The Situation in Afghanistan

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 38 The situation in Afghanistan, published in 2012.

What other versions does this mandate have?

17 versions · 2007–2025

This is an older version — the most recent is A/RES/79/317

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2025	A/RES/79/317	The situation in Afghanistan	5,302	46%Compare
2022	A/RES/77/10	The situation in Afghanistan	3,591	17%Compare
2020	A/RES/75/90	The situation in Afghanistan	7,790	48%Compare
2019	A/RES/74/9	The situation in Afghanistan	8,209	69%Compare
2018	A/RES/73/88	The situation in Afghanistan	7,525	72%Compare

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

80 reports · 2007–2026

Year	Symbol	Title	Mandate resolution
2026	A/81/363 S/2026/724	The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/79/317
2026	A/80/745 S/2026/431	The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/79/317
2026	A/80/658 S/2026/99	The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/79/317
2025	A/80/556 S/2025/789	The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/79/317
2025	A/80/366 S/2025/554	The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/79/317

What subjects does this mandate have?

12 subjects

Afghanistan Situation Development Assistance Drug Control Governance Human Rights Internal Security Post-Conflict Reconstruction Reconciliation Regional Cooperation Reintegration Rule of Law Special Missions

What’s in this document?

114 operative paragraphs

Emphasizes the central and impartial role of the United Nations in promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan, expresses its appreciation and strong support for all efforts of the Secretary-General and his Special Representative for Afghanistan in this regard, expresses its appreciation also for the work of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan in accordance with Security Council resolution 2041 (2012), stresses the leading and coordinating role of the Assistance Mission in seeking to further improve the coherence and coordination of international civilian efforts, guided by the principle of reinforcing Afghan ownership and leadership, and in this regard expresses its appreciation to the Secretary-General for the comprehensive review of the activities of the Assistance Mission undertaken in accordance with the request contained in paragraph 43 of Council resolution 1974 (2011) of 22 March 2011, and takes due note of the findings contained in the report of the Secretary-General on Afghanistan of 5 March 2012;⁶

⁶A/66/728-S/2012/133.

Welcomes the reports of the Secretary-General⁷ and the recommendations contained therein;

⁷A/66/604-S/2011/722, A/66/728-S/2012/133, A/66/855-S/2012/462 and A/67/354-S/2012/703.

Pledges its continued support to the Government and people of Afghanistan as they rebuild a stable, secure, economically self-sufficient State, free of terrorism and narcotics, and strengthen the foundations of a constitutional democracy as a responsible member of the international community;

Appreciates the renewed commitments by the Government of Afghanistan to the Afghan people and the renewed commitments by the international community to Afghanistan expressed in the Tokyo Declaration: Partnership for Self-Reliance in Afghanistan – From Transition to TransformationError: Reference source not found and the Tokyo Mutual Accountability Framework,Error: Reference source not found building on the conclusions of the International Afghanistan Conference on Afghanistan and the International Community: From Transition to the Transformation Decade, held in Bonn,Error: Reference source not found in which it was declared that the process of transition, to be completed by the end of 2014, should be followed by a transformation decade (2015–2024) in which Afghanistan consolidates its sovereignty through strengthening a fully functioning, sustainable State in the service of its people, reiterates in this regard its appreciation for the Afghanistan National Development Strategy and the national priority programmes with their focus on economic growth, revenue generation, job creation, governance and human development contained therein, and underlines the need for the continued and sequenced implementation of the national priority programmes;

Takes note with appreciation of the ideas outlined by the Government of Afghanistan in its strategy document entitled “Towards self-reliance: strategic vision for the transformation decade”;⁸

⁸See S/2012/533.

Welcomes further efforts made by the Government of Afghanistan to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, and acknowledges to that effect the important work being done through the interministerial coordination mechanism and its role in prioritizing and implementing the National Development Strategy and the national priority programmes;

Encourages all partners to support constructively the Kabul process, building upon a deep and broad international partnership towards further increased Afghan responsibility and ownership in security, governance and development, aiming at a secure, prosperous and democratic Afghanistan, focusing on strengthening the constitutional checks and balances that guarantee citizens’ rights and obligations and implementing structural reform to enable an accountable and effective Government to deliver concrete progress to its people;

Supports the continuing and growing ownership of reconstruction and development efforts by the Government of Afghanistan, and emphasizes the crucial need to achieve ownership and accountability in all fields of governance and to improve institutional capabilities, including at the subnational level, in order to use aid more effectively;

Security and transition

Reiterates once again its serious concern about the security situation in Afghanistan, stresses the need to continue to address the threat to the security and stability of Afghanistan caused by the ongoing violent and terrorist activity by the Taliban, Al-Qaida and other violent and extremist groups and other illegal armed groups and criminals, including those involved in the narcotics trade, and reiterates in this regard its call for the full implementation of measures and the application of procedures introduced in relevant Security Council resolutions, in particular resolutions 1267 (1999), 1988 (2011) and 1989 (2011);

Condemns in the strongest terms all acts of violence and intimidation and attacks, including improvised explosive device attacks, suicide attacks, assassinations, including of public figures, abductions, the indiscriminate targeting of civilians, attacks against humanitarian workers and the targeting of Afghan and international forces, and their deleterious effect on the stabilization and development efforts in Afghanistan, and also condemns the use, by the Taliban, Al-Qaida and other violent and extremist groups and illegal armed groups, of civilians as human shields;

