Afghanistan, 1993

Permit me, first of all, to

congratulate Ambassador Insanally on his unanimous

election as President of the United Nations General

Assembly at its forty-eighth session. I am confident that,

under his dynamic and wise leadership, coupled with the

support of that able and consummate diplomat, His

Excellency Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the Secretary-General of

the United Nations, the deliberations of this Assembly will

produce constructive and fruitful results in meeting some of

the major challenges our world is facing at this time and in

laying a sound foundation for international relations in the

foreseeable future.

Our appreciation is also extended to His Excellency

Stoyan Ganev, the President of the General Assembly at its

forty-seventh session, for his successful conduct of that

session of the Assembly.

I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome

the new Member States that have joined us. I expect that

their participation at this session will contribute significantly

to international peace and cooperation.

The world has witnessed phenomenal changes within

the last two or three years. With the collapse of Soviet

communism, many new independent States have emerged,

and several countries whose citizens lived unwillingly behind

the Iron Curtain for almost half a century have rejoined the

free world. The bipolar world has disappeared and the cold

war has practically ended. These great changes provide an

opportunity for us to reduce international tensions, to attain

true parity among nations, to put an end to wasteful

investments in destructive and devastating armaments and to

free up our resources for more productive use by all our

citizens.

On the other hand, however, we also see that these

changes in the world have created substantial uncertainties

and in many instances have given rise to extremely tragic

regional, local, ethnic and religious conflicts which, unless

addressed by the international community, will endanger

world peace. These conflicts, combined with the continuing

problems of poverty, the widening gap between the rich and

the poor, and the scourge of drug use and drug trafficking

could offset the advantages we all hope to gain from the

recent changes. Do we have the vision, the creativity and

the resolve to ensure that the world takes positive advantage

of the new realities for the benefit of all countries and

peoples? Or will we continue to be myopic, dogmatically

blind and self-centred, and risk losing this great opportunity?

The Afghan people have a special stake in the choice

we collectively make. We wish to ensure that our choice is

the right one and that all countries, including Afghanistan,

share fully in the benefits that should flow from the new

realities. Our special stake is based on our belief that the

changes that have taken place in the world are partly the

result of the enormous sacrifices made by our nation during

the 14 years of struggle against Soviet occupation and

communist rule.

In this context, I would like to say a few words about

some of the issues confronting the world community today,

issues which we must address in this Assembly. I will then

discuss the situation in Afghanistan and state what our

expectations are of the United Nations and the world

community.

One of the issues confronting us is that of Bosnia and

Herzegovina. The country’s situation is indeed tragic, and

will be a test case to determine whether we in the

international community have the sense of justice and can

muster the resolve to end this tragedy successfully and

Forty-eighth session - 11 October l993 21

justly. The continuing occupation of Bosnian Muslim

territories by the Serbs, backed by the armed might of

Serbia, the intransigence of the Serbians vis-à-vis the

Security Council resolutions, and the untold atrocities

committed against the innocent Bosnian Muslim population

is not only an affront to this Organization but also an insult

to humanity. The delegation of the Islamic State of

Afghanistan believes that aggression must not be rewarded

and that any territorial gains that were made as a result of

force should and must be rectified. A definitive time limit

should be set by which the Serbs should agree to the terms

of the London Conference and withdraw from the seized

territories. Otherwise, the current arms embargo against

Bosnia should be lifted and other urgent and effective

measures, including the use of force, should be considered

by the United Nations and the international community to

ensure that the Bosnian tragedy is ended and the Serbian

aggression repulsed.

The Palestinian people have suffered long. The Islamic

State of Afghanistan would like to see peace finally achieved

for these people in a way that meets their national objectives

and satisfies their right to self-determination. We believe

that the declaration of principles on Palestinian self-rule

signed in Washington on 13 September 1993 will serve as

the basis for a long-term solution to the Palestine problem

and ensure peace and stability only if it is followed by

earnest negotiations that lead first, to the withdrawal of

Israeli forces from the occupied territories; secondly, to the

establishment of an independent Palestinian State that

includes the Holy City of Jerusalem, one of the three most

sacred cities of the Islamic world; thirdly, to the return of

the Palestinian refugees; and fourthly, to a resolution of the

problem of Israeli settlements in a manner acceptable to the

new Palestinian State.

