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Viewing cable 09STATE27625, AFGHANISTAN-VOTING INSTRUCTION FOR UNAMA MANDATE

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09STATE27625 2009-03-23 16:33 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Secretary of State
VZCZCXYZ0016
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #7625 0821654
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 231633Z MAR 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0000
INFO UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO IMMEDIATE 0000
UNCLAS STATE 027625 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AF MARR PREL
SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN-VOTING INSTRUCTION FOR UNAMA MANDATE 
RENEWAL RESOLUTION 
 
1.  (U) This is an action request:  The Department 
instructs USUN to vote in favor of and co-sponsor the 
following UN Security Council resolution regarding the UN 
Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), to be 
considered by the Council on Monday, March 23, 2009. 
Mission should seek additional guidance from the 
Department if there are any additional substantive 
changes 
to the resolution text. 
 
2.  (U) Begin text: 
 
The Security Council, 
 
Recalling its previous resolutions on Afghanistan, in 
particular its resolution 1806 (2008) extending through 
23 March 2009 the mandate of the United Nations Assistance 
Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) as established by 
resolution 1662 (2006), and its resolution 1659 (2006) 
endorsing the Afghanistan Compact, and recalling also the 
report of the Security Council mission to Afghanistan, 21 
to 28 November 2008 (S/2008/782), 
 
Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, 
independence, territorial integrity and national unity of 
Afghanistan, 
 
Stressing the importance of a comprehensive approach to 
address the situation in Afghanistan, and recognizing 
that there is no purely military solution to ensure the 
stability of Afghanistan, 
 
Reaffirming its continued support for the Government and 
people of Afghanistan as they rebuild their country, 
strengthen the foundations of sustainable peace and 
constitutional democracy and assume their rightful place 
in the community of nations, 
 
Reaffirming in this context its support for the 
implementation, under the ownership of the Afghan people, 
of the Afghanistan Compact, of the Afghanistan National 
Development Strategy (ANDS) and of the National Drugs 
Control Strategy, and noting that sustained and 
coordinated efforts by all relevant actors are required 
to  consolidate progress made towards their implementation 
and to overcome continuing challenges, 
 
Recalling that the Afghanistan Compact is based on a 
partnership between the Afghan Government and the 
international community, based on the desire of the 
parties for Afghanistan to progressively assume 
responsibility for its own development and security, and 
with a central and impartial coordinating role for the 
United Nations, 
 
Stressing the central and impartial role that the United 
Nations continues to play in promoting peace and 
stability in Afghanistan by leading the efforts of the 
international  community, including, jointly with the Government 
of Afghanistan, the coordination and monitoring of efforts 
in implementing the Afghanistan Compact, and expressing its 
appreciation and strong support for the ongoing efforts 
of the Secretary-General, his Special Representative for 
Afghanistan and the women and men of UNAMA, 
 
Welcoming the continued commitment of the international 
community to support the stability and development of 
Afghanistan, and also welcoming in this regard 
international initiatives including the special 
conference on Afghanistan under the aegis of the Shanghai 
Cooperation Organization to be held in Moscow on 27 March 2009, 
the International Conference on Afghanistan to be held in The 
Hague on 31 March 2009 and the Outreach Session of the G8 
Ministerial Meeting to be held in Trieste on 26 to 27 
June 
2009, 
 
Welcoming ongoing efforts to ensure an orderly, open, 
fair and democratic process that preserves stability and 
security through the election period, underscoring the 
challenges that the Afghan Independent Electoral 
Commission (IEC) is successfully confronting, and 
welcoming the announcement by the IEC to hold 
presidential and provincial council elections in August 2009, 
 
Recognizing once again the interconnected nature of the 
challenges in Afghanistan, reaffirming that sustainable 
progress on security, governance and development, as well 
as the cross-cutting issue of counter-narcotics is 
mutually reinforcing and welcoming the continuing efforts 
of the Afghan Government and the international community 
to address these challenges through a comprehensive 
approach, 
 
Stressing the importance of a comprehensive approach in 
addressing the challenges in Afghanistan and noting, in 
this context, the synergies in the objectives of UNAMA 
and of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), 
and stressing the need for strengthened cooperation, 
coordination and mutual support, taking due account of 
their respective designated responsibilities, 
 
Stressing the need of urgently addressing the 
humanitarian 
situation through improving the reach, quality and 
quantity of humanitarian aid, ensuring efficient, 
effective and timely coordination and delivery of 
humanitarian assistance through enhanced coordination 
among the United Nations agencies, funds and programmes 
under the authority of the Special Representative of the 
Secretary-General and between the United Nations and 
other donors, and through the expansion and strengthening of 
the United Nations' humanitarian presence in the provinces, 
where it is most needed, 
 
