Monitoring Policy Making at the United Nations |
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Slovenian Ambassador Zbogar
Permanent Mission of Slovenia to the UN
on the Situation in Afghanistan
August 27, 1999
Statement by Mr. Samuel Zbogar, Minister Plenipotentiary, Chargé d'affaires in the United Nations Security Council
Mr. President,Allow me at the outset to thank Under-Secretary-General Prendergast for the thought-provoking briefing he gave us this morning, as always. We would also like to express our appreciation and full support to the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, Mr. Brahimi, for his tireless efforts to return the light of hope and peace to the people of Afghanistan. We join others in expressing our good wishes for his speedy recovery.
The delegation of Slovenia expresses its appreciation to you, Mr. President, for convening this open debate on the situation in Afghanistan. The problems to be addressed today are very grave and indeed alarming, and deserve the most serious consideration by the Security Council. These problems are also not new. They have characterized the sad state of affairs in Afghanistan for far too long. It looks as if the international community and the Security Council were genuinely unable to find the right responses for many years. At the same time, it is clear that the situation in Afghanistan cannot be described as an essentially internal affair of a State. Quite to the contrary, that situation arose about two decades ago as an essentially international problem and has remained so to date.
Mr. President,
The international character of and the apparent lack of solution for the situation in Afghanistan call for a reinforced effort of the United Nations, and especially of the Security Council, which has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. It is therefore most appropriate that today's discussion takes place as an orientation debate, open to all United Nations Member States. We hope that the results of today's debate will give full meaning to the concept of open orientation debate, which the Security Council should convene as often as necessary.
Mr. President,
The current general situation in Afghanistan is appalling. The military conflict continues and is gaining new dimensions, leaving the people of Afghanistan in a dire humanitarian situation. The appeals of the Secretary-General, the Security Council and others to the effect that there will be no military solutions and that peaceful means must be used remain unheeded. Continuing the deplorable tradition of the annual vicious cycle of resumed fighting, the Taliban again ignored efforts by the international community to bring peace to Afghanistan and launched the summer military offensive. Adding to the destabilizing effects of the situation are disturbing reports about thousands of non-Afghan nationals taking part in the fighting. We are furthermore concerned at recent reports of the involvement in the conflict of students, some as young as 14, recruited in expectation of a new offensive.
Mr. President,
In the first week alone, the offensive has caused the displacement of between 100,000 and 140,000 people. In addition, 40,000 people were forcibly displaced to Kabul and Jalalabad, using the unacceptable practice of separating women and children from men. We are deeply concerned by continuing reports of widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. The present stage of the military conflict is an extension of the situation of last year which led to extremely grave humanitarian consequences. The massacre in Mazar-e-Sharif, following the seizure of that town by Taliban in August 1998, resulted in the death of more than 5,000 people. It is extremely disturbing that the pattern of ethnic cleansing established last year appears to continue. The conditions for investigation of massacres, which took place last year, were not met and the preventive effect of such an investigation was thwarted. The investigation of the killing of Iranian diplomats in Mazar-e-Sharif, which was strongly condemned by the Security Council and the international community at large, also has yet to make substantial progress.
The situation in Afghanistan is further aggravated by organized production of drugs and drug trafficking and by the harbouring of international terrorism. Numerous and credible reports have established the Taliban's responsibility for these social, humanitarian and political ills that have dangerous implications well beyond the Afghanistan borders.
Mr. President,
In the effort to contribute to the solution of the situation in Afghanistan, the Security Council has established the relevant political principles, including, most importantly, the principle that there is no military solution to the situation. Furthermore, the Council has rendered its support to the group of "six plus two" States as the essential diplomatic mechanism devised to develop the necessary political agreement among all the parties concerned. It is regrettable that the principle of peaceful solution remains unheeded and that the "six plus two" mechanism remains unsuccessful. Moreover, the credibility of that mechanism was seriously affected last July after the high-level Tashkent meeting of the "six plus two" group, where both the United Front and the Taliban also participated. It appears that, simultaneously, preparations for subsequent military action in Afghanistan were pursued.
What kind of orientation for the future search of peace can be achieved today? There are, in our opinion, four main lessons learned from the past, which should guide policy-making for the future.
First, the growing disunity and the flaws in the practice of the "six plus two" group have not discredited the principles which that mechanism is supposed to pursue. Quite to the contrary, the notion that there is no military solution in Afghanistan and the principle that peace must be established by peaceful means are as valid today as they were yesterday.
Secondly, the key to ending the Afghan tragedy lies in resolving its external aspects. The conflict in Afghanistan is perpetuated by continuous foreign interference in the form of active political and particularly military support provided to the Afghan parties through supplies of arms, ammunition and other warring matériel, as well as military personnel. We call upon all concerned to desist from such practices in the future.
Thirdly, military advances by the Taliban do not in themselves constitute the legitimate basis of the Government. Without the minimum legitimacy of power in all parts of Afghanistan, there can be no assurance of the long-term effectiveness of the Government in the country. The necessary legitimacy ought to include respect for basic norms of international law, including humanitarian and human rights law. Any new Government aspiring to international recognition must be aware of that.
Fourthly, the destabilizing effects of the situation in Afghanistan and its immediate and wider environment must be addressed precisely and with responsibility. The immediate political effects of the continuing war on Afghanistan's neighbours are serious enough. Additionally, however, serious consideration must be given to the cancerous effects of drug-trafficking and terrorism, which destabilize the wider region and beyond.
Mr. President,
The situation in Afghanistan remains tragic, while its wider repercussions are becoming ever more dangerous. The essential political and conceptual conditions for a peaceful solution are already known. Our delegation believes that today's meeting of the Security Council should demonstrate the resolve of the international community to insist on those conditions in the effort to help in finding a solution for the situation in Afghanistan.
Thank you, Mr. President.
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