Kashmir is another tragic issue that requires urgent

attention. This issue has not only caused substantial

suffering to the people of Kashmir, but has become the

source of friction between two important neighbouring States

in South Asia and has prevented the full realization of the

economic and trade potentials that exist within and outside

the region. The Islamic State of Afghanistan therefore urges

the resolution of this issue by these two States through

negotiations under United Nations auspices or under any

other arrangements that may be acceptable to both sides,

taking into account the wishes and aspirations of the people

of Kashmir.

In the case of Somalia, the Islamic State of Afghanistan

is distressed by the chaos which has resulted from increasing

civil upheaval. We support the peace-keeping efforts of the

United Nations and hope that international participation can

ensure a safe end to the turmoil in Somalia and the

establishment of a viable government to protect the interests

and rights of the Somali people. We believe all peaceful

avenues that might help in solving this problem should be

explored.

The Islamic State of Afghanistan supports every

equitable international effort to prevent the proliferation of

nuclear weapons. However, given that most of the tragedies

around the world are caused by the massive increase in the

availability of conventional weapons, my delegation would

welcome and support a resolution to control the production

and sale of such weapons. Such a resolution should also

provide for effective arms collection programmes in

countries which are saturated with weapons that are causing

internal and regional instability.

Now I would like to focus the attention of the

Assembly on my own country, Afghanistan. As all of you

know, Afghanistan has suffered enormously within the past

15 years. I do not wish to go into the details of the

destruction that has taken place, but I would like to highlight

a few points very briefly.

The Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, has

aptly summarized the tragedy of Afghanistan:

"Few countries in history have suffered to the

extent Afghanistan has over the past fourteen years.

Aside from the physical destruction, which was often

nothing short of cataclysmic, the results of the war

include well over a million people killed, over 2 million

disabled, nearly 6 million refugees in neighbouring

countries, and 2 million internally displaced persons."

Almost the entire transportation, communication, and

power infrastructure in Afghanistan has been either wiped

out or severely damaged. The agricultural system is in total

disarray, with the irrigation system destroyed, much

livestock killed and the agricultural credit and extension

services totally defunct. The placement of millions of mines

throughout the country makes it impossible to revive the

agricultural sector. Forests are denuded and the environment

spoiled. Attempts to provide health care, medicine,

immunization and so on are stymied by the destruction of so

many hospitals and clinics. Mental health problems resulting

from many years of war and bombings have no relief. In

addition, thousands upon thousands of amputees require

artificial limbs. Thousands of schools have been destroyed

and many of our teachers and professors have been killed or

exiled. Indeed, illiteracy has overtaken almost our entire

population. A whole generation of Afghans has no

experience of normal life or of education in any form.

22 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

The other two urgent problems we have are both linked

to the lack of jobs and of economic alternatives within

Afghanistan: the problem of large numbers of weapons in

private hands and the problem of illicit drugs. I shall return

to both of these matters a little later.

Let me describe the plight of one individual, Abdul

Rahim. This man escaped to Pakistan from the war in

Afghanistan nine years ago. He was newly married, with

one baby, and during his years in Pakistan he had two more

children. Two of his brothers were killed in battle, and the

third died of disease that went untreated because of poor

medical facilities. He is responsible for two of his widowed

sisters-in-law and their five children. Thus, as he returns to

his village in Afghanistan he is the head of a family of

twelve. He finds that his parents, who had refused to leave,

are no longer there. It will be some time before he learns of

their fate. His home is reduced to a pile of rubble, as,

obviously, are those of his neighbours. The shops of the

village are gone. The once-paved road that came almost to

the village is an unrecognizable path of dust and rocks.

