UNSC Briefing on United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)/Afghanistan

(27 September 2022, 1000 hrs.)

Statement by Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj

Permanent Representative of India to the UN

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Madame President,

    Please allow me to acknowledge the briefers for their remarks on the situation in Afghanistan. Thank you for that.

2.    India is deeply concerned at the unfolding humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. In response to the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as well as to the urgent appeals made by the United Nations, India has in last months dispatched several shipments of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan consisting of 40,000 MTs of wheat, 36 tons of essential medicines, 500,000 doses of COVID Vaccines and 28 tons of disaster relief aid. 

3.    These aid consignments were handed over to the Indira Gandhi Children's Hospital, Kabul, the Afghan Red Crescent Society and other UN specialized agencies including the WFP and UNOCHA. In order to closely monitor and coordinate the efforts of various stakeholders for the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance and in continuation of our engagement with the Afghan people, an Indian technical team has also been deployed at our Embassy in Kabul. 

4.    Our approach to Afghanistan, as always, will be guided by our historical friendship and our special relationship with the people of Afghanistan. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to reiterate our firmly held conviction that humanitarian assistance should be based on the principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence. The disbursement of humanitarian aid should be non-discriminatory and accessible to all Afghans. In particular, aid and assistance should reach the most vulnerable first, including women, children, and minorities.

Madame President, 

5.    As a contiguous neighbour and a long-standing partner of Afghanistan, India has direct stakes in ensuring the return of peace and stability to the country. Our approach is guided by the expectations of the international community set forth in  United Nations Security Council Resolution 2593 and reiterated in subsequent pronouncements of the Security Council. These include, ensuring that the territory of Afghanistan is not used to launch terrorist attacks against other countries; formation of a truly inclusive and representative government; combating terrorism and drug trafficking; and preserving the rights of women, children, and minorities. 

6.    India is closely monitoring the security situation in Afghanistan and is actively engaged with the international community on issues related to Afghanistan. We strongly condemn the recent attack on Gurudwara Dashmesh Pita Sahibji in Kabul on 18 June 2022. Terrorist assaults on places of worship of the minority community and the targeting of the innocent civilian population continues to be a matter of serious concern. The recent attack outside the Russian Embassy is equally condemnable. Our collective approach has been articulated by UNSCR 2593. It unequivocally demands that Afghan territory not be used for sheltering, training, planning, or financing terrorist acts; specifically terrorist individuals proscribed by the UN Security Council, including Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad. 

Madame President,

7.     India notes the useful role that the UN has played.

8.    Drug trafficking is another menace for the region. We have recently seized big shipments of drugs at our high seas and ports. UNODC reports are concerning. Illicit drug traders and terrorists have a symbiotic relationship. This is another area where we need to closely cooperate and work together to build up more effective and efficient networks so that we may strongly act against these illegitimate networks. These networks and groups operate in a way that needs to be understood, identified, tracked, and ultimately disrupted. We do need to further strengthen this cooperation.

9.    On the political front, India continues to call for an inclusive dispensation in Afghanistan which represents all sections of Afghan society. A broad-based, inclusive, and representative formation is necessary for long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan. 

Madame President,

10.    Peace and security in Afghanistan are critical imperatives that all of us need to collectively strive for. India will continue to play its role towards the pursuit of that objective. The interests of the Afghan people will continue to be at the heart of our efforts in Afghanistan.

I thank you.

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