Condemning the increasing attacks against humanitarian 
workers, and underlining the need for all parties to 
ensure safe and unhindered access of all humanitarian 
actors, including United Nations staff and associated 
personnel, and comply fully with applicable international 
humanitarian law, 
 
Reiterating its concern about the security situation in 
Afghanistan, in particular the increased violent and 
terrorist activities by the Taliban, Al-Qaida, illegally 
armed groups, criminals and those involved in the 
narcotics trade, and the increasingly strong links 
between 
terrorism activities and illicit drugs, resulting in 
threats to the local population, including children, 
national security forces and international military and 
civilian personnel, 
 
Expressing also its serious concern over the harmful 
consequences of violent and terrorist activities by the 
Taliban, Al-Qaida and other extremist groups on the 
capacity of the Afghan Government to guarantee the rule 
of law, to provide security and basic services to the Afghan 
people, and to ensure the improvement and protection of 
their human rights and fundamental freedoms, 
 
Recognizing the increased threats posed by the Taliban, 
Al-Qaida and other extremist groups as well as the 
challenges related to the efforts to address such 
threats, 
 
Recalling its resolutions 1674 (2006) and 1738 (2006) on 
the protection of civilians in armed conflict, expressing 
its concern at the high number of civilian casualties as 
stated in the recent report of the Secretary-General on 
the situation in Afghanistan, reiterating its call for 
all 
feasible steps to be taken to ensure the protection of 
civilians, and calling for compliance with international 
humanitarian and human rights law as applicable, 
 
Expressing also concern with the serious threat that 
anti-personnel mines, remnants of war and improvised 
explosive devices may pose to the civilian population, 
and  stressing the need to refrain from the use of weapons 
and devices prohibited by international law, 
 
Welcoming the declaration addressed to the International 
Narcotics Control Board (INCB) by the Government of 
Afghanistan that there is no legal use for acetic 
anhydride in Afghanistan for the time being and that 
producing and exporting countries should abstain from 
authorising the export of this substance to Afghanistan 
without the request from the Afghan Government, and 
encouraging, pursuant to resolution 1817 (2008), member 
states to increase their cooperation with the INCB, 
notably by fully complying with the provisions of article 
12 of United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic 
in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988, 
 
Recalling the importance of the Kabul Declaration of 22 
December 2002 on Good-Neighbourly Relations (Kabul 
Declaration) (S/2002/1416), looking forward to the Third 
Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan 
to be held in Islamabad, and stressing the crucial 
importance of advancing regional cooperation as an effective 
means to promote security, governance and development in 
Afghanistan, 
 
Expressing its support for the Afghan-Pakistani Peace 
Jirga process, 
 
Recalling its resolutions 1265 (1999), 1296 (2000), 1674 
(2006), and 1738 (2006) on the protection of civilians in 
armed conflict, its resolutions 1325 (2000) and 
1820(2008) 
on women and peace and security, and its resolution 1612 
(2005) on children and armed conflict, and taking note of 
the report of the Secretary-General (S/2008/695) on 
Children and Armed Conflict in Afghanistan, 
 
1.  Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General of 10 
March 2009 (S/2009/135); 
 
2.  Expresses its appreciation for the United Nations? 
long-term commitment to work with the Government and the 
people of Afghanistan and reiterates its full support to 
the work of UNAMA and the Special Representative of the 
Secretary-General; 
 
3.  Decides to extend the mandate of UNAMA, as defined in 
its resolutions 1662 (2006), 1746 (2007) and 1806 (2008), 
until 23 March 2010; 
 
4.  Decides further that UNAMA and the Special 
Representative of the Secretary-General, within their 
mandate and guided by the principle of reinforcing Afghan 
ownership and leadership, will continue to lead the 
international civilian efforts, in accordance with their 
priorities as laid out in paragraph 4 of its resolution 
1806 (2008), to, namely: 
 
(a) promote, as co-chair of the Joint Coordination and 
Monitoring Board (JCMB), more coherent support by the 
international community to the Afghan Government and the 
adherence to the principles of aid effectiveness 
enumerated in the Afghanistan Compact, including through 
mobilization of resources, coordination of the assistance 
provided by international donors and organizations, and 
direction of the contributions of United Nations 
agencies, 
funds and programmes, in particular for counter- 
narcotics, 
reconstruction and development activities; 
 
