Security Council

4434^th Meeting (PM)

SECURITY COUNCIL ENDORSES AFGHANISTAN AGREEMENT ON INTERIM ARRANGEMENTS

SIGNED YESTERDAY IN BONN, UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTING RESOLUTION 1383 (2001)

Also Declares Willingness to Take Further Action,

Calls on All Afghan Groups to Cooperate With Interim Authority

The Security Council this afternoon endorsed the Agreement on provisional arrangements in Afghanistan pending the re-establishment of permanent government institutions, which was signed yesterday in Bonn, Germany.

Unanimously adopting resolution 1383 (2001), the Council declared its willingness to take further action, on the basis of a report by the Secretary-General, to support the interim institutions established by the Agreement and to support implementation of the Agreement and its annexes.

Noting that the provisional arrangements were intended as a first step towards the establishment of a broad-based, gender sensitive, multi-ethnic and fully representative government, the Council called on all Afghan parties to implement that Agreement in full, in particular through full cooperation with the Interim Authority, which is due to take office on 22 December.

Determined to help the Afghan people end the tragic conflicts in their country and promote national reconciliation, lasting peace, stability and respect for human rights, the Council called on all bilateral and multilateral donors, in coordination with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General Lakhdar Brahimi, United Nations agencies and all Afghan groups, to reaffirm, strengthen and implement their commitment to assist with the rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction of Afghanistan, in coordination with the Interim Authority and as long as the Afghan groups fulfil their commitments.

The meeting, which began at 1:24p.m., was adjourned at 1:26 p.m.

Resolution

The full text of resolution 1383 (2001) reads as follows:

“The Security Council,

“Reaffirming its previous resolutions on Afghanistan, in particular its resolution 1378 (2001) of 14 November 2001,

“Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Afghanistan,

“Stressing the inalienable right of the Afghan people themselves freely to determine their own political future,

“Determined to help the people of Afghanistan to bring to an end the tragic conflicts in Afghanistan and promote national reconciliation, lasting peace, stability and respect for human rights, as well as to cooperate with the international community to put an end to the use of Afghanistan as a base for terrorism,

“Welcoming the letter of 5 December 2001 from the Secretary-General informing the Council of the signature in Bonn on 5 December 2001 of the Agreement on provisional arrangements in Afghanistan pending the re-establishment of permanent government institutions (S/2001/1154),

“Noting that the provisional arrangements are intended as a first step towards the establishment of a broad-based, gender sensitive, multi-ethnic and fully representative government,

“1.   Endorses the Agreement on provisional arrangements in Afghanistan pending the re-establishment of permanent government institutions as reported in the Secretary-General’s letter of 5 December 2001;

“2.   Calls on all Afghan groups to implement this Agreement in full, in particular through full cooperation with the Interim Authority which is due to take office on 22 December 2001;

“3.   Reaffirms its full support to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and endorses the missions entrusted to him in annex 2 of the above-mentioned Agreement;

“4.   Declares its willingness to take further action, on the basis of a report by the Secretary-General, to support the Interim institutions established by the above-mentioned Agreement and, in due course, to support the implementation of the Agreement and its annexes;

“5.   Calls on all Afghan groups to support full and unimpeded access by humanitarian organizations to people in need and to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian workers;

“6.   Calls on all bilateral and multilateral donors, in coordination with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, United Nations Agencies and all Afghan groups, to reaffirm, strengthen and implement their commitment to assist with the rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction of Afghanistan, in coordination with the Interim Authority and as long as the Afghan groups fulfil their commitments;

“7.   Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.”

Background

Yesterday, after nine days of intensive negotiations, the United Nations sponsored talks in Bonn, Germany, culminated in the signing of an Agreement on a provisional arrangement in Afghanistan, pending the re-establishment of permanent government institutions.  The text of the Agreement has been transmitted to the Council by the Secretary-General (document S/2001/1154).

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, who chaired the talks, witnessed the signing of the text by the leaders of the four Afghan groups represented at the negotiations.  Mr. Brahimi said he

was delighted at the outcome, but added that “the real difficulties are going to start when this interim administration that has been agreed upon here moves to Kabul”.

The Agreement was met with high praise from Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Council members.  In a statement released through his spokesman, Mr. Annan warmly welcomed the accord as “an important step” towards lasting peace and the return of legitimate authority in the country and assured the Afghan people that the United Nations “stands ready to help them reach peace, stability and prosperity” (Press Release SG/SM/8068).

Meanwhile the President of the Council, Moctar Ouane (Mali), said in a press statement that the 15-member body welcomed the Agreement and urged the parties to work together in good faith to implement it in full.  Council members also declared their willingness to support the implementation of the Agreement and its annexes, but reiterated their concern about the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and emphasized the need to pursue efforts in that regard.

The final text of the Agreement outlines the functions and responsibilities of the Interim Authority, which will be chaired by Hamid Karzai and include

28 other members who will direct the work of as many departments.  The Interim Authority, to be officially established on 22 December, would run the country for six months.  An Independent Commission would in parallel work on convening a

Loya Jirga, a traditional assembly of provincial elders and powers, expected to convene in the spring.

Commenting on the make-up of the Authority envisaged by the Agreement, United Nations officials drew attention to the fact that it included a Department of Women’s Affairs and stressed that the equitable representation of women in government and political civilian life in Afghanistan was a strong focus of the Organization.  That theme was reiterated on 4 December in Brussels, where Angela King, the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women, delivered Mr. Annan’s message to the Afghan Women’s Summit for Democracy.  In the message, the Secretary-General emphasized that Afghan women had the United Nations’ “full and unstinting support” in their efforts to reassert the right to participate actively in all sectors and levels of society and in all stages of the work to bring peace and development to their country (Press Release SG/SM/8066).

Also, yesterday senior United Nations officials pledged their agencies’ support in rebuilding Afghanistan, as a donor conference focusing on the immediate and longer-term needs of the country opened in Berlin.  Led by Mr. Brahimi, the United Nations team at the two-day meeting of the Afghan Support Group included Emergency Relief Coordinator Kenzo Oshima, High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers and the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Mark Malloch Brown, who has been named by Mr. Annan to lead the recovery effort.

The 16-member group of donors was presented a paper on the humanitarian response and needs, as outlined in the updated Donor Alert for $662 million and a new 30-day Emergency Operational Assistance Plan.  The meeting also received a six-month plan of action by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and a preliminary strategy paper for the transition from relief to long-term recovery.

The Council last met on Afghanistan on 14 November when it adopted resolution 1378 (2001) and affirmed that the United Nations should play a central role in supporting the efforts of the Afghan people to urgently establish a new and transitional administration leading to the formation of a new

government.

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