Stresses the need for the Government of Afghanistan and the international community to continue to work closely together in countering these acts, which are threatening peace and stability in Afghanistan and the democratic process, the achievements and continued implementation of the Afghanistan development process as well as humanitarian aid measures, and calls upon all Member States to deny those groups any form of sanctuary or financial, material and political support;

Expresses deep regret at the resulting loss of life and physical harm inflicted upon Afghan civilians and civilians of other nationalities, including the personnel of Afghan and international agencies and all other humanitarian workers and the diplomatic corps, the Assistance Mission, as well as upon the personnel of the Afghan National Security Forces, the International Security Assistance Force and the Operation Enduring Freedom coalition, and pays homage to all those who have lost their lives;

Stresses the importance of the provision of sufficient security, calls upon the Government of Afghanistan, with the assistance of the international community, to continue to address the threat to the security and stability of Afghanistan, and commends the Afghan National Security Forces and their international partners for their efforts in this regard;

Notes that the responsibility for providing security and law and order throughout the country resides with the Government of Afghanistan, supported by the international community, and underlines the importance of further strengthening the operational capabilities of Afghan security forces, in all provinces of Afghanistan, consistent with the goal of transition;

Expresses its support for the objective of the Government of Afghanistan, as endorsed by the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board, to ensure that the Afghan National Security Forces have the necessary strength and operational capability to take over the full security responsibility from the Assistance Force in all provinces by the end of 2014, calls upon the international community to provide the support necessary to increase security, as well as to provide continued support by training, equipping and contributing to the financing of the Afghan National Security Forces to take on the task of securing their country, and underscores the importance of the joint Chicago Summit Declaration on Afghanistan and other relevant agreements with regional and international partners in this regard;

Welcomes the progress of the security transition process, which began in July 2011, as agreed upon by the Government of Afghanistan and the countries taking part in the Assistance Force, commends the ongoing implementation of the first three tranches of transition, after which time 75 per cent of the population of Afghanistan will be living in areas where the Afghan National Security Forces have taken over lead security responsibility, looks forward to the phased completion of the process in the remaining parts of the country and the mid-2013 milestone, when all areas will have entered the transition process and the Afghan forces will be in the lead for security nationwide, also welcomes the commitment of Afghanistan’s international partners to support the Government in creating the conditions necessary to allow for the completion of transition and to continue to support the transition process to enable it to advance to the point at which the Afghan National Security Forces are fully capable of meeting the security needs of the country, including public order, law enforcement, the security of Afghanistan’s borders and preservation of the constitutional rights of Afghan citizens, and calls upon Member States to continue to support the transition process with the necessary continued financial and technical support;

Also welcomes, in this regard, the presence of the Assistance Force and the Operation Enduring Freedom coalition, expresses its appreciation for the support they have provided to the Afghan National Army, as well as for the assistance provided to the Afghan National Police by international partners, in particular by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization through its training mission in Afghanistan, the European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan and the European Gendarmerie Force, as well as other bilateral training programmes, and, in the light of the transition process, encourages further coordination where appropriate;

Further welcomes the commitment of the Government of Afghanistan, with a view to ensuring stability and providing conditions for the effective rule of law, to continue the implementation of the Afghan National Police Strategy and the National Police Plan underpinning it, together with the work of the Afghan Ministry of the Interior and the International Police Coordination Board to create a ten-year blueprint plan for Afghan policing, focusing, inter alia, on community-based policing (Police-e Mardumi) to increase police accountability and responsiveness, strengthening crime detection and prevention, safeguarding human rights and combating violence against women and children to build a strong, professional police force evolving towards a sustainable, credible and accountable civilian law enforcement force that will be capable of providing policing services to the Afghan population as part of the broader rule of law system, with a focus on the ongoing institutional and administrative reforms of the Ministry of the Interior, including the implementation of its anti-corruption action plan, and leadership development, as well as to progressively enhance the quality of the Afghan National Police, with the necessary continued financial and technical support of the international community;

Calls upon Member States to continue, and expresses its appreciation to Member States for, contributing personnel, equipment and other resources to the Assistance Force and their adequate support to the evolution of the provincial reconstruction teams, in close coordination with the Government of Afghanistan and the Assistance Mission;

Notes, in the context of the comprehensive approach and the ongoing transition process, the continued importance of the synergies in the objectives of the Assistance Mission and the Assistance Force, and emphasizes, in particular, the continued need to maintain, strengthen and review civil-military relations among international actors, as appropriate, at all levels in order to ensure complementarity of action based on the different mandates and comparative advantages of the humanitarian, development, law enforcement and military actors present in Afghanistan;

Urges the Afghan authorities, with the support of the international community, to take all possible steps to ensure the safety, security and free movement of all United Nations, development and humanitarian personnel and their full, safe and unhindered access to all affected populations, and to protect the property of the United Nations and of development or humanitarian organizations, and notes the efforts made in regulating private security contractors operating in Afghanistan;

Recognizes the efforts of the Afghan authorities, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 60/123 of 15 December 2005 on the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and protection of United Nations personnel, to bring to justice the perpetrators of attacks, and calls upon the Afghan authorities to continue its efforts in this regard;

Expresses its appreciation for the progress achieved by the Government of Afghanistan in the Afghan Peace and Reintegration Programme throughout the country and under Afghan ownership, while ensuring coordination and coherence with other relevant efforts, welcomes the continued commitment of the Government to work actively at the national, provincial and local levels to advance this commitment, stresses the importance of all efforts to create sufficient legal income-earning opportunities, and calls for continued international support for these efforts;

Remains deeply concerned about the persisting problem of anti-personnel landmines and explosive remnants of war, which constitute a great danger to the population and a major obstacle to the resumption of economic activities and to recovery and reconstruction efforts;

Welcomes the progress achieved through the Mine Action Programme for Afghanistan, supports the Government of Afghanistan in its efforts to meet its responsibilities under the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction,⁹ to cooperate fully with the Mine Action Programme coordinated by the United Nations and to eliminate all known or new stocks of anti-personnel landmines, and acknowledges the need for continued assistance from the international community in this regard;

⁹United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2056, No. 35597.