(b) strengthen the cooperation with ISAF at all levels 
and 
throughout the country, in accordance with their existing 
mandates, in order to improve civil-military 
coordination, 
to facilitate the timely exchange of information and to 
ensure coherence between the activities of national and 
international security forces and of civilian actors in 
support of an Afghan-led development and stabilization 
process, including through engagement with provincial 
reconstruction teams and engagement with non-governmental 
organizations; 
 
(c) through a strengthened and expanded presence 
throughout the country, provide political outreach, 
promote at the local level the implementation of the 
Compact, of the ANDS and of the National Drugs Control 
Strategy, and facilitate inclusion in and understanding 
of 
the Government?s policies; 
 
(d) provide good offices to support, if requested by the 
Afghan Government, the implementation of Afghan-led 
reconciliation programmes, within the framework of the 
Afghan Constitution and with full respect for the 
implementation of measures introduced by the Security 
Council in its resolution 1267 (1999) and other relevant 
resolutions of the Council; 
 
(e) support and strengthen efforts to improve governance 
and the rule of law and to combat corruption at the local 
and national levels, and to promote development 
initiatives at the local level with a view to helping 
bring the benefits of peace and deliver services in a 
timely and sustainable manner; 
 
(f) play a central coordinating role to facilitate the 
delivery of humanitarian assistance in accordance with 
humanitarian principles and with a view to building the 
capacity of the Afghan Government, including by providing 
effective support to national and local authorities in 
assisting and protecting internally displaced persons and 
to creating conditions conducive to the voluntary, safe, 
dignified and sustainable return of refugees and 
internally displaced persons; 
 
(g) continue, with the support of the Office of the 
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, to 
cooperate with the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission 
(AIHRC), to cooperate also with relevant international 
and 
local non-governmental organizations, to monitor the 
situation of civilians, to coordinate efforts to ensure 
their protection and to assist in the full implementation 
of the fundamental freedoms and human rights provisions 
of the Afghan Constitution and international treaties to 
which Afghanistan is a state party, in particular those 
regarding the full enjoyment by women of their human 
rights; 
 
(h)  support, at the request of the Afghan authorities, 
preparations for the crucial upcoming presidential 
elections, in particular through the IEC, by providing 
technical assistance, coordinating other international 
donors, agencies and organizations providing assistance 
and channeling existing and additional funds earmarked to 
support the process; 
 
(i) support regional cooperation to work towards a stable 
and prosperous Afghanistan; 
 
5.  Calls upon all Afghan and international parties to 
coordinate with UNAMA in the implementation of its 
mandate 
and in efforts to promote the security and freedom of 
movement of United Nations and associated personnel 
throughout the country; 
 
6.  Stresses the importance of strengthening and 
expanding 
the presence of UNAMA and other United Nations agencies, 
funds and programmes in the provinces, encourages the 
Secretary-General to continue his current efforts to take 
necessary measures to address the security issues 
associated with such strengthening and expansion, and 
underlines the authority of the Special Representative of 
the Secretary-General in the coordination of all 
activities of United Nations agencies, funds and 
programmes in Afghanistan; 
 
7.  Underscores the importance of the upcoming 
presidential and provincial council elections to 
Afghanistan's democratic development, calls for all 
efforts to be made to ensure the credibility, safety and 
security of the elections, recognizes UNAMA's key role, 
at the request of the Afghan Government, in supporting the 
electoral process, and calls upon members of the 
international community to provide the necessary 
assistance to these ends; 
 
8.  Calls on the Afghan Government, and the international 
community and international organizations, to implement 
the Afghanistan Compact and its annexes in full, and 
stresses in this context the importance of meeting the 
benchmarks and timelines of the Compact for progress on 
security, governance, the rule of law and human rights, 
and economic and social development, as well as the 
cross-cutting issue of counter-narcotics; 
 
9.  Reaffirms the central role played by the JCMB in 
coordinating, facilitating and monitoring the 
implementation of the Compact and calls upon all relevant 
actors to cooperate with the JCMB in this regard; 
 
10.  Calls on international donors and organizations and 
the Afghan Government to adhere to their commitments made 
at the International Conference in Support of 
Afghanistan, 
held in Paris on 12 June 2008  and reiterates the 
importance of further efforts in improving aid 
coordination and effectiveness, including by ensuring 
transparency, and combating corruption; 
 
11.  Calls upon the Afghan Government, with the 
assistance 
of the international community, including ISAF and 
Operation Enduring Freedom coalition, in accordance with 
their respective designated responsibilities as they 
evolve, to continue to address the threat to the security 
and stability of Afghanistan posed by the Taliban, 
Al-Qaida, illegally armed groups, criminals and those 
involved in the narcotics trade; 
 
