SECURITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED BY RESOLUTION 1267 (1999) CONCERNING AFGHANISTAN REAFFIRMS ITS PROCEDURES FOR HUMANITARIAN FLIGHTS

Press Release
SC/6968

SECURITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED BY RESOLUTION 1267 (1999) CONCERNING AFGHANISTAN REAFFIRMS ITS PROCEDURES FOR HUMANITARIAN FLIGHTS

In accordance with paragraph 4(a) of Security Council resolution 1267 (1999), the Committee wishes to reaffirm to interested States, international/regional organizations and specialized agencies, governmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) of the following procedures with regard to humanitarian flights to Afghanistan:

Requests by States or NGOs for approval by the Committee of exemptions for humanitarian flights by Ariana Airlines or any aircraft owned, leased, or operated on behalf of the Taliban, will be submitted in written form, in a reasonable time before the schedule of the flight(s), to the Chairman of the Committee through the Permanent Mission or Permanent Observer Mission of the State concerned, or the State in which the organization is based. The Chairman will circulate to the Committee members each request on a “no-objection” basis. Exemptions approved by the Committee will be communicated by the Chairman to the Member States concerned or to the Afghan faction known as the Taliban, which also calls itself the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Requests for approval of flights carrying humanitarian goods should contain the reason for transporting goods by air, rather than by land and/or sea. The submitting State, whose request has been approved by the Committee, will take the necessary measures, in conjunction, with the United Nations, to inspect the aircraft in order to ensure that it operates exclusively for the declared humanitarian purposes and in accordance with the relevant provisions of Security Council resolution 1267 (1999) and send a report to the Committee when such an inspection has been completed.

International/regional organizations and specialized agencies may apply directly to the Committee with such requests.

To date, the Committee has approved all requests of a humanitarian nature.

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