President,
China welcomes the unanimous adoption by the Security Council of Resolution 2777, which extends the mandate of UNAMA for one year. This demonstrates the Council’s strong support for the Mission and the people in Afghanistan.
China is very pleased to have initiated the consultation process on the draft resolution last month. In March, we have worked with Denmark, President of the Council, to advance subsequent consultations, and eventually arrived at a text acceptable to all members. We would like to thank each and every Council member for their constructive participation. And in particular, we would like to extend our special thanks to Denmark for its friendly cooperation.
The resolution renews the firm commitments to Afghanistan’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and national unity. The resolution captures the positions, expectations, and concerns of the Council members regarding the current multiple challenges in Afghanistan in light of the evolving circumstances. The resolution notes the problems confronting Afghanistan such as its economy, insufficient humanitarian funding and obstacles to international aid. It calls for greater assistance, and reiterates the necessity to help Afghanistan rebuild its banking and financial system, and to utilize the assets of the Afghan Central Bank to benefit the Afghan people. The resolution emphasizes that women should enjoy equal rights to education, employment, and participation in public life. It expresses the hope that the Afghan interim government will adjust relevant restrictive policies. The resolution also calls for strengthened measures with regard to terrorism, narcotics, SALWs, and refugees.
Afghanistan is now at a critical stage in its peaceful reconstruction. It is incumbent upon the international community to urgently provide more support in terms of development, humanitarian assistance, narcotics control, and the fight against terrorism. There is also the need to have more engagement with the Afghan interim government to achieve positive interactions. We hope that the interim government in Afghanistan will take more visible actions and respond positively to the legitimate concerns of the international community.
We support UNAMA in continuing its bridging role to synergize the efforts of the international community and help Afghanistan reintegrate further into the international community. China stands ready to work with members of the Security Council to follow closely the developments in Afghanistan, push for more effective actions, and provide more impetus in resolving the Afghanistan issue.
Thank you, President.