General Assembly Security Council

UNSC Briefing on UNAMA/Afghanistan

(20.12.2022; 1000 hours EST)

Statement by Mr. Sanjay Varma, Secretary West

I thank SRSG Otunbayeva and USG Martin Griffiths for their briefing. I also wish to thank Ms. Mahbouba Seraj for her remarks. I welcome the presence of the Foreign Minister of Norway in this briefing.

  1. India has direct stakes in ensuring the return of peace and stability to the country, given our position as a contiguous neighbour and long-standing partner of Afghanistan, as well as our strong historical and civilizational linkages to the Afghan people. Our approach to Afghanistan, as always, will be guided by our historical friendship and our special relationship with the people of Afghanistan.
  1. We are deeply concerned at the unfolding humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. In response to the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people and in response to the urgent appeals made by the United Nations, India has dispatched several shipments of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and we are committed to continue our help to the Afghan people going forward as well. We had supported the adoption of resolution 2615 last December to provide a humanitarian carve-out. We are happy to have heard today from the USG that this carve-out has been effective in mitigating the impact of the humanitarian crisis.
  1. It is also important to recognize that the international community continues to have some concerns regarding the situation in Afghanistan, and we heard from our briefers today what those concerns are. India’s main priorities in Afghanistan include providing immediate humanitarian assistance for the Afghan people, formation of a truly inclusive and representative government, combating terrorism and drug trafficking and preserving the rights of women, children, and minorities. These benchmarks were also set forth by the UNSC Resolution 2593 which guides the international community’s approach towards Afghanistan.
  1. We are closely monitoring the security situation in Afghanistan and are actively engaged with the international community on issues related to Afghanistan.  Terrorist attacks have targeted public spaces like places of worship and educational institutes, especially of minorities, as well as diplomatic premises. This is a concerning trend. 
  1. The collective approach of the international community has been articulated in the Security Council Resolution 2593. It unequivocally demands that the territory of Afghanistan should not be used for sheltering, training, planning, or financing terrorist acts, specifically terrorist individuals and entities proscribed by the UN Security Council, including Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad. 
  1. Closely linked to the issue of terrorism is the menace of drug trafficking. It is important for us to strengthen international cooperation to disrupt and dismantle the trafficking networks.
  1. On the political front, India continues to call for an inclusive dispensation in Afghanistan which represents all sections of the Afghan society. A broad-based, inclusive, and representative formation is necessary for long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan, and in turn, for economic recovery and development.
  1. In closing, this will probably be India’s last statement on Afghanistan as a member of the Security Council this tenure. However, as a close neighbour, Afghanistan will continue to remain in our hearts and we will continue to speak out in support of the Afghan people. The days when Afghanistan was used by others as so-called “strategic depth” are over. Such skewed approaches have only brought misery to the people of Afghanistan and mayhem in the region. Peace and stability in Afghanistan are critical imperatives that all of us need to collectively strive for. India will continue to play its role in pursuit of this objective. The interests of the Afghan people will always continue to be at the core of our efforts today and always.

Thank you!