A3+ Statement delivered by H.E. Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations, at Security Council Briefing on the Situation in Afghanistan
Mr. President
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the A3+, namely Algeria, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and my own country, Guyana.
The A3+ thanks the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNAMA, Mrs. Roza Otunbayeva for her briefing. We have also listened carefully to the CSO representative, Ms Manizha Wafeq.
The people of Afghanistan continue to face multiple challenges, particularly, increasing climate and economic challenges, deepening inequalities, and a difficult humanitarian situation.
The A3+ re-emphasizes that to achieve sustainable development, stability and durable peace in Afghanistan, there must be an inclusive approach underpinned by respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights for all.
We are concerned about the recent Secretary General’s report of shrinking political and civic spaces and that the Taliban is limiting freedoms of speech and association.
Women in Afghanistan continue to be excluded from public life and their right to work, and their freedom of movement remain significantly restricted. We reiterate our call for the Taliban to swiftly reverse all policies and practices that discriminate against women and girls, infringe the enjoyment of their human rights and fundamental freedoms and limit their ability to contribute to Afghanistan’s development.
The A3+ is also gravely concerned that the fundamental right of girls in Afghanistan to quality education remains curtailed. The continued ban on girls’ education beyond sixth grade is resulting in irreversible learning losses. We call upon the Taliban to swiftly reopen all schools and universities for women and girls to have access to all levels of education.
In that regard, we welcome the Banjul Declaration adopted at the Islamic Summit Conference of OIC Member States on 5 May, 2024 in which the OIC expressed support for a peaceful, stable, prosperous and inclusive Afghanistan and stressed the importance to address the challenges faced by Afghan people, such as humanitarian, human rights, ethnic groups, security and terrorism, narcotics and social challenges. The OIC also stressed the importance of full respect for the human rights of all Afghans and the need to protect the fundamental rights of Afghan girls and women, especially the right to education and work, and called for more communication with the Taliban on these issues.
We believe that countries and regional organizations play an important role in raising awareness on the importance of compliance with international norms.
Regional involvement is also important to improving Afghanistan’s economic situation. We welcome efforts to improve Afghanistan’s bilateral as well as multilateral diplomatic engagements with countries in the region.
The security challenges in Afghanistan, however, remain concerning. We note the increase insecurity incidents as compared with the same period in 2023, including a 97 percent increase in narcotics-related incidents. Continued efforts must be made to eradicate the opium poppy cultivation.
We are convinced that the ban must be paired with support for alternative sources of income and take note of UNODC’s Alternative Development Program which supports thousands of farming households through the construction of small-scale irrigation canals and the establishment of citrus orchards.
We have also taken note of the increased armed clashes near the Afghan-Pakistani border which resulted in casualties including women and children. We call on all to show restraint and respect the protection of all civilians, civilian objects and infrastructure.
The A3+ acknowledges and commends the continued efforts of the Taliban to address the illicit accumulation and diversion of small arms and light weapons through their weapons registration campaign
However, we are concerned about the high number of children killed and maimed, including by explosive ordnance. In this regard, we echo the recommendation of the recently adopted Conclusions on Afghanistan by the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict for all parties to immediately take all preventive and mitigating actions necessary to avoid and minimize harm and better protect children and to take measures to ensure explosive ordnance clearance and explosive ordnance risk education.
Mr President
The dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan was exacerbated by the recent flooding which caused loss of life and property. More than half the population of Afghanistan needs humanitarian assistance. We commend UNAMA and other donors for their delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan and encourage international donors to increase their support. We also urge the Taliban to lift the restrictions on Afghan women aid workers, including for the UN and international NGOs, recognizing that this is limiting the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance.
The A3+ also remains deeply concerned about the climate challenges faced by Afghanistan, emphasizing the critical importance of investment in mitigation and adaptation efforts. We express our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in recent floods.
As we approach the meeting in DOHA at the end of this month, we note the Taliban’s announcement that they will be represented. We believe that constructive and inclusive engagement on critical issues would be beneficial to the people of Afghanistan.
In this regard, the A3+ calls for the issues affecting children and the rights of women and girls and the excessive restrictions placed on them to be part of the discussions, including in the context of the economic, social, political and humanitarian situations and for Afghan women to meaningfully participate in the Doha process.
In closing, we reiterate our full support for UNAMA and the SRSG Otunbayeva for their important work in Afghanistan.
I thank you.
