Security Council Press Statement on Afghanistan Elections

 

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Samantha Power ( United States):

The members of the Security Council welcomed the inauguration on 29 September 2014 of Dr. Ashraf Ghani as the new President of Afghanistan, marking the first democratic transition of power in the country’s history, and looked forward to the formation of the Government of National Unity with Dr. Abdullah Abdullah as its Chief Executive Officer.

The members of the Security Council reiterated the importance of all parties in Afghanistan working within the framework of the Government of National Unity in order to achieve a unified, peaceful and prosperous future for all the people of Afghanistan.

The members of the Council reiterated their call for the Government of National Unity to effectively address the issues facing the country, including security, good governance, human rights, in particular for women and children, democracy and the fight against corruption, as well as economic recovery, improving the livelihood of its people and addressing the cross-cutting issue of counter-narcotics.

The members of the Council reiterated their condemnation of violent and terrorist activities by the Taliban, Al-Qaida and other violent extremist and terrorist groups aimed at destabilizing the situation in the country, and reasserted that no terrorist act can reverse the path towards Afghan-led peace, democracy and stability in Afghanistan, which is supported by the people and the Government of Afghanistan and by the international community.

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For information media • not an official record