12.  Condemns in the strongest terms all attacks, 
including Improvised Explosive Device attacks, suicide 
attacks and abductions, targeting civilians and Afghan 
and 
international forces and their deleterious effect on the 
stabilization, reconstruction and development efforts in 
Afghanistan, and condemns further the use by the Taliban 
and other extremist groups of civilians as human shields; 
 
13.  Welcomes the achievements to date in the 
implementation of the Mine Action Programme of 
Afghanistan, and encourages the Government of 
Afghanistan, 
with the support of the United Nations and all the 
relevant actors, to continue its efforts toward the 
removal of anti-personnel landmines, anti-tank landmines 
and explosive remnants of war in order to reduce the 
threats posed to human life and peace and security in the 
country; 
 
14.  Recognizes the efforts taken by ISAF and other 
international forces to minimize the risk of civilian 
casualties, and calls on them to continue to take robust 
efforts in this regard, notably by the continuous review 
of tactics and procedures and the conduct of after-action 
reviews and investigations in cooperation with the Afghan 
Government in cases where civilian casualties have 
occurred and when the Afghan Government finds these joint 
investigations appropriate; 
 
15.  Emphasizes the importance of ensuring access for 
relevant organizations, as applicable, to all prisons and 
places of detention in Afghanistan, and calls for full 
respect for relevant international law including 
humanitarian law and human rights law; 
 
16.  Expresses its strong concern about the recruitment 
and use of children by Taliban forces in Afghanistan as 
well as the killing and maiming of children as a result 
of the conflict, reiterates its strong condemnation of the 
recruitment and use of child soldiers in violation of 
applicable international law and all other violations and 
abuses committed against children in situations of armed 
conflict, in particular attacks against schools, calls 
for those responsible to be brought to justice, stresses the 
importance of implementing Security Council resolution 
1612 (2005), in this context, and requests the 
Secretary-General to strengthen the child protection 
component of UNAMA, in particular through the appointment 
of child protection advisers; 
 
17.  Reiterates the importance of increasing, in a 
comprehensive framework, the functionality, 
professionalism and accountability of the Afghan security 
sector through training, mentoring and empowerment 
efforts, in order to accelerate progress towards the goal 
of self-sufficient and ethnically balanced Afghan 
security 
forces providing security and ensuring the rule of law 
throughout the country; 
 
18.  Welcomes in this context the continued progress in 
the development of the Afghan National Army and its 
improved ability to plan and undertake operations, and 
encourages sustained training efforts, including through 
the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams, and advice 
in 
developing a sustainable defence planning process as well 
as assistance in defence reform initiatives; 
 
19.  Takes note with appreciation of the recent serious 
efforts of the Afghan authorities to enhance the 
capabilities of the Afghan National Police, calls for 
further efforts toward that goal, including through the 
Focused District Development, and stresses the 
importance, 
in this context, of international assistance through 
financial support and provision of trainers and mentors, 
including the contribution of the European Union through 
its police mission (EUPOL Afghanistan); 
 
20.  Welcomes the progress in the implementation by the 
Afghan Government of the programme of disbandment of 
illegal armed groups, and calls for accelerated efforts 
for further progress, with support from the international 
community; 
 
21.  Takes note of the recent progress in addressing 
opium production, remains concerned at the serious harm that 
opium cultivation, production and trafficking continue to 
cause to the security, development and governance of 
Afghanistan as well as to the region and internationally, 
calls on the Afghan Government, with the assistance of 
the 
international community, to accelerate the implementation 
of the National Drug Control Strategy, including through 
alternative livelihood programmes, and to mainstream 
counter-narcotics throughout national programmes, and 
encourages additional international support for the four 
priorities identified in that Strategy; 
 
22.  Calls upon States to strengthen international and 
regional cooperation to counter the threat to the 
international community posed by the illicit production 
and trafficking of drugs originated in Afghanistan, 
including through border management cooperation in drug 
control and cooperation for the fight against the illicit 
trafficking in drugs and precursors and against 
money-laundering linked to such trafficking, taking into 
account the outcome of the Second Ministerial Conference 
on Drug Trafficking Routes from Afghanistan organized by 
the Government of the Russian Federation in cooperation 
with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime held in 
Moscow from 26 to 28 June 2006 (S/2006/598), within the 
framework of the Paris Pact initiative, and, in this 
regard, calls for full implementation of its resolution 
1817(2008); 
 
23.  Welcomes the launch of the National Justice 
Programme , and reiterates the importance of its full, sequenced, 
timely and coordinated implementation by all the relevant 
Afghan institutions and other actors in view of 
accelerating the establishment of a fair and transparent 
justice system, eliminating impunity and contributing to 
the affirmation of the rule of law throughout the 
country; 
 
