United Nations, Dec 30 (FN Agency) The Security Council on Friday adopted a resolution to encourage UN member states and other relevant stakeholders to consider the Afghanistan independent assessment and the implementation of its recommendations. Resolution 2721, which was adopted with 13 votes in favor and two abstentions (by China and Russia), takes positive note of the Afghanistan independent assessment submitted to the Security Council on Nov. 8.It encourages UN member states and all other relevant stakeholders to consider the independent assessment and the implementation of its recommendations, especially increasing international engagement in a more coherent, coordinated and structured manner.
The resolution affirms that the objective of this process should be a clear end state of an Afghanistan at peace with itself and its neighbors, fully reintegrated into the international community and meeting international obligations, and recognizes the need to ensure the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of Afghan women in the process throughout. It requests the UN secretary-general, in consultation with members of the Security Council, relevant Afghan political actors and stakeholders, as well as the region and the wider international community, to appoint a special envoy for Afghanistan to promote the implementation of the recommendations of the independent assessment. The Afghanistan independent assessment report proposes an “architecture for engagement” to guide and bring more coherence to political, humanitarian and development activities, together with a substantive roadmap that will enable more effective negotiation and implementation of the priorities of Afghan and international stakeholders.
The independent assessment report makes four recommendations: a series of measures that can be taken immediately and are aimed at addressing the basic needs of the Afghan people and strengthening trust through a more structured engagement; a call for international attention to and cooperation on issues that have an impact on regional and global security and stability; a roadmap for political engagement designed to reintegrate Afghanistan fully into the international community; a set of mechanisms and formats to ensure the coordination and implementation of the above-mentioned recommendations.