Also welcomes the progress made by the Government of Afghanistan in achieving its mine action obligations, including assistance to victims, the clearance of areas contaminated with landmines and cluster munitions remnants, the destruction of stockpiles and advocacy and risk-reduction measures, and underscores the importance of continued progress in this regard;

Peace, reconciliation and reintegration

Welcomes the continuing efforts of the Government of Afghanistan to advance peace and reconciliation, including by the High Peace Council, and the implementation of the Afghan Peace and Reintegration Programme to promote an inclusive, Afghan-led dialogue on reconciliation and political participation, as set forth in the 20 July 2010 Kabul Conference communiqué on dialogue for all who renounce violence, have no links to international terrorist organizations, including Al-Qaida, respect the Constitution, including its human rights provisions, notably the rights of women, and are willing to join in building a peaceful Afghanistan, and as further elaborated in the principles and outcomes of the Bonn Conference conclusions, supported by the Government and the international community, with full respect for the implementation of measures and the application of the procedures introduced by the Security Council in resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1988 (2011) as well as other relevant resolutions of the Council, calling upon all relevant States to remain engaged in the peace process and recognizing the impact terrorist attacks have on the Afghan people and risk having on future prospects for a peace settlement;

Reiterates its firm commitment to support the Government of Afghanistan in its efforts to advance the peace and reconciliation process, in line with the Kabul Conference communiqué and the Bonn Conference conclusions, and within the framework of the Afghan Constitution and the application of the procedures introduced by the Security Council in resolution 1988 (2011) as well as other relevant resolutions of the Council;

Welcomes the appointment of the new Chair of the High Peace Council in April 2012 as an important step in the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process;

Calls upon all relevant States and international organizations to remain engaged in the Afghan-led peace process, and recognizes the impact terrorist attacks have on the Afghan people and risk having on future prospects for a peace settlement;

Underlines the fact that reconciliation and reintegration efforts should enjoy the support and participation of all Afghans, including civil society, minorities and women’s groups, as reinforced most recently in the Bonn Conference conclusions and the Tokyo Declaration;

Calls upon the Government of Afghanistan to ensure that the Afghan Peace and Reintegration Programme is implemented in an inclusive manner, regardless of gender or social status and consistent with the Afghan Constitution and the international legal obligations of Afghanistan, while upholding the human rights of all Afghans and countering impunity;

Welcomes the establishment of the Peace and Reintegration Trust Fund, recalls the respective commitments made at the London and Kabul Conferences, and encourages the international community to assist the efforts of the Government of Afghanistan in this regard, including through continued support and contributions to the Trust Fund;

Recognizes the increased number of reintegrees who have joined the Afghan Peace and Reintegration Programme, encourages further efforts to address remaining operational challenges, including through an appropriate vetting mechanism and by ensuring that this work is linked to wider efforts to address conflict and grievance resolution at the local level, and also encourages the international community to support this Afghan-led effort;

Governance, rule of law and human rights

Emphasizes that good governance, the rule of law and human rights form the foundation for the achievement of a stable and prosperous Afghanistan, and notes the importance of building the capacity of the Government of Afghanistan to promote and protect human rights, the rule of law and good governance in an accountable and effective manner;

A.Democracy

Recognizes the importance of holding free, fair, transparent, credible, secure and inclusive elections as crucial steps towards consolidating democracy for all Afghans, stresses the responsibility of the Afghan authorities in this regard, also stresses the need for the timely and orderly preparation of elections, recognizes the efforts made in this regard by the Government of Afghanistan and calls upon the Government to continue its preparations, welcomes the efforts made by the Government in this regard, including the issuance of the presidential decree of 26 July 2012, and also welcomes the subsequent announcement by the Independent Electoral Commission of the date for the upcoming presidential and provincial elections, calls upon the international community to continue to provide financial and technical assistance, stresses the leading role of the Assistance Mission in coordinating these efforts, and calls upon the international community to support the Government and the relevant Afghan institutions;

Recalls the commitment of the Government of Afghanistan reiterated most recently at the Tokyo Conference on Afghanistan, to strengthen and improve Afghanistan’s electoral process, including through long-term electoral reform, in order to ensure that future elections will be transparent, credible, inclusive and democratic, and reaffirms that Afghanistan’s peaceful future lies in strengthened and transparent democratic institutions, respect for the separation of powers, reinforced constitutional checks and balances and the guarantee and enforcement of citizens’ rights and obligations;

B.Justice

Welcomes the steps taken by the Government of Afghanistan on justice sector reform and the commitment to improve access to the delivery of justice throughout Afghanistan made by the Government at the Kabul Conference, urges the Government to complete the National Priority Programme on Law and Justice for All in a timely manner, in coordination with the relevant organizations and Government departments, and urges the international community to continue to support the efforts of the Government in these areas in a coordinated manner;

Acknowledges the progress made by the Government of Afghanistan and the international community in devoting adequate resources to the reconstruction and reform of the prison sector in order to improve respect for the rule of law and human rights therein, while reducing physical and mental health risks to inmates;

