Security Council Press Statement on Geneva Afghanistan Conference

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Kacou Houadja Léon Adom (Côte d’Ivoire):

The Members of the Security Council welcomed the outcome of the Geneva Conference on Afghanistan on 27-28 November, co-hosted by the Government of Afghanistan and the United Nations, which renewed the partnership and cooperation of the Government of Afghanistan and the international community for Afghanistan’s peace, prosperity and self-reliance midway through the Transformation Decade (2015-2024).

The Members of the Security Council took note of the review of the progress and reform achieved so far under the Self-Reliance through Mutual Accountability Framework (SMAF) and its deliverables for 2017-2018, noted the progress made on the reform agenda, but expressed concern that benchmarks on anti-corruption, and on elections with respect to its technical conduct, had not been met fully.  The Members of the Security Council welcomed the adoption of the Geneva Mutual Accountability Framework (GMAF), which outlines measurable reform objectives and commitments for the Government of Afghanistan and the international community for 2019-2020 and underlined that the Government’s delivery of the mutually agreed commitments will be key for sustained international support.

The members of the Security Council welcomed the Geneva Conference Communiqué, which acknowledged and reaffirmed the commitment of participants to an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process, with full and meaningful participation of women.  The participants agreed that the international community is committed to a post-settlement partnership with Afghanistan, including in the economic sphere.  The participants also underlined the need to deepen regional cooperation in all spheres, including the political, security, economic and social, to the benefit of the whole region.

The members of the Security Council expressed significant concern regarding the ongoing drought in Afghanistan and severely increased food insecurity, and called on the international community to increase its commitments to the humanitarian response plan.

The members of the Security Council expressed serious concern regarding the record level of civilian casualties and urged all actors to respect international humanitarian law in Afghanistan.

The Members of the Security Council expressed their appreciation for the work of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and underlined its leading role in the coordination of international civilian efforts in Afghanistan.