Afghanistan, 2011

I am honoured to be

here to read the statement of my President, His

Excellency Hâmid Karzai, who had to return from New

York to Kabul on an urgent basis, following the tragic

assassination, through a terrorist plot, of Afghanistan’s

former President and Chairman of the High Peace

Council, Mr. Burhanuddin Rabbani.

The President’s message begins:

“It is a great honour to address the General

Assembly at this year’s session, although I regret

that I am unable to do so in person. I was here in

New York the day before yesterday and had

looked forward to attending this important

session of the Assembly. I had to return to Kabul

after the tragic news of the martyrdom of former

President and Chairman of the Afghan High

Peace Council, Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani.

He was assassinated in a cowardly terrorist plot

by the enemies of peace in our country.

“As I speak, the Afghan nation is mourning

the loss not only of a valued and deeply respected

national figure, but a champion of peace who

worked tirelessly, up to the last moment of his

distinguished life, for peace in his country. On

behalf of the Afghan people, I am grateful for the

messages of condolences expressed by leaders

around the world at this terrible national loss in

Afghanistan.

“As the single largest gathering of nations,

the Assembly is the highest manifestation of the

plurality of our world. It is also the most solemn

opportunity we have, once a year, to bring to

global attention our national concerns and to

issues that are, in our view, of concern to the

wider world.

“Over the past year, the world saw not only

political volatility of historic proportions in the

Middle East, but also an unabated global

economic crisis, huge increases in the prices of

food and energy and enormous devastation

wrought by natural disasters. Most countries

around the world have seen aggravated conditions

of life for their peoples, and for many others the

future looks continuously bleak. In short, we live

in times of uncertainty and crisis, and it is at

times like these that international cooperation

gains true relevance and meaning.

“Ten days ago, this very city marked the

tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. On

behalf of the people of Afghanistan, who have

experienced the scourge of terrorism in its worst

imaginable form, I pay homage and respect to the

memory of the 9/11 tragedy and commiserate

with the people of the United States for their

sense of loss, which this anniversary has

rekindled.

“On this occasion, I urge the Assembly to

also reflect on the millions of lives around the

world that were touched by terror and violence

before 9/11 and those that have been lost to

terrorist violence over the 10 years since.

“My country, Afghanistan, has suffered the

most, but many — from Pakistan to India, Iraq,

Europe and many others around the world —

have fallen victim to this modern-day enemy of

peace. I urge the Assembly to also honour the

sacrifices many nations have made in the fight

against terrorism around the world. Above all,

however, I ask that we pause and take stock of

where we are 10 years after the world was shaken

into an unprecedented resolve to act in the face of

a common enemy.

“Later this year, Afghanistan will also mark

the anniversary of 10 years of the new political

era heralded by the end of the Taliban rule and

characterized by the beginning of a journey

towards a peaceful, prosperous and democratic

way of life. There is so much that we have to

celebrate in the enormous achievements we have

had, with the solidarity and generous help of the

international community. These 10 years have

been a truly unique chapter in the history of our

ancient country.

“Grasping the opportunity, we took bold

steps to reunite the country after decades of strife

and violence, laying the foundations of a young

democracy. Our social and economic

accomplishments are phenomenal, greater by

comparison than in any other period in our

country’s history. Never before have the Afghan

people enjoyed comparable access to education

and health or seen a greater development of

infrastructure across the country.

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“Regrettably, the sense of gratitude and

pride we feel at our achievements is tempered by

the absence of a key ingredient of any country’s

development, namely security. Despite the

Afghan people’s sincere embrace of the

international fight against terrorism and the

immeasurable sacrifices made on this path, we

have yet to reap the rewards of experiencing a life

free from violence and terror.

“We Afghans are proud to have partnered,

over the past 10 years, with the world’s struggle

against terrorism. While together we have fought

and crushed extremists in some of their long-held

strongholds, elsewhere they have continued to

thrive. Today, we see a worrying trend towards

increased radicalization of the youth. Al-Qaida,

despite the elimination of its leaders, remains

active in the region, and the Taliban militancy

maintains its deadly spectre over my country.

Both continue to receive sanctuary and support in

the region, which keeps them alive. This

sanctuary problem is, without a doubt, the

Achilles’ heel of this war.

“To the extent that international terrorism

and extremism remain real threats to international

security, peace will remain mortgaged to the

success of the fight in the region. To succeed,

however, we must fundamentally review and

adjust our approaches in this fight. It is urgent

that we focus our strategy to make our collective

struggle more objective and results-oriented. Our

enemy must not be defined by a selective

treatment of the geography to which we have

access, but by an assessment of the threat it

poses, regardless of where it may be based.

“The Afghan people remain ardent

supporters of the fight against international

terrorism, despite having suffered unspeakable

losses in this endeavour. However, we fail to see

the efficacy of the fight in which ordinary

citizens bear the brunt while terrorist sanctuaries

remain untouched, far away from the towns and

villages of Afghanistan. The continued credibility

of the fight will depend above all on taking its

focus to where terrorism originates.

