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56th Plenary Meeting of General Assembly 72nd Session
The security and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan remained precarious and required the support of regional and international partners, particularly in addressing the concerning nexus between terrorism and narcotics, the General Assembly heard today as it held its annual debate on the Central Asian nation.
Before the Assembly was the draft resolution “The situation in Afghanistan” (document A/72/L.8), tabled since 1980 and expected to be adopted on 21 November. By the text’s terms, the Assembly would reiterate its grave concern about the security situation, stressing the need to continue to address the threats caused by illegal armed groups and criminals in the region.
By other terms, the Assembly would condemn all acts of violence and terrorist attacks and stress the need for the Government of Afghanistan and the international community to work together to improve coordination in countering such acts. It would also note with great concern the strong nexus between the drug trade and terrorist activities by terrorist groups and call upon the international community to continue to assist the Government in implementing its national drug control strategy and national drug action plan. The Assembly would also express concern over the recent increase in the number of internally displaced persons.
Also before the Assembly were two reports of the Secretary-General: “Special report on the strategic review of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan” (document A/72/312–S/2017/696) and “The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security” (document A/72/392–S/2017/783).
During the debate, delegates voiced broad support for efforts to confront pressing challenges, including the rising number of terrorist attacks against civilians and security forces. Many mentioned expressions of that support in 2017 had come through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Resolute Support Mission, European Union Afghanistan strategy, Afghanistan High Peace Council’s Strategic Plan for Peace and Reconciliation, and the initiation of the Kabul process on peace and security. Others pledged to assist ongoing efforts, including rebuilding Afghanistan’s infrastructure and boosting economic development, and commended important regional developments such as the Lapis Lazuli Transit, Trade and Transport Route agreement.
Abdullah Abdullah, Chief Executive of Afghanistan, provided a snapshot of the situation on the ground, reporting steady progress in the development of national infrastructure, including roads, industry, energy and transport. While the security landscape had seen national forces effectively thwarting terrorist groups’ attempts to make gains or capture a major urban centre, he cautioned that “we are not dealing with one, but several terrorist outfits that either mirror each other under different labels or indirectly support overlapping agendas”. Calling for a more focused and collective effort from the region and international community to address the dangerous nexus between terrorism and narcotic drugs, he said a core issue was resolving the problem of regional terrorist sanctuaries. “We need to agree to fight all forms and shades of terror,” he said, adding that negative State rivalries and the use of violent proxy forces were counterproductive. “We can and should no longer harbor or support one group while we fight another and claim to be fighting terrorism,” he said, emphasizing the importance of fostering stable and constructive relations with all neighbours, particularly Pakistan.
The representative of Pakistan said that apart from the Afghan people, her country’s citizens had suffered the most from decades of war in Afghanistan. Pakistan had conducted the largest anti terrorism campaign in the world at its border, and in doing so had paid a heavy price, she said, adding that more than 27,000 Pakistanis, including thousands of soldiers, had been killed. Terrorist groups posed a clear and present danger within and beyond Afghanistan’s border, she added, emphasizing that the protracted conflict had also prevented the region from recognizing its potential.
Many delegates raised concerns about a growing narcotics problem. The Russian Federation’s representative noted a recent United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report that said opium production had nearly doubled, accounting for a large percentage of terrorist financing. Echoing that sentiment, India’s delegate questioned where those drugs were going to and who was benefitting from such trade. Noting that only a fraction of the revenue generated by the cultivation and trafficking of Afghan opiates reached Afghan trafficking groups, he asked: “If not the Afghan, who is controlling and benefiting from this nexus?”
Neighbouring countries shared their perspectives. Iran’s representative said that underdevelopment, low income and lack of economic opportunities were providing fertile ground and recruitment opportunities for terrorist groups and drug networks.
Underscoring the need for enhanced economic engagement, Turkmenistan’s delegate noted that her country had provided Afghanistan with essential aid in energy, transport, education and health care. Creating jobs and improving education would also positively impact the country, she said.
Concerns about security were also raised. The representative of the United States, observing that it had been 16 years since his country had taken action in Afghanistan, cited a recent commitment among NATO allies to increase troop levels on the ground, in line with the goal of achieving an Afghan owned and Afghan led political settlement. To all parties fighting against the Afghan army, he declared, “You cannot win on the battlefield — the only path to peace is negotiation,” calling on parties to cut ties with terrorist groups and advance talks towards peace.
Also speaking today were representatives of Germany, Australia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Canada, Uzbekistan, China, United Arab Emirates, Georgia, Lithuania, Belgium, Japan, Egypt, Italy, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, as well as the European Union.
In other matters, the General Assembly agreed to extend the work of the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) until 30 November 2017.
The Assembly will reconvene at 3 p.m. today to elect a member to the International Court of Justice. It will then convene on Tuesday, 21 November, at 10 a.m. to conclude its debate on Afghanistan.
