UN / GUTERRES AFGHANISTAN

Secretary-General António Guterres said, “Afghanistan is spinning out of control,” and called on the Taliban “to immediately halt the offensive and to negotiate in good faith in the interest of Afghanistan and its people.” UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:35
• Production Date: 13 August 2021
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: ANTONIO GUTERRES
• Corporate Name: SECURITY COUNCIL
• Subject Topical: HUMANITARIAN CRISIS; PEACE AND SECURITY
• Geographic Subject: AFGHANISTAN
• MAMS Id: 2646868
• Parent Id: 2646868
• Alternate Title: unifeed210813c

Description

STORY: UN / GUTERRES AFGHANISTAN
TRT: 01:35
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 13 AUGUST 2021, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

RECENT – NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters

13 AUGUST 2021, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Secretary-General António Guterres walks up the podium
3. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Even a country that has tragically known generations of conflict, Afghanistan is in the throes of yet another chaotic and desperate chapter – an incredible tragedy for its long-suffering people. Afghanistan is spinning out of control.”
4. Wide shot, Guterres at the podium
5. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Continued urban conflict will mean continued carnage — with civilians paying the highest price. I call on all parties to take heed of the conflict's heavy toll and its devastating impact on civilians. They all must do more to protect civilians. I remind all parties of their legal and moral obligation to take all measures to protect civilians. Directing attacks against civilians is a serious violation of international humanitarian law and amounts to a war crime.”
6. Wide shot, Guterres at the podium
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Inger Andersen, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):
“I call on the Taliban to immediately halt the offensive and to negotiate in good faith in the interest of Afghanistan and its people. I hope that discussions in Doha, Qatar between representatives of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban — supported by the region and the wider international community — will restore the pathway to a negotiated settlement to the conflict.”
8. Multiple screens

Storyline

Secretary-General António Guterres today (13 Aug) said, “Afghanistan is spinning out of control,” and called on the Taliban “to immediately halt the offensive and to negotiate in good faith in the interest of Afghanistan and its people.”

The Secretary-General said, “Even a country that has tragically known generations of conflict, Afghanistan is in the throes of yet another chaotic and desperate chapter – an incredible tragedy for its long-suffering people.”

Continued urban conflict, he said, “will mean continued carnage — with civilians paying the highest price.”

Guterres called on “all parties to take heed of the conflict's heavy toll and its devastating impact on civilians,” reminding them “of their legal and moral obligation to take all measures to protect civilians.”

Directing attacks against civilians, he stressed, “is a serious violation of international humanitarian law and amounts to a war crime.”

The Secretary-General expressed hope that discussions in Doha, Qatar “will restore the pathway to a negotiated settlement to the conflict.”

More than 1,000 people have been killed or injured from indiscriminate attacks against civilians in the past month, notably in Helmand, Kandahar, and Herat provinces. At least 241,000 people have been forced to flee from their homes, and humanitarian needs are growing rapidly, and there are increasing reports of human rights violations.