PRESS STATEMENT ON AFGHANISTAN BY PRESIDENT OF SECURITY COUNCIL

PRESS STATEMENT ON AFGHANISTAN BY PRESIDENT OF SECURITY COUNCIL

Following is today’s press statement on Afghanistan by Mignonette Patricia Durrant (Jamaica), President of the Security Council:

Members of the Security Council met in informal consultations and were briefed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi, on the developments in Afghanistan following the adoption by the Council of resolution 1378 (2001) on 14 November 2001.

Members of the Council were informed by Ambassador Brahimi that a meeting would be convened in Berlin, Germany, beginning on Monday, 26 November, in which a wide cross-section of Afghan parties are expected to participate.

Members of the Council welcomed the convening of this meeting as an indispensable first step towards the establishment of a broad-based representative government in Afghanistan.  They encouraged all the parties to participate in this meeting in good faith and without preconditions.

Members of the Council expressed concern about the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and reiterated the Council’s call on all Afghan forces to refrain from acts of reprisal, to adhere strictly to their obligations under human rights and international humanitarian law, and to ensure the safety and security and freedom of movement of United Nations and associated personnel, as well as personnel of humanitarian organizations.

Members of the Council expressed their continued support for the efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to bring peace to Afghanistan, and reiterated their intention to continue to follow the situation in Afghanistan closely.

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