24.  Stresses in this context the importance of further 
progress in the reconstruction and reform of the prison 
sector in Afghanistan, in order to improve the respect 
for 
the rule of law and human rights therein; 
 
25.  Notes with strong concern the effects of widespread 
corruption on security, good governance, counter- 
narcotics 
efforts and economic development, and urges the Afghan 
Government, with the assistance of the international 
community, to vigorously lead the fight against 
corruption , and to enhance its efforts to establish a more 
effective, accountable and transparent administration; 
 
26.  Encourages all Afghan institutions, including the 
executive and legislative branches, to work in a spirit 
of 
cooperation, calls on the Afghan Government to pursue 
continued legislative and public administration reform in 
order to ensure good governance, full representation and 
accountability at both national and subnational levels, 
and stresses the need for further international efforts 
to 
provide technical assistance in this area; 
 
27.  Encourages the international community to assist the 
Government of Afghanistan in making capacity-building and 
human resources development a cross-cutting priority; 
 
28.  Calls for full respect for human rights and 
fundamental freedoms and international humanitarian law 
throughout Afghanistan, notes with concern the increasing 
restrictions on freedom of media, commends the AIHRC for 
its courageous efforts to monitor respect for human 
rights 
in Afghanistan as well as to foster and protect these 
rights and to promote the emergence of a pluralistic 
civil 
society, and stresses the importance of full cooperation 
with the AIHRC by all relevant actors; 
 
29.  Recognizes the significant progress achieved on 
gender equality in Afghanistan in recent years, strongly 
condemns continuing forms of discrimination and violence 
against women and girls, in particular violence aimed at 
preventing girls from attending schools, stresses the 
importance of implementing Security Council resolutions 
1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008), and requests the 
Secretary-General to continue to include in its reports 
to 
the Security Council relevant information on the process 
of integration of women into the political, economic and 
social life of Afghanistan; 
 
30.  Welcomes the efforts of the Afghan Government to 
promote dialogue with those elements in opposition to the 
Government who are ready to renounce violence, denounce 
terrorism and accept the Afghan Constitution, and calls 
for enhanced efforts to ensure the full implementation of 
the Action Plan on Peace, Justice and Reconciliation in 
accordance with the Afghanistan Compact, without 
prejudice 
to the implementation of measures introduced by the 
Security Council in its resolution 1267 (1999) of 15 
October 1999 and other relevant resolutions of the 
Security Council; 
 
31.  Welcomes the cooperation of the Afghan Government 
and 
UNAMA with the Security Council Committee established 
pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) with the 
implementation 
of resolution 1822 (2008), including by identifying 
individuals and entities participating in the financing 
or 
support of acts or activities of Al-Qaida and the Taliban 
using proceeds derived from illicit cultivation, 
production and trafficking of narcotic drugs and their 
precursors, and encourages the continuation of such 
cooperation; 
 
32.  Welcomes ongoing efforts by the Government of 
Afghanistan and its neighbouring and regional partners to 
foster trust and cooperation with each other as well as 
recent cooperation initiatives developed by the countries 
concerned and regional organizations, including the 
Second Trilateral Summit of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey 
held in Istanbul in December 2008 and the ministerial meeting 
in La Celle Saint-Cloud, France in December 2008, and 
stresses the importance of increasing cooperation between 
Afghanistan and the partners against the Taliban, Al- 
Qaida and other extremist groups, in promoting peace and 
prosperity in Afghanistan and in fostering cooperation in 
the economic and development sectors as a means to 
achieve the full integration of Afghanistan into regional 
dynamics and the global economy; 
 
33.  Calls for strengthening the process of regional 
economic cooperation, including measures to facilitate 
regional trade, to increase foreign investments and to 
develop infrastructure, noting Afghanistan?s historic 
role 
as a land bridge in Asia; 
 
34.  Recognizes the importance of voluntary, safe, 
orderly 
return and sustainable reintegration of the remaining 
Afghan refugees for the stability of the country and the 
region, and calls for continued and enhanced 
international 
assistance in this regard; 
 
35.  Affirms also the importance of voluntary, safe, 
orderly return and sustainable reintegration of the 
internally displaced persons; 
 
36.  Requests the Secretary-General to report to the 
Council every three months on developments in 
Afghanistan, and to develop, for inclusion in his next report, 
benchmarks for measuring and tracking progress in the 
implementation of UNAMA's mandate and priorities as set 
out in paragraph 4 of this resolution, and calls on all 
actors concerned to cooperate with UNAMA in this process; 
 
37.  Decides to remain actively seized of the matter. 
CLINTON