52/211 Emergency international assistance for peace, normalcy and reconstruction of war-stricken Afghanistan; the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security

A

Emergency international assistance for peace, normalcy and
reconstruction of war-stricken Afghanistan

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 47/119 of 18 December 1992, 48/208 of 21 December 1993, 49/140 of 20 December 1994, 50/88 A of 19 December 1995 and 51/195 A of 17 December 1996 concerning emergency international assistance for peace, normalcy and reconstruction of war-stricken Afghanistan,

Concerned about the continuation of the military confrontation in Afghanistan, threatening regional peace and stability, and the significant increase of internally displaced persons and interruptions in the process of repatriating refugees,

Deeply concerned about the massive loss of human life, the aggravated suffering of the most vulnerable groups, the destruction of property and the serious damage to the economic and social infrastructure of Afghanistan caused by eighteen years of war, and underlining the close interrelationship between ensuring peace and normalcy in Afghanistan and the ability of the country to take effective steps towards a sustainable economic and social development, bearing in mind that the country continues to suffer from an extremely critical economic situation as a landlocked, least-developed and war-stricken country,

Concerned for the well-being of the unarmed civilian population of Afghanistan, who face a long winter possibly deprived of basic foods, owing, inter alia, to the looting of United Nations premises and food supplies and to deliberate restrictions placed on the access of humanitarian organizations to some parts of the country and on other humanitarian operations,

Deeply concerned about the problem of millions of anti-personnel landmines and unexploded ordnance in Afghanistan, which continue to prevent many Afghan refugees and internally displaced persons from returning to their villages and working in their fields, and disturbed by reports of new mines being laid,

Deeply concerned about the continuing discrimination against girls and women and other recurring abuses of human rights in Afghanistan and the inadequacy of measures taken to reverse the situation,

Commending the efforts of the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan headed by Mr. Norbert Holl to bring about the restoration of peace, normalcy and national reconciliation and the reconstruction and rehabilitation of war-stricken Afghanistan,

Affirming the urgent need to continue international action to assist Afghanistan in restoring basic services and the infrastructure of the country, and welcoming the efforts of United Nations agencies, programmes and associated bodies and other humanitarian organizations and agencies, including relevant non-governmental organizations, in this respect,

Expressing its appreciation for the assistance of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in its continuing support for the repatriation of Afghan refugees from neighbouring countries, and reaffirming the principle of non-refoulement as contained in article 33 of the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, ⁽¹⁾

Expressing its gratitude to all Governments that have rendered assistance to Afghan refugees, in particular the Governments of Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran, and recognizing the need for continuing international assistance for the maintenance abroad and the voluntary repatriation and resettlement of refugees and internally displaced persons,

Expressing its appreciation to the States, intergovernmental organizations and associated bodies of the United Nations, as well as to other humanitarian organizations and agencies, including relevant non-governmental organizations, that have responded positively and continue to respond to the humanitarian needs of Afghanistan, as well as to the Secretary-General for his efforts to draw the attention of the international community to the acute problems of reconstruction in Afghanistan and for mobilizing and coordinating the delivery of appropriate humanitarian assistance,

1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General, ⁽²⁾ and endorses the observations contained therein;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to continue efforts to develop plans for national reconstruction and rehabilitation, beginning in areas of peace and security;

3. Calls upon the relevant organizations of the United Nations to coordinate closely their humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, in particular to ensure a consistent approach to human rights;

4. Calls upon the leaders of all Afghan parties to place the highest priority on national reconciliation, acknowledging the war-weariness of the Afghan people and their desire for rehabilitation, reconstruction and economic and social development;

5. Demands that all Afghan parties fulfil their obligations and honour their commitments regarding the safety and full freedom of movement of United Nations personnel and other humanitarian personnel, as well as the security of their premises in Afghanistan, and cooperate fully with the United Nations and associated bodies as well as with other humanitarian organizations and agencies in their efforts to respond to the humanitarian needs of the people of Afghanistan;

6. Urges all parties to prevent the looting of United Nations premises and food supplies, not to hamper the delivery of humanitarian assistance and to facilitate the work of organizations in implementing humanitarian assistance, in particular the supply of food, medicines, shelter and health care, for which access to those in need is essential;