There is no water and no electricity. Worse, there are no

trees or source of wood, and winter’s shadow grows longer

with each cold night. In his once productive fields lie

burned tanks and odd pieces of metallic rubble. His cousins

nervously talk of land mines, one of which killed an old

neighbour the day before his return. His family is concerned

about lack of flour, tea and sugar. This person is just an

example; there are millions of people like him in

Afghanistan.

One of the most damaging legacies that Afghanistan

has inherited from Soviet occupation, Communist rule and

the long, drawn-out war is a substantial break-up of our civil

and military administration and the virtual collapse of our

economic and financial institutions. In the past year the

Government has taken substantial steps to correct the

situation. Indeed, progress has been made in re-establishing

central authority and in reviving public and private economic

and financial institutions. None the less, considerable work

and much assistance will be required before we begin to

overcome those shortcomings.

In addition, given the destruction that has taken place,

we are in need of a massive reconstruction programme

which we are unable to undertake unless we are assisted by

the international community. Last year the General

Assembly adopted a resolution calling for reconstruction

assistance to Afghanistan. Not much has happened since

then. A similar draft resolution will be presented to the

Assembly this year, and we hope that it will be supported

and that many can take part in putting it into effect.

When we raise the question of assistance for

reconstruction and revitalization of the economy, our request

is gently dismissed with the reply that once security is

established, Afghanistan will be helped. While granting that

security is important for a full-fledged reconstruction

programme, I would suggest that a reasonable degree of

peace and security does exist in large parts of Afghanistan.

In these areas reconstruction is possible and, if started, could

serve as a catalyst in revitalizing the entire Afghan economy.

There are only a few areas where tensions exist and where

there may be intermittent fighting. We should also bear in

mind that it may not be possible to have full peace and

security in the country unless we are able to start the process

of reconstruction and provide people with productive

economic opportunities to make it attractive, and indeed

possible, for them to give up their arms. The vicious circle

of security first and then reconstruction or economic revival

first and then security must be broken if we are to make any

progress.

Another dimension of security is obviously political.

To ensure that the entire Afghan nation participates in

determining the country’s future political structure, we plan

to hold elections in the course of the coming year. We have

therefore requested the United Nations to help organize and

supervise the election process.

Now I should like to come back to the two or three

points which I mentioned earlier.

One issue worth mentioning here and which has had

both regional and international implications is that of

narcotic drugs. At the present time the illicit cultivation,

production, stocking, smuggling of and trafficking in narcotic

drugs are without a doubt critical problems that face

humanity. Regrettably, one of the legacies of the long war

is the transformation of some parts of our country into

staging areas for illicit drug activity. This phenomenon,

which is the result of the unavailability of economic

alternatives, is a source of great pain to us. The Islamic

State of Afghanistan, despite its scarce resources, has

undertaken serious measures in the struggle against illicit

drugs. We shall spare no efforts in combating these illegal

activities. However, we must not overlook the reality that

Afghanistan, with its extremely limited means and massive

economic and financial needs, is not in a position to

accomplish effectively this task on its own. Afghanistan

needs urgent support from the international community to

intensify the struggle against cultivation and of trafficking in

drugs.

Another area where we require cooperation is that of

land mines. Last year the Secretary-General’s report brought

Forty-eighth session - 11 October l993 23

to the attention of the world the fact that there are more than

10 million land mines in Afghanistan. It should also be

mentioned that, on average, about 300 people fall victim to

land mines each month. The agricultural sector, the

traditional base of the Afghan economy, will never be

revived until these mines are cleared. We of course express

our gratitude for the past and ongoing mine-clearing

programmes of the United Nations and experts from other

countries. However, there is an urgent need for greater

assistance by interested countries both in actual

mine-clearing operations and in training Afghan citizens so

as to enable us to complete this task in as short a time as

possible. In this connection, the delegation of the Islamic

State of Afghanistan wholeheartedly supports the new item,

introduced by the European Community, on the current

agenda of the General Assembly concerning mine-clearing

programmes for war-stricken countries.