Welcomes and encourages further efforts by the Government of Afghanistan, with the support of the Assistance Mission, the international community and other partners, including the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, to protect and promote the human rights of all detainees and prevent violations thereof in all Afghan prisons and detention facilities, consistent with the Afghan Constitution, Afghan laws and international obligations, welcomes the cooperation of the Government, as well as the efforts of the international community to provide support in this regard, takes note of the recommendations contained in the report of the Assistance Mission of 10 October 2011, notes the progress made in this regard, and reiterates the importance of respecting the rule of law and established legal processes and procedures;

Welcomes the commitment by the Government of Afghanistan to provide unimpeded access for relevant organizations to all prisons in Afghanistan, emphasizes the importance of ensuring access for relevant organizations, and calls for full respect for relevant international law, including humanitarian law and human rights law, where applicable, including with regard to minors, if detained;

C.Public administration

Urges the Government of Afghanistan to continue to effectively reform the public administration sector in order to implement the rule of law and to ensure good governance and accountability, in accordance with the Kabul process and the Tokyo Mutual Accountability Framework, at both the national and subnational levels, with the support of the international community, welcomes the efforts of the Government and commitments made, most recently at the Tokyo Conference, in this regard stresses the importance of transparent appointment and promotion procedures for civil servants, and continues to encourage the Government to make active use of the Senior Appointments Panel;

Encourages the international community, including all donor nations as well as international institutions and organizations, governmental and non-governmental, to assist the Government of Afghanistan in making capacity-building and human resources development a cross-cutting priority and to align, in a coordinated manner, with efforts by the Government, including the work of the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission, to build administrative capacity at the national and subnational levels;

Reiterates the importance of institution-building in complementing and contributing to the development of an economy characterized by sound macroeconomic policies, the development of a financial sector that provides services, inter alia, to microenterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises and households, transparent business regulations and accountability, and emphasizes the connection between generating economic growth, including through infrastructural projects, and the creation of job opportunities in Afghanistan;

Recalls the ratification by Afghanistan of the United Nations Convention against Corruption,¹⁰ reiterates its appreciation for the anti-corruption commitments made by the Government of Afghanistan at the Tokyo Conference, calls for decisive action by the Government to fulfil those commitments in order to establish a more effective, accountable and transparent administration at the national, provincial and local levels of government, welcomes the efforts of the Government of Afghanistan in this regard, including the issuance of the presidential decree in July 2012, and also welcomes continued international support for Afghanistan’s governance objectives, while noting with deep concern the effects of corruption with regard to security, good governance, the combating of the narcotics industry and economic development;

¹⁰Ibid., vol. 2349, No. 42146.

Welcomes the principles of effective partnership set out in the communiqué of the Kabul Conference and the Tokyo Declaration, and in this context calls for the full implementation of the commitments to align and channel international resources through the budget of the Government of Afghanistan and in alignment with Afghan priorities as set out in the Tokyo Mutual Accountability Framework;

Also welcomes the Subnational Governance Policy, underscores the importance of more visible, accountable and capable subnational institutions and actors in reducing the political space for insurgents, emphasizes the importance of the Kabul process being accompanied by the implementation of national programmes at the subnational level, encourages the capacity-building and empowerment of local institutions in a phased and fiscally sustainable manner, and calls for the predictable and regular allocation of more resources to provincial authorities, including continued vital support from the Assistance Mission and the international community;

Urges the Government of Afghanistan to address, with the assistance of the international community, the question of claims for land property through a comprehensive land titling programme, including formal registration of all property and improved security of property rights, including for women, and welcomes the steps already taken by the Government in this regard;

D.Human rights

Recalls the constitutional guarantee of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all Afghans as a significant political achievement, calls for full respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all, without discrimination of any kind, and stresses the need to fully implement the human rights provisions of the Afghan Constitution, in accordance with obligations under applicable international law, in particular those regarding the full enjoyment by women and children of their human rights;

Acknowledges and encourages the efforts made by the Government of Afghanistan in promoting respect for human rights, expresses its concern at the harmful consequences of violent and terrorist activities, including against persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities, by the Taliban, Al-Qaida and other violent and extremist groups and other illegal armed groups and criminals for the enjoyment of human rights and for the capacity of the Government of Afghanistan to ensure human rights and fundamental freedoms for all Afghans, notes with concern reports of incidents in which violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law have occurred, including violations committed against women and children, in particular girls, stresses the need to further promote tolerance and religious freedom as guaranteed by the Afghan Constitution, emphasizes the necessity of investigating allegations of current and past violations, and stresses the importance of facilitating the provision of efficient and effective remedies to the victims and of bringing the perpetrators to justice in accordance with national and international law;

Commends the Government of Afghanistan for its active participation in the universal periodic review process, calls for continued active participation of Afghan civil society in this process, and encourages the timely implementation of the recommendations addressed in the relevant report;

Stresses the need to ensure respect for the right to freedom of expression and the right to freedom of thought, conscience or belief as enshrined in the Afghan Constitution, in this regard calls for full implementation of the mass media law, while noting with concern and condemning the continuing intimidation and violence targeting Afghan journalists, such as cases of abduction and even killing of journalists by terrorist as well as extremist and criminal groups, and urges that harassment and attacks on journalists be investigated by Afghan authorities and that those responsible be brought to justice;