7. Expresses grave concern at the indiscriminate use of landmines in Afghanistan, which seriously impedes the delivery of humanitarian assistance;

8. Urgently appeals to all States, organizations and programmes of the United Nations system, specialized agencies and other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to continue to provide, on a priority basis and as far as conditions on the ground permit, all possible financial, technical and material assistance for the restoration of basic services and the reconstruction of Afghanistan and the voluntary, safe and secure return of refugees and internally displaced persons with dignity and honour, and appeals to the international financial and development institutions to assist in the planning of the reconstruction of Afghanistan;

9. Calls upon the international community to respond to the inter-agency consolidated appeal for emergency humanitarian and rehabilitation assistance for Afghanistan to be launched by the Secretary-General for the period from 1 January to 31 December 1998, bearing in mind the availability also of the Afghanistan Emergency Trust Fund;

10. Denounces the continuing discrimination against girls and women and other violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Afghanistan, notes with deep concern their adverse effects on international relief and reconstruction programmes in Afghanistan, and calls upon all Afghan parties to respect fully the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all, in particular of women and girls, in accordance with all human rights instruments and standards, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; ⁽³⁾

11. Calls upon the organizations of the United Nations system to cooperate fully in the implementation of policies and measures recommended by the Executive Committee on Humanitarian Affairs, as mentioned in paragraph 7 of the report of the Secretary-General; ⁽⁴⁾

12. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session a report on the actions taken pursuant to the present resolution;

13. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-third session, under the cluster of items on coordination of humanitarian assistance, the item entitled "Emergency international assistance for peace, normalcy and reconstruction of war-stricken Afghanistan".

B

The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 49/140 of 20 December 1994, 50/88 B of 19 December 1995 and 51/195 B of 17 December 1996,

Recalling also Security Council resolution 1076 (1996) of 22 October 1996 and all statements of the President of the Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan,

Noting all recent declarations by participants of regional international meetings and by international organizations on the situation in Afghanistan,

Strongly committed to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Afghanistan,

Convinced that there is no military solution to the Afghan conflict,

Expressing deep concern at the lack of progress in reaching a negotiated settlement of the conflict,

Deeply concerned at the continuation of the military confrontation in Afghanistan, which has led to the loss of many lives and the sometimes forcible displacement of civilian populations and which seriously endangers the stability and peaceful development of the region,

Deeply concerned over the flagrant violations of international humanitarian law, particularly the Geneva Conventions and international human rights instruments and principles relating to the conduct of war by the Afghan parties,

Stressing the need to prevent further civilian casualties,

Welcoming recent exchanges of prisoners between the Afghan parties,

Deeply concerned about the continuing discrimination against girls and women and other recurring abuses of human rights in Afghanistan and the inadequacy of measures taken to reverse the situation, and emphasizing the importance of democracy, equality and of the realization of human rights in any future political process in Afghanistan,

Convinced that the United Nations, as a universally recognized intermediary, must continue to play a central and impartial role in international efforts towards a peaceful resolution of the Afghan conflict,

Expressing its appreciation for the efforts made in this regard by the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan headed by Mr. Norbert Holl, and by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi,

Expressing its appreciation for the engagement, in support of and coordination with the United Nations, of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Afghanistan,

Stressing the importance of non-intervention and non-interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, and deeply concerned at all forms of continued support which have caused or may cause the prolongation of the conflict, inter alia, the supply of weapons, military equipment and ammunition to the Afghan parties,

Expressing its grave concern about actions undermining the security of State frontiers, including the growing illicit traffic in arms by criminal elements and groups from certain areas of Afghanistan and about the use of Afghan territory for the training and harbouring of terrorists, which create a threat to peace and stability in the entire region, including Afghanistan,

Deeply concerned also at the continued growth in production and trafficking of illicit drugs from Afghanistan, which threatens regional stability and damages the health and well-being of the populations of neighbouring States and elsewhere,

Bearing in mind that Afghanistan, as a State party to the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage ⁽⁵⁾ of 16 November 1972, has recognized its primary duty to ensure, inter alia, the protection of the cultural heritage situated on its territory,

