Madam President,
I thank Special Representative Lyons, UNODC Executive Director Ms. Waly and the Director of Afghan Women’s Network Ms. Akrami for their briefings.
I salute the presence of H.E. Haneef Atmar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, in this meeting.
The level of violence in Afghanistan has unfortunately reached very high levels. The Secretary-General has reported that, in the six months following the start of the peace talks in September 2020, the number of civilian casualties has increased substantially compared with the same period in 2019. This is a cause for deep concern.
The high number of civilian casualties and targeted killings of journalists, civil society activists and human right defenders are deplorable. The worsening security situation, as well as the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and drought have further exacerbated challenges faced by the Afghan people.
As a result, the risk of new waves of mass migration has been increasing. It is estimated that migration flows will further grow in the months ahead, following the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan. This may have security and humanitarian implications in the wider region and beyond. Therefore, it is important for the international community to start working on a comprehensive contingency planning to address this imminent challenge.
Madam President,
There can be no military solution in Afghanistan. The perspective of a negotiated settlement should be kept alive. The parties should reach an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire and continue in good faith the negotiations for a political settlement.
Sustainable peace can only be achieved through an inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned political process. To support and reinvigorate the intra-Afghan negotiations in Doha, Türkiye remains ready to host a high-level Conference in Istanbul together with Qatar and the UN. Such a Conference will aim to give momentum to the ongoing Afghanistan peace negotiations, to end violence, and to help achieve an inclusive negotiated settlement leading to lasting peace in Afghanistan.
To this end, the parties and in particular Taliban should clearly show their genuine willingness to constructively take part in such an exercise.
We also continue to stress the need to strengthen political inclusion and national consensus within the Republic team.
At the same time, it is crucial to have an inclusive peace process, which includes women, youth groups and religious leaders. Broad based ownership of the peace process can be achieved with the participation of all segments of Afghan society. This is indispensable for achieving lasting peace and the preservation of fundamental rights and freedoms. The gains made at significant costs over the last two decades cannot be sacrificed.
We also support an enhanced role for the UN in contributing to the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan. A recent occasion in that regard has been the talks we held with Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General, Mr. Jean Arnault during his visit to the region.
Madam President,
It is certainly the region itself that has the greatest role, interest and responsibility in establishing and sustaining a secure, prosperous and peaceful Afghanistan.
Recognizing the importance of regional cooperation in support of peace, we have taken several initiatives to build confidence between Afghanistan and its neighbours, and encouraged constructive and result-oriented dialogue. In that vein, we recently held trilateral meetings, with Afghanistan’s key neighbors, namely Pakistan and Iran.
We particularly support regional efforts focusing on enhancing economic and infrastructure connectivity, to boost trade, transport, transit, energy and cultural cooperation. Türkiye will continue its contributions to Afghanistan, inter alia, within the multilateral platforms, including through the Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process.
Madam President,
Over the last months, we have witnessed dastardly terrorist attacks in the country, claiming many innocent lives, including high-school students and teenage school girls. We, once again, condemn these heinous acts in the strongest terms.
The access of Afghan children to education has a central role in Türkiye’s assistance efforts in Afghanistan. As we did in the past, we will continue our support by building schools, providing assistance and changing the lives of hundreds of girls and their families. At the same time, we will maintain our active role in supporting the security of Afghanistan.
Despite significant challenges and threats that remain in the country, we will continue to support Afghan people in their path towards a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan. At this critical juncture, the international community should take stock of the contributions it has made and carefully assess the heavy cost of failing Afghan people.
Thank you.