Reiterates the important role of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission in the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, stresses the need to guarantee its constitutional status and implement its mandate, focusing on communities across Afghanistan, so as to foster a more informed public and increase Government accountability, urges the Government of Afghanistan to complete the appointment process of commissioners to the Commission in a timely and transparent manner, welcomes the decision of the Government to take full responsibility for the core funding of the Commission and urges the Government to implement this decision, urges the Commission to cooperate closely with Afghan civil society, and calls upon the international community for continued support in this regard;

Recalls Security Council resolutions 1674 (2006) of 28 April 2006, 1738 (2006) of 23 December 2006 and 1894 (2009) of 11 November 2009 and the midyear report of July 2012 on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, prepared by the Assistance Mission, expresses its serious concern at the high number of civilian casualties, including women and children, and their impact on local communities, notes that the Taliban, Al-Qaida and other violent and extremist groups and illegal armed groups remain responsible for the significant majority of civilian casualties, reiterates its call for all feasible steps to be taken to ensure the protection of civilians, and calls for additional appropriate steps in this regard and for full compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law;

Reiterates the importance of upholding international obligations for the advancement of women’s rights as enshrined in the Afghan Constitution, in this context also reiterates the importance of implementing Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000 and recalls Council resolutions 1820 (2008) of 19 June 2008, 1888 (2009) of 30 September 2009, 1889 (2009) of 5 October 2009 and 1960 (2010) of 16 December 2010, on women and peace and security;

Commends the efforts of the Government of Afghanistan to mainstream gender issues, including into the national priority programmes, and to protect and promote the equal rights of women and men as guaranteed, inter alia, by virtue of its ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women¹¹ and by the Afghan Constitution and the implementation of the National Action Plan for Women, reiterates the continued importance of the full and equal participation of women in all spheres of Afghan life and of equality before the law and equal access to legal counsel without discrimination of any kind, and stresses the need for continued progress on gender issues in accordance with the obligations of Afghanistan under international law;

¹¹Ibid., vol. 1249, No. 20378.

Strongly condemns incidents of discrimination and violence against women and girls, and underscores the importance of countering impunity for these incidents, in particular if directed against women activists and women prominent in public life, wherever they occur in Afghanistan, including killings, maimings and “honour killings” in certain parts of the country;

Reiterates its appreciation for the Elimination of Violence against Women Special Fund of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) as well as for its Urgent Response Fund, which continues to address targeted violence against women and women’s rights defenders in Afghanistan, and stresses the need for continued financial contributions by the international community to those funds;

Welcomes the achievements and efforts of the Government of Afghanistan in countering discrimination, urges the Government to actively involve all elements of Afghan society, in particular women, in the development and implementation of relief, rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction programmes, as well as in national priority programmes, and accurately track the progress of the full integration of women into political, economic and social life, stresses the need for continued progress on gender equality, in accordance with its obligations under international law and in the empowerment of women in Afghan politics and public administration, including in leadership positions and at the subnational level, also stresses the need to facilitate the access of women to employment and to ensure female literacy and training, and calls upon the international community to continue to provide support in this regard;

Stresses the need to ensure respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of children in Afghanistan, and recalls the need for the full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child¹² and the two Optional Protocols thereto¹³ by all States parties, as well as of Security Council resolutions 1612 (2005) of 26 July 2005, 1882 (2009) of 4 August 2009 and 1998 (2011) of 12 July 2011 on children and armed conflict, and takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in Afghanistan¹⁴ and the conclusions of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict;¹⁵

¹²Ibid., vol. 1577, No. 27531.

¹³Ibid., vols. 2171 and 2173, No. 27531.

¹⁴See A/66/782-S/2012/261.

¹⁵S/AC.51/2011/3.

Expresses its concern, in this regard, about the ongoing recruitment and use of children by illegal armed and terrorist groups in Afghanistan as well as the killing and maiming of children as a result of the conflict, stresses the importance of ending the use of children contrary to international law, expresses appreciation for the progress achieved by and the firm commitment of the Government of Afghanistan to the protection of children, including its strong condemnation of any exploitation of children, as indicated by the establishment of the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee for the Protection of the Rights of Children, the appointment of a focal point on child protection and the signing by the Government, in January 2011, of an action plan, including the annexes thereto, on children associated with national security forces in Afghanistan, welcomes with appreciation the presentation by the Government of its national report on the implementation of the action plan, entailing numerous measures taken within the relevant ministries and institutions for child protection, including to prevent underage recruitment, welcomes progress made in the implementation of the action plan, and calls for the full implementation of the provisions of the action plan, in close cooperation with the Assistance Mission;

Recognizes the special needs of girls, strongly condemns continued terrorist attacks as well as threats of attacks on educational facilities, especially on those for Afghan girls, and/or hospitals and protected persons in relation to them in Afghanistan, in contravention of applicable international law, and expresses deep concern about the high number of school closures as a result of terrorist attacks or threats of attacks;

Welcomes the adoption by the Government of Afghanistan of the National Plan of Action on Combating Child Trafficking, calls for the comprehensive implementation of the Plan of Action, welcomes initiatives to amend and enforce legislation on human trafficking, guided by the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime,¹⁶ and stresses the importance of considering becoming a party to the Protocol;

¹⁶United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2237, No. 39574.