We Afghans want to reconstruct our country and to

heal the wounds of the war that was imposed upon us. We

look forward to a normal life in which all our citizens

participate fully in the political, economic, and social life of

the country, without any prejudice and without

discrimination based on ethnicity, religious sect, language or

gender. Here we consider it particularly important that

Afghan women play an effective and positive role in the

process of rebuilding Afghanistan. We want to raise the

standard of living of our people. We want to live in peace

with all our neighbours and to cooperate fully with them so

that we can use the vast resources of our region to the

maximum advantage of all our peoples. Indeed, we want to

serve as a transit and trade route in our region. To this end,

the Islamic State of Afghanistan intends to devise a

reconstruction and development strategy that takes into

account not only Afghanistan’s own requirements, but also

the requirements of the region.

We are of course distressed by the recent upheavals in

Tajikistan. We have made every effort to ensure that

tensions along the Tajik-Afghan border are reduced. For this

purpose, official visits at the highest levels have been

exchanged between the two countries. These visits have

resulted in mutual understanding on important issues.

Appropriate communiqués to this effect have been issued in

Kabul and Dushanbe. We welcome the decision of the Tajik

authorities to solve their internal political problems through

negotiations so that the Tajik refugees now in Afghanistan

can return to Tajikistan voluntarily with confidence, in

security and with honour, in accordance with international

norms. To this end we are planning to reach a trilateral

agreement between Afghanistan, Tajikistan and the United

Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

The Islamic State of Afghanistan stands firm in support

of human rights. This we consider not only an international

commitment, but also a religious conviction. The fact that

after the collapse of the communist regime in Afghanistan

and the takeover by the Mujahideen, no policy of revenge

against the former regime members was pursued is a good

indication of this commitment. It is true, however, that due

to the massive number of weapons now in private hands in

our country some individual incidents of human rights

violations have taken place, and skirmishes between different

armed groups have regrettably led to the loss of innocent

lives. Therefore, the Islamic State of Afghanistan is taking

measures to collect heavy arms from various armed groups.

We seriously hope that these efforts will bear fruit in the not

too distant future.

I also want to make it clear that, having been the

victims of terrorism ourselves, the Afghan nation opposes

terrorism in any form or shape. We will never tolerate

terrorism or allow Afghan territory to be used for such acts.

Terrorism and the killing of innocent people is abhorrent to

our religious beliefs and to our traditions. God Almighty

condemns the killing of innocent people and says that when

anyone kills an innocent person, it will

"be as if He slew the whole people". (The Holy Koran,

V:35).

24 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

The world is also witness to the fact that throughout the

unequal war against the former Soviet Union the Afghans at

no point carried out any acts of terrorism against Soviet

citizens or Soviet property.

I would like to conclude by stating that the international

community will draw maximum advantage from the changes

that have taken place in the world if we assume

responsibility for, and become committed to, working

collectively towards improving the lives of all peoples, while

each country maintains its full independence and enjoys

equal rights and privileges as a separate nation. All

countries represented in this body should be thinking not

only of the prevention of conflicts, but also of engaging our

energies to uplift the economic, social, and political lives of

every nation and citizen so that all are safe, secure and free.

It is with such vision, such commitment, such sense of

sharing, that we will be able to realize the objectives for

which this Organization was founded. For the attainment of

these goals, we must ensure that new opportunities in the

world are not wasted and that the sacrifices of millions of

people who gave their lives for freedom and dignity, as well

as the silent suffering of those who despaired under years of

poverty and oppression, were not in vain.

For our part, I would like to assure the Organization

and the international community that Afghanistan will be a

full and cooperative partner in all constructive collective

efforts aimed at ensuring international peace, stability,

progress, freedom and justice.

May God bless everyone present and help us all in our

efforts.