Stressing that a cessation of armed hostilities between the warring parties in Afghanistan and political stability are indispensable if reconstruction measures are to have a lasting effect,

1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General,⁽⁶⁾ and endorses the observations and recommendations set out therein;

2. Stresses that the main responsibility for finding a political solution to the conflict lies with the Afghan parties, and urges all of them to respond to the repeated United Nations calls for peace;

3. Calls upon all Afghan parties to cease immediately all armed hostilities, to renounce the use of force and to engage, without preconditions, in a political dialogue aimed at achieving a lasting political settlement of the conflict;

4. Calls upon all States to respect the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Afghanistan and strictly to refrain from any outside interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan;

5. Condemns that foreign military support to the Afghan parties continued unabated through 1997, and calls upon all States concerned immediately to end the supply of arms, ammunition, military equipment, training or any other military support to all parties to the conflict in Afghanistan, including the presence and involvement of foreign military personnel;

6. Encourages the Secretary-General to pursue the question of preliminary studies on the imposition of an effective arms embargo and how such an embargo could be implemented in a fair and verifiable manner;

7. Supports the call by the Secretary-General for the establishment of a solid international framework in order to address the external aspects of the Afghan question, and calls upon all interested States and international organizations to use any influence they have in a constructive manner, in support of and close coordination with the United Nations, to promote peace in Afghanistan;

8. Supports the Secretary-General in his continuing efforts, undertaken in cooperation with the Afghan parties and with interested States and international organizations, in particular the Organization of the Islamic Conference, to promote the political process aimed at achieving a lasting political settlement of the conflict, with the participation of all Afghan parties and all segments of Afghan society, and reaffirms its full support for the efforts of the United Nations Special Mission and the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan in this regard;

9. Requests the Secretary-General to authorize the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan, established under resolution 48/208, to continue its efforts to facilitate national reconciliation and reconstruction in Afghanistan, specifically to bring about an immediate and durable ceasefire among the Afghan parties and to institute a negotiating process leading to the formation of a fully representative, broad-based transitional government of national unity;

10. Calls upon all Afghan parties to cooperate fully with the United Nations Special Mission, and demands that all Afghan parties fulfil their obligations and honour their commitments regarding the safety and full freedom of movement of United Nations personnel, in particular the personnel of the United Nations Special Mission, as well as the security of their premises in Afghanistan;

11. Welcomes recent exchanges of prisoners between the Afghan parties, and urges them to take further confidence-building measures;

12. Deplores the civilian casualties inflicted by the indiscriminate use of landmines, and calls upon all Afghan parties to desist from such use;

13. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to investigate fully reports about mass killings of prisoners of war and civilians and incidents of rape in Afghanistan and to include his findings in his next report to be submitted pursuant to paragraph 19 of the present resolution;

14. Denounces the continuing discrimination against girls and women and other violations of human rights in Afghanistan, and calls upon all Afghan parties to respect the human rights of every individual, regardless of gender, ethnicity or religion;

15. Denounces also violations of international humanitarian law in Afghanistan, and urgently calls upon all parties strictly to respect all its provisions;

16. Calls upon all Afghan parties to take appropriate steps to prohibit, prevent and, if necessary, put a stop to any form of theft, pillage or misappropriation of and any acts of vandalism directed against cultural property of the Afghan nation and humankind;

17. Reiterates that the continuation of the conflict in Afghanistan provides a fertile ground for terrorism and drug-trafficking which destabilize the region and beyond, and calls upon the leaders of the Afghan parties to halt such activities;

18. Commends the efforts of the Executive Director of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, and takes note of communications received by UNDCP with regard to the banning of the cultivation, use of and trade in opium in Afghanistan, and calls for full compliance with these commitments;

19. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly every three months during its fifty-second session on the progress of the United Nations Special Mission and to report to the Assembly at its fifty-third session on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution;

20. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-third session the item entitled "The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security".

1. United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 189, No. 2545.
2. A/52/536.
3. Resolution 34/180.
4. A/52/536.
5. United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1037, No. 15511.
6. A/52/682-S/1997/894.