Social and economic development

Urgently appeals to all States, the United Nations system and international and non-governmental organizations, including the international and regional financial institutions, to continue to provide, in close coordination with the Government of Afghanistan and in accordance with the National Development Strategy and the strategy document entitled “Towards self-reliance: strategic vision for the transformation decade”, as well as the national priority programmes contained therein, all possible and necessary humanitarian, recovery, reconstruction, development, financial, educational, technical and material assistance for Afghanistan, and recalls in this regard the leading role of the Assistance Mission in seeking to further improve the coherence and coordination of international efforts;

Recognizes the substantial development and the notable progress achieved by Afghanistan with the steadfast support of the international community in the past years, and expresses its support for the decision taken at the Bonn Conference to implement a transformation decade (2015–2024) in which Afghanistan consolidates its sovereignty through strengthening a fully functioning, sustainable State in the service of its people;

Also recognizes the challenges that lie ahead for Afghanistan, and welcomes the generous pledges totalling over 16 billion United States dollars made by the international community during the Tokyo Conference through 2015 and the commitment of the international community to sustain support through 2017 at or near levels of the past decade, thereby renewing its commitment to long-term support for the economic development of Afghanistan on the basis of mutual accountability, while expressing its appreciation to the United Nations system and to all States and international and non-governmental organizations whose international and local staff continue to respond positively to the humanitarian, transition and development needs of Afghanistan despite security concerns and difficulty of access in certain areas;

Welcomes the adoption of the Tokyo Mutual Accountability Framework and the monitoring mechanism included therein, in which the Government of Afghanistan reaffirms its commitment to strengthen governance, grounded in human rights, the rule of law and adherence to the Afghan Constitution, and holds it as integral to sustained growth and economic development, and welcomes the commitment of the international community to enhance efficiency of development aid by aligning assistance with the Afghan national priority programmes and by channelling assistance through the national budget of the Afghan Government, as outlined in the Tokyo Declaration;

Expresses its appreciation for the humanitarian and development assistance work of the international community in the stabilization and development of Afghanistan, recognizes the necessity for further improvement in the living conditions of the Afghan people, and emphasizes the need to strengthen and support the development of the capacity of the Government of Afghanistan to deliver basic social services at the national, provincial and local levels, in particular education and public health services, and to promote development;

Urges the Government of Afghanistan to enhance efforts to reform key service delivery sectors, such as energy and drinking water supply, as preconditions for progress in social and economic development, commends the Government for its efforts to date to reach fiscal sustainability, notes the challenges ahead, and urges continued commitment to revenue generation;

Expresses its appreciation for the work of the provincial reconstruction teams as they work within the provincial context to support national priorities to build the capacities of local institutions;

Encourages the international community and the corporate sector to support the Afghan economy as a measure for long-term stability and to explore possibilities for increased trade and investments and enhanced local procurement, and further encourages the Government of Afghanistan to continue to promote an economic environment and legal framework favourable for private-sector investments at both the national and subnational levels;

Emphasizes, in this regard, the importance of strengthening local and regional networks of transportation that will facilitate connectivity for economic development, stability and self-sustainability, particularly the completion and maintenance of local railroad and land routes, the development of regional projects to foster further connectivity and the enhancement of international civil aviation capabilities;

Urgently encourages all States as well as intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to expand agricultural cooperation with Afghanistan, within the National Agricultural Development Framework and in line with the National Development Strategy and the relevant national priority programme, respectively, with a view to helping to eradicate poverty and ensure social and economic development, including in rural communities;

Reiterates the necessity of providing Afghan children, especially Afghan girls, with educational and health facilities in all parts of the country, welcomes the progress achieved in the sector of public education, recalls the National Education Strategic Plan as a promising basis for further achievements, encourages the Government of Afghanistan, with the assistance of the international community, to expand those facilities, train professional staff and promote full and equal access to them by all members of Afghan society, including in remote areas, and reiterates further the need to provide vocational training for adolescents;

Commends the relief efforts by the Government of Afghanistan and donors, but continues to express its concern at the overall humanitarian situation, stresses the continued need for food assistance, ensuring that the basic needs of internally displaced persons are met, and calls for continued international support in this regard, as well as for the early fulfilment, before the approaching winter, of the urgent humanitarian needs in the 2012 consolidated appeal for Afghanistan;

Recognizes that underdevelopment and lack of capacity increase the vulnerability of Afghanistan to natural disasters and to harsh climate conditions, and urges in this regard the Government of Afghanistan, with the support of the international community, to increase its efforts aimed at strengthening disaster risk reduction at the national and subnational levels and at modernizing the agricultural sector and strengthening its agricultural production, thereby reducing the vulnerability of Afghanistan to adverse external conditions such as drought, flooding and other natural disasters;

Expresses its appreciation to those Governments that continue to host Afghan refugees, in particular Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran, acknowledging the huge burden they have so far shouldered in this regard, and asks for continued generous support by the international community, with a view to facilitating their voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return, rehabilitation and reintegration;

Welcomes the holding of the International Conference on the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees to Support Voluntary Repatriation, Sustainable Reintegration and Assistance to Host Countries in Geneva on 2 and 3 May 2012 and the joint communiqué of the Conference, aiming at increased sustainability of returns and continued support for host countries;

Reiterates to host countries and the international community the obligations under international refugee law with respect to the protection of refugees, the principle of voluntary return and the right to seek asylum and to ensure full, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian relief agencies in order to provide protection and assistance to the refugees, and calls upon countries to continue to accept an appropriate number of Afghan refugees for resettlement, as a manifestation of their shared responsibility and solidarity;

Welcomes the continued return of Afghan refugees and internally displaced persons, in a voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable manner, while noting with concern that conditions in parts of Afghanistan are not yet conducive to a safe and sustainable return to some places of origin;

