PRESS CONFERENCE BY NORWAY ON AFGHANISTAN

Press Briefing

PRESS CONFERENCE BY NORWAY ON AFGHANISTAN

At a Headquarters press conference yesterday evening, 3 December, Leiv Lunde, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway, said the basic motivation for the continued presence of humanitarian groups in Afghanistan was to alleviate the sufferings of the war-weary people of that country.

Speaking shortly after chairing the second meeting of the Afghanistan Donor Support Group held at Headquarters, Lunde said aid organizations in Afghanistan had resolved at the meeting to make their presence a force for change in Afghanistan's political situation. Aid groups did not want their presence to contribute to the conflict, but rather to help in ensuring a peaceful solution to the political crisis. It was difficult for aid groups to operate in a situation where there was no direct government partner to deal with. Afghanistan was handled as an emergency situation. The challenge was to combine humanitarian process and the search for political solution in a constructive way.

Stressing that the involvement of aid organizations in Afghanistan was in support of peace, he said they had the potential to contribute positively, but that the political situation in the country was a hindrance. The donor group was working on how to link the political process with the humanitarian operation. All humanitarian aid being provided was on the premise that it would not worsen the conflict or be used to oil the war machines. All local and international non-governmental organizations as well as United Nations agencies operating in the country had decided to adopt a strategic framework for a coordinated and effective humanitarian operation in Afghanistan.

He said aid organizations had decided to operate in accordance with United Nations guidelines on human rights. One United Nations agency, the World Health Organization (WHO), which was thought to have been too cozy with the Taliban, was widely criticized as were other groups which had gone too far in the opposite direction. Basic human rights were being violated in Afghanistan and women were the most vulnerable. Aid groups had decided to adopt the same principles in dealing with all the different factions in Afghanistan.

Continuing, he said the Taliban regime would now be dealt with in a more unified approach by the aid organizations. Humanitarian aid to Afghanistan was very decentralized. Operating agencies and non-governmental organizations were fairly well spread out throughout the country. Those organizations had the means to reach the population in almost all parts of the country. But there were reports that the Taliban was blocking the delivery of critical food supply to regions controlled by opposing factions. The United Nations and the Taliban were at present negotiating to lift that blockade. There had not been any breakthrough yet.

Norway Press Conference - 2 - 4 December 1997

Drawing attention to the recent agreement between the Taliban and the United Nations International Drug Control Programme to eliminate opium production, he said the donor group had decided to adopt an integrated approach to drug and other problems facing Afghanistan. The drug problem would be treated like all the other problems.

Responding to a question on the need to build economic structures to support the political process, he said Afghanistan was too chaotic at the moment for long-term economic measures. Aid organizations would continue to provide emergency assistance to the needy on a day-to-day basis. They were in constant dialogue with all the factions. As a result of the high exodus of professionals from the country, Afghan employees of agencies and non- governmental organizations represented the majority of professionals in that country at present. They were expected to be the foundation of a post-civil war Afghan society.

Asked how aid organizations would handle the delicate issue of discriminatory practices against Afghan women, Mr. Lunde said they would not legitimize attitudes that were clearly contrary to their own principles. They would continue to respect local cultural practices but would not encourage those which violated their own values and principles.

Concluding, he said the donor group consisted of 15 major bilateral donors to Afghanistan, United Nations agencies and representatives of non- governmental organizations. The group first met in Geneva in April 1996 under the chairmanship of the Government of the Netherlands. It would meet again in London in May 1998 under the joint chairmanship of the United Kingdom and the United States.

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