PRESS STATEMENT ON AFGHANISTAN BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Following is today's press statement by Security Council President Jagdish Koonjul (Mauritius) concerning Afghanistan:

Security Council members were briefed by the Under-Secretary-General Sir Kieran Prendergast on the situation in Afghanistan.

Members of the Council welcomed the positive changes in Afghanistan as a result of the collapse of the Taliban regime.  They reiterated their support to the Interim Authority of Afghanistan in its efforts to return the country to peace, stability and normalcy and move forward the political process in accordance with the Bonn Agreement.

Members of the Council reaffirmed that the United Nations should continue to play a central role in supporting the Interim Authority of Afghanistan and the Afghan people in their efforts and expressed in this regard full support for the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi, in the accomplishment of his mandate.

Members of the Council also considered the report of the Secretary-General on the humanitarian implications of the measures imposed by Security Council resolutions 1267 and 1333.  They noted that the measures imposed on the Taliban have limited adverse effects on the humanitarian situation.  Members also noted that in view of the latest political developments some measures imposed by resolutions 1267 and 1333 appear to have lost focus and shall have to be adjusted to new realities.

Members were briefed by the Chairman of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267, Ambassador Alfonso Valdivieso of Colombia on the meeting of the Committee which was held on 10 January 2002.  Members of the Council agreed to exclude the Central Bank of Afghanistan from the list of entities subject to the measures of paragraph 4 (b) of resolution 1267.

Members of the Council were briefed by the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom Sir Jeremy Greenstock on initial deployment of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), including the signature of the Military Technical Agreement reached between the Interim Authority of Afghanistan and the International Security Assistance Force.  They took note of this Agreement and recalled the request from the Council to the ISAF leadership to provide periodic reports on progress towards the implementation of its mandate through the Secretary-General.

Members of the council remained deeply concerned about the grave humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.  They called on all bilateral and multilateral donors in coordination with the United Nations agencies and Special Representative of the Secretary-General in cooperation with the Interim Authority of Afghanistan to continue to provide humanitarian help and assist with the rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction of Afghanistan.  In this regard, they looked forward to the reconstruction conference which will be held in Tokyo from 21 to 22 January 2002.

Council members called, in particular, for the international community to provide immediate assistance to the Interim Authority by providing rapid contributions to the Afghan Interim Authority Fund (AIAF).

Members of the Council also called on all Afghans to support full and unimpeded access by humanitarian organizations to people in need and to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian workers.

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