Urges the Government of Afghanistan, acting with the support of the international community, to continue to strengthen its efforts to create the conditions for sustainable return by continuing to strengthen its absorption capacity for the full rehabilitation and reintegration of the remaining Afghan refugees and internally displaced persons;

Notes, in this regard, the continued constructive work between the countries of the region, as well as the tripartite agreements between the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Government of Afghanistan and the Governments of countries hosting refugees from Afghanistan, in particular Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran;

Regional cooperation

Stresses the crucial role of advancing constructive regional cooperation in promoting peace, security, stability and economic and social development in Afghanistan, encourages further improved relations and enhanced engagement between Afghanistan and its neighbours, and calls for further efforts in this regard, including by regional organizations;

Commends the continuing efforts of the signatories to the Kabul Declaration on Good-neighbourly Relations of 22 December 2002¹⁷ to implement their commitments under the Declaration, calls upon all other States to respect and support the implementation of those provisions, and welcomes the reaffirmation, in the Kabul Conference communiqué, of the principles set out in the Declaration;

¹⁷S/2002/1416, annex.

Welcomes and encourages further efforts by the Government of Afghanistan and its neighbouring partners to foster trust and cooperation with each other, and looks forward, where appropriate, to increasing cooperation between Afghanistan, all its neighbouring and regional partners and regional organizations against the Taliban, Al-Qaida and other extremist and criminal groups and illegal armed groups and in promoting peace and prosperity in Afghanistan, in the region and beyond;

Welcomes, in this regard, the increased efforts by the Government of Afghanistan, its neighbouring and regional partners and international organizations to foster trust and cooperation with each other, as well as recent cooperation initiatives developed by the countries concerned and regional organizations;

Also welcomes the holding of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in the Heart of Asia, encourages Afghanistan and its regional partners to actively endeavour to implement confidence-building measures, welcomes the recent efforts undertaken to further develop confidence-building measures in the areas of disaster management, counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics, chambers of commerce, commercial opportunities, regional infrastructure and education within the framework set out in the Istanbul Process on Regional Security and Cooperation for a Secure and Stable Afghanistan,4 adopted on 2 November 2011 and reinforced in the follow-up Heart of Asia Ministerial Conference, held in Kabul on 14 June 2012, which set out a framework for consultations on confidence-building measures in the region, further welcomes the progress made towards the implementation of the confidence-building measures and also the discussion on the confidence-building measures action plans, as presented during senior official meetings, the most recent of which was held in Ankara on 18 October 2012, and notes that the Istanbul Process is intended to complement and cooperate with, and not substitute for, existing efforts of regional organizations, particularly where they relate to Afghanistan;

Expresses its appreciation for all efforts to increase regional economic cooperation aimed at promoting economic cooperation between Afghanistan, regional neighbours, international partners and financial institutions, and recognizes, inter alia, the important role of the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan, the Delhi Investment Summit on Afghanistan of 28 June 2012 and its recommendations for promoting foreign investment and private sector development and partnerships of Afghanistan, the Economic Cooperation Organization, the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation Programme and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, as well as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in promoting the development of Afghanistan;

Welcomes the decision of the States members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to grant Afghanistan observer status in the Organization;

Welcomes and urges further efforts to strengthen the process of regional economic cooperation, including measures to facilitate regional trade and transit, including through regional and bilateral transit trade agreements, expanded consular visa cooperation and facilitation of business travel, to expand trade, to increase foreign investments and to develop infrastructure, including infrastructural connectivity, energy supply, transport and integrated border management, with a view to promoting sustainable economic growth and the creation of jobs in Afghanistan, noting the historical role of Afghanistan as a land bridge in Asia;

Encourages the Group of Eight countries to continue to stimulate and support cooperation between Afghanistan and its neighbours through mutual consultation and agreement, including on development projects in areas such as infrastructural connectivity, border management and economic development;

Counter-narcotics

Welcomes the efforts of the Government of Afghanistan in fighting drug production in Afghanistan, takes note of the report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime entitled “Afghanistan Opium Survey 2011”, released in December 2011, reiterates its deep concern about the increase in the cultivation and production of illicit narcotic drugs in Afghanistan, mainly concentrated in areas where the Taliban, Al-Qaida and other violent and extremist groups and criminals are particularly active, as well as the ongoing drug trafficking, and, based on the principle of common and shared responsibility, stresses the need for strengthened joint, more coordinated and resolute efforts by the Government, supported by the international and regional actors as well as the Assistance Force, within their designated responsibilities, to fight this menace;

Stresses the importance of a comprehensive and balanced approach in addressing the drug problem of Afghanistan, which, to be effective, must be integrated into the wider context of efforts carried out in the areas of security, governance, the rule of law and human rights, and economic and social development;

Also stresses, in this regard, that the development of alternative livelihood programmes is of key importance in the success of the counter-narcotics efforts in Afghanistan and that sustainable strategies require international cooperation, and urges the Government of Afghanistan, assisted by the international community, to promote the development of sustainable livelihoods in the formal production sector, as well as in other sectors, and to improve access to reasonable and sustainable credit and financing in rural areas, thus improving substantially the lives, health and security of the people, particularly in rural areas;

Notes with great concern the strong nexus between the drug trade and terrorist activities by the Taliban, Al-Qaida and other violent and extremist groups and criminal groups, which pose a serious threat to security, the rule of law and development in Afghanistan, and stresses the importance of the full implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions in this regard, including resolutions 1735 (2006) of 22 December 2006 and 1822 (2008) of 30 June 2008;

