General Assembly General Assembly

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Mr. President,  
 
Thank you for organizing the annual debate on the 'Situation in Afghanistan'. We thank H.E. Dr. Abdullah Abdullah for his presence here today and for his important statement. His words have set out clearly the indomitable spirit of the Afghan people even in light of worst adversities.  
 
Mr. President,  
 
2. The dastardly acts of violence and terror targeting the most vulnerable continue to test the remarkable resilience of the Afghan people.  
 
3. The sick in hospitals, small children in schools, devotees in mosques, and even mourners at funerals, have not been spared by the dark and desperate forces of terror and violence. 
 
4. We all have condemned these attacks, and expressed sympathy with the people of Afghanistan.  But, the terrorists and their supporters continue to feel emboldened. Clearly not enough has been done.  
 
5. While the cowardliness and the frequency of terror attacks in Afghanistan have reached new heights, and the terrorists continue to gain territory and resources of Afghan people, unfortunately, here in this body, we have witnessed little change.  
 
6. The Security Council is still debating whether or not to designate new leaders or to freeze the assets of the slain leader of Taliban. Even as this debate is going on, we find the new threats being posed by ISIS/ Daesh in Afghanistan. 
 
Mr. President,  
 
7. Addressing global terrorism needs a comprehensive, uncompromising and a cohesive response from the international community. Afghanistan's security and stability is tied to that of the entire region.  
 
8. It is imperative to address the support that terrorist organisations like the Taliban, the Haqqani Network, Daesh, Al-Qaeda and its designated affiliates such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed, operating outside the fabric of international law, draw from outside Afghanistan. The Special Terrorist Zones, safe havens and sanctuaries beyond Afghanistan's border must end.  
 
9. Support for an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled peace and national reconciliation process within the framework of Afghanistan's Constitution has to be pursued with full sincerity.  Any meaningful progress requires cessation of violence, renunciation of links with international terrorism, respect for rights of common Afghan people, especially the women and the children.  
 
Mr. President, 
 
10. We congratulate Afghanistan for being elected to the Human Rights Council for the first time ever. Afghanistan's active engagement at the United Nations on various issues of importance continues to grow.   
 
11. While the international community's commitment to Afghanistan is renewed every year through various multilateral efforts and those of UNAMA, the respect for Afghanistan's sovereignty and the direction and ownership of the peace processes should be paramount. 
 
Mr. President,  
 
12. The recent UNODC report highlighting the rise in the production of opium and the areas under cultivation in Afghanistan are of serious concerns, including its role in perpetuation of terrorism. We need to question as to where are these drugs going? Who is benefitting from this trade? The UNODC reports states that only a fraction of revenues generated by the cultivation and trafficking of Afghan opiates reach the Afghan drug trafficking groups. If not the Afghans, then who controls and benefits from this nexus? These need to be addressed through verifiable measures and actions.  
 
13. The UN Security Council, while acting on the funds which the terrorists in Afghanistan are generating through their illicit activities, can effectively utilise the 1988 sanctions regime to leverage for promoting peace. However, this has not happened. 
 
14. We don't go after the leaders of the terrorist organizations. We don't investigate and designate the illicit drugs trafficking business in the country. Unless there is effective action, the UN has the danger of getting marginalised.  
 
Mr. President, 
 
 15. India continues to support the government and the people of Afghanistan in realising a stable, secure, united, prosperous, democratic and pluralistic country.  
 
16. We deeply value the continuing sacrifice of the Afghan security forces not just for their own people, but also people of the region and the rest of the world.  
 
Mr. President, 
 
17. India sees development cooperation as the cornerstone of our longstanding friendship with Afghanistan.  
 
18. The recent high level visits, including that of H.E. President Ashraf Ghani and H.E. Chief Executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah to India over the past couple of months, have provided impetus to the next generation 'New Development Partnership' that we launched in September 2017. This extends to diverse areas, including education, health, agriculture, infrastructure, renewable energy, drinking water supply and human resource development.  
 
19. The importance of connectivity and transit for bringing peace and prosperity in Afghanistan is not lost on anyone. Regrettably normal overland transport and transit access between India and Afghanistan has been blocked for many years. This blockade is a crime against the people of Afghanistan; for it is their welfare which is affected the most.  
 
20. Earlier this year in June, we commenced Air Freight Corridor in June 2017 to provide direct access to farmers of Afghanistan to the Indian markets. Already, over 3 dozen cargo flights have reached New Delhi from Kabul and Kandahar.  
 
21. Ten days back, on November 11, the first consignment of wheat grain assistance from India reached Afghanistan through Chabahar port in Iran.  We believe, this marks the beginning of a new era of enhanced, reliable and robust connectivity for landlocked Afghanistan. The new connectivity will provided access for Afghanistan to trade with the bigger economies in South Asia and beyond. 
 
22. The 'India-Afghanistan Trade and Investment Show' in September in New Delhi generated over US$ 250 million worth of business and demonstrated where the natural flow of trade and commerce lies for Afghanistan.  
 
Mr. President,  
 
23. We welcome the adoption of the draft resolution A/72/L.8 on the 'Situation in Afghanistan'. We hope that this will lead to a sharper focus on what really ails Afghanistan. Its time to get out of our routine discussions on the 'Situation in Afghanistan' and deal with the core issues. We may start with paying greater attention to the voice of the Afghans.  
 
I thank you Mr. President.