition of the United Nations Charter, set forth in its Preamble as the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small.

Yet, in order to protect life, liberty and security and to end the significant suffering of any human person threatened by aggression and terrorism -- whether living inside or outside Taliban-held territories -- it is necessary that the scope of the sanctions imposed under the resolution not be limited solely to extraditing Bin Laden from Afghanistan.

The Islamic State of Afghanistan has always supported the efforts of Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Afghanistan, as well as of the United Nations Special Mission in Afghanistan in their dedicated and tireless endeavours to bring a lasting peace to Afghanistan. We are thankful to the Secretary-General for acknowledging and welcoming the willingness of the Islamic State of Afghanistan to talk with the Taliban in order to reach a solution to the Afghanistan problem.

The Islamic State of Afghanistan -- mindful of the principle of the peaceful settlement of conflicts -- earnestly desires a broad-based, fully representative and multi-ethnic Government in Afghanistan. The Islamic State of Afghanistan, struggling for sovereignty and the return of peace and normalcy through the institution of such a Government, highly aspires to the settlement of fundamental issues, such as the restoration and full observance of human rights in Afghanistan, particularly women's and girls' human rights. The Islamic State of Afghanistan is of the firm conviction that the reconstruction and cultural and economic development of Afghanistan can never be totally or effectively possible if Afghan women are deprived of their God-given rights to public education and to work.

The people of the Islamic State of Afghanistan genuinely aspire to an early return of peace and normalcy, hoping Afghanistan will be not merely a neighbour of, but also a potential friend to all neighbouring and regional countries, including Pakistan. Afghanistan would extend full trade cooperation, such as the facilitation of north-south and east-west transit routes, to the benefit of all countries of the region and beyond. The Islamic State of Afghanistan is striving for the restoration of friendly relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan based on the equality of sovereign States and contingent on the continuity of mutual respect.

The Islamic State of Afghanistan, by co-sponsoring the draft resolution before us, once again reaffirms its position that there is no military solution to the current conflict in Afghanistan.

I would like to conclude by expressing my delegation's sincere gratitude and thanks to the German delegation and Ambassador Kastrup for their untiring and strenuous efforts in coordinating the work on the draft resolution on Afghanistan. I would like also to extend my appreciation to all the numerous delegations that have sponsored the draft resolution. We rest assured that, as is its established practice, the General Assembly will adopt the draft resolution, which is sponsored by more than 80 countries, without a vote.

I wish to say one last word. In his statement, the representative of Pakistan spoke just now of Pakistan's peacemaking efforts and good offices among the Taliban parties. In reality, all Pakistan's efforts, which it claims to be the work of facilitation, are focused on confusing world public opinion about its military involvement in Afghanistan. This is now a well-known fact, widely reported by the Secretary-General in his recent report on the situation in Afghanistan. The only service that can be provided by Pakistan in the interests of peace and stability in the region is to withdraw its military personnel and so-called "volunteers" from Afghanistan. All armed Pakistanis have to leave Afghanistan. Pakistan is directly involved in the Afghanistan conflict and cannot be a peace-broker in Afghanistan.

The main purpose of the Pakistani emissary's visit to the North to make diplomatic contact was to urge the Islamic State of Afghanistan to accept the so-called "emirate" of the Taliban and thus to surrender to the Taliban. This absurd demand was, of course, categorically rejected. Pakistan is earnestly asked to evacuate the armed Pakistanis from Afghanistan. This would be a service that Pakistan could render to the peace process in Afghanistan.

The Acting President

I should like to inform members that, in order to allow time for the review of the programme budget implications of draft resolution A/54/L.58, action on the draft resolution will be taken at a later date to be announced.