Calls upon all Member States, in this regard, to further intensify their efforts to reduce the demand for drugs in their respective countries and globally in order to contribute to the sustainability of the elimination of illicit cultivation in Afghanistan;

Stresses the need to prevent trafficking in and diversion of chemical precursors used in the illicit manufacturing of drugs in Afghanistan, and calls for the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1817 (2008) of 11 June 2008 in this regard;

Supports the fight against the illicit trafficking in drugs from and precursors to Afghanistan and neighbouring States and countries along trafficking routes, including increased cooperation among them in strengthening anti-narcotic controls and the monitoring of the international trade in chemical precursors, and underlines the importance of technical assistance and support to the most affected transit States to support their capacities in this regard;

Urges the Government of Afghanistan, supported by the international community, to work to mainstream counter-narcotics throughout all the national programmes and to ensure that counter-narcotics is a fundamental part of the comprehensive approach, as well as to increase its efforts against opium cultivation and drug trafficking in accordance with the balanced plan of the updated Afghan National Drug Control Strategy;

100

Commends the efforts of the Government of Afghanistan in this regard, as well as the efforts to update and carry out the National Drug Control Strategy, including the Prioritized Implementation Plan and benchmarks, urges the Government and the international community to take decisive action, in particular to stop the processing of and trade in drugs, by pursuing the concrete steps set out in the Strategy and through initiatives such as the Good Performers Initiative established to provide incentives for governors to reduce cultivation in their provinces, and encourages the Afghan authorities to work at the provincial level on elaborating counter-narcotics implementation plans;

101

Calls upon the international community to continue to assist the Government of Afghanistan in implementing its National Drug Control Strategy, aimed at eliminating the cultivation, production, trafficking in and consumption of illicit drugs, including through increased support for Afghan law enforcement and criminal justice agencies, agricultural and rural development for the creation of alternative livelihoods for farmers, demand reduction, the elimination of illicit crops, increased public awareness and the building of the capacity of drug control institutions and care and treatment centres for drug addicts, and reiterates its call upon the international community to channel counter-narcotics funding through the Government to the extent possible;

102

Recalls the need to strengthen international and regional cooperation with Afghanistan in its sustained efforts to address drug production and trafficking, recognizes the threat posed by illicit drug production, trade and trafficking to international peace and stability in the region and beyond, also recognizes the progress achieved by relevant initiatives within the framework of the Paris Pact initiative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, stresses the importance of further progress in the implementation of these initiatives, and welcomes the results of the ministerial meeting of the Paris Pact initiative, held in Vienna on 16 February 2012, in continuation of the “Paris-Moscow” process, as one of the most important frameworks in the fight against opiates, underscores the importance of the effective implementation of the Vienna Declaration¹⁸ by its partner countries, working in consultation with the Government of Afghanistan and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, encourages further sustained efforts of the Government of Afghanistan in this regard, as well as the intent of the Government to strengthen international and regional cooperation in this regard, and welcomes the progress made in the Heart of Asia process in this regard;

¹⁸See E/CN.7/2012/17.

103

Pays homage to all those who have innocently lost their lives in the fight against drug traffickers, in particular members of the security forces of Afghanistan and its neighbours;

104

Welcomes initiatives to enhance border management cooperation between Afghanistan and its neighbours in ensuring comprehensive measures for drug control, including the financial dimension, emphasizes the importance of pursuing such cooperation, especially through bilateral arrangements and those launched by the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia, the Economic Cooperation Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Central Asian Anti-Drug Quartet and others, and welcomes the intention of the Government of Afghanistan to strengthen international and regional cooperation with relevant partners in the field of border control;

105

Stresses the importance of further, effective cooperative support by relevant international and regional actors, including the United Nations and the Assistance Force, within its designated responsibilities, to Afghan-led sustained efforts to address the threat posed by the illicit production of and trafficking in drugs, welcomes in this regard the regional programme on Afghanistan and neighbouring countries of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and encourages the respective countries to continue to participate;

106

Acknowledges the regional activities carried out by Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan within the framework of their triangular initiative to counter narcotics;

107

Stresses the need for coordinated regional efforts to combat the drug problem, and in this regard welcomes the holding of the Regional Ministerial Conference on Counter-Narcotics in Islamabad on 12 and 13 November 2012, aimed at enhancing regional cooperation to counter narcotics;

Coordination

108

Expresses its appreciation for the work of the Assistance Mission as mandated by the Security Council in resolution 2041 (2012), and stresses the continued importance of the central and impartial coordinating role of the United Nations in promoting a more coherent international engagement;

109

Welcomes the evolving presence of the Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, which ensures that the United Nations can fulfil its essential coordinating and support role, as requested by the Government of Afghanistan, security conditions permitting;

110

Stresses the need to ensure that the Assistance Mission is adequately resourced and protected by the Afghan authorities, with international support, as appropriate, to fulfil its mandate;

111

Acknowledges the central role played by the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board, stresses that the role of the Board is to support Afghanistan by, inter alia, monitoring and supporting the Kabul process and coordinating international assistance and development programmes, and welcomes further efforts to provide appropriate guidance and promote a more coherent international engagement;

112

Expresses its appreciation for and emphasizes the importance of the continued and long-term commitment of the international community to support the stability and development of Afghanistan, recalls the additional international support as pledged, and welcomes in this context the decisions taken at the Tokyo Conference;

113

Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly every three months on developments in Afghanistan, as well as on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution;

114

Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its sixty-eighth session the item entitled “The situation in Afghanistan”.