“On the other hand, when it comes to the

Taliban insurgency, we do not see military action

as the only solution. In our eager quest for

restoring peace to the lives of our people, we

have extended a hand of peace and reconciliation

to all those Afghans who have had reason to

remain outside the boundaries of the current

political process in Afghanistan.

“Led until now by the late Mr. Rabbani,

who is tragically no longer among us, through the

High Peace Council, and supported by our

partners from the international community, the

peace process is a comprehensive effort. It covers

the reintegration of armed combatants into

dignified civilian life and reconciles the

leadership of the Taliban.

“The reconciliation policy is based on our

commitment to make the political process more

inclusive and to provide a genuine and acceptable

alternative to violence for all Taliban and other

militant leaders, most of whom are currently

based outside Afghanistan. Those leaders are

welcome to return home and play their proper

role in Afghan politics and Government —

provided that they break ties with Al-Qaida, give

up violent activities and accept the Afghan

Constitution. Clearly, without sincere cooperation

from regional and international partners, notably

the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, this strategy

will not succeed.

“The year 2011 is a crucial year for

Afghanistan. The most important development for

our country was the commencement of the

transition process last July. This process will see

the complete transfer of security responsibility

from international forces to Afghans by the end of

2014. With the completion of the transition

process, we Afghans and our international

partners will achieve the most important strategic

goal of our 10-year partnership: the emergence of

a sovereign Afghanistan that is self-reliant and is

the peaceful home of all Afghans, an Afghanistan

that is at peace and lives in peace with the rest of

the world.

“Needless to say, the success of the

transition process depends on, besides the

demand and solid resolve of the Afghan people,

the continued support of the international

community. The role of our NATO partners,

particularly in terms of the capacity development

of our security institutions, will be vital.

7 11-51179

“On the other hand, transition is not just

limited to security. Indeed, while transition is

both desirable and inevitable, the economic effect

of the withdrawal of foreign forces from

Afghanistan needs to be managed carefully. In

other words, for Afghanistan to become truly self-

reliant, apart from the security transition, we will

need a comprehensive economic transition. That

transition will take much longer than the security

transition and will require the continuation of

steadfast support on the part of our international

partners beyond 2014.

“In this context, we look forward to the

much awaited International Conference on

Afghanistan, to be held in Bonn, Germany, on

5 December 2011. Hosted by Germany and

chaired by Afghanistan, the Bonn conference will

be an opportunity for us to brief our international

partners about the major Compact accomplishments

of the past 10 years, and in particular about the

progress of the Transition and reconciliation

processes.

“Most importantly, at Bonn we will call for

continued commitment of the international

community to assist Afghanistan in the post-2014

period, after the foreign military presence on

Afghanistan soil comes to an end. To that end, we

will share our vision for the next 10 years — the

vision of developing Afghanistan into a stable

country, a functioning democracy and a

prospering economy. As a country at the centre of

an emerging ‘new silk road’, Afghanistan can

become a regional hub for trade and transit. This

vision is worth all the efforts we Afghans can

muster, as well as all the support we can get from

the international community.

“As a framework for long-term partnership,

we will call for a new paradigm of cooperation

between Afghanistan and our friends and

partners. The strategic partnership that we are

currently negotiating with the United States and

other partners, including the European Union,

will be a model for the kind of enduring and

comprehensive partnership we wish to have with

members of the international community. Such

partnerships will help guarantee Afghanistan’s

security and stability, as well as assist our future

economic development. I emphasize that neither

our strategic partnership with the United States,

nor any other partnerships we will forge in the

future, will be a threat to our neighbours or to any

other country.

“I also emphasize that in the context of

these future partnerships, the principle of Afghan

sovereignty and the centrality of the Afghan State

must be given due credence; the manner of our

continued partnership should conform to the

requirements of a sovereign Afghanistan. As an

important step in this direction, all the parallel

structures created by the international community,

be it in the security, governance or development

arenas, must be removed to make space for the

emergence of genuine and capable indigenous

institutions.

“In particular, the role of the United Nations

in Afghanistan must be adjusted to the

requirements of Afghan sovereignty. I welcome

the review of the mandate of the United Nations

Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, as authorized

by the Secretary-General. In the months ahead,

we look forward to participating in this review

and to its positive conclusion.

“On the subject of regional cooperation, we

are currently working closely with Afghanistan’s

old friend and brother, the Republic of Turkey,

towards a regional conference to be held in

Istanbul on 2 November 2011. Hosted by Turkey

and championed by Afghanistan, the Istanbul

Conference will help build a common regional

vision for peace and stability. The Conference

will recognize Afghanistan’s quest for stability, as

well as the region’s growing need for confidence-

building and cooperation in the face of the

common challenges we face, notably terrorism,

extremism, the drug trade and obstacles to

legitimate interaction and movement, to name but

a few.

“Over the past 10 years, we have

undertaken numerous initiatives to promote

regional cooperation, mainly with a view to trade

and economic activities. However, we have

learned that unless we boldly address our political

differences and the deficit of trust and confidence

that divides the region, regional cooperation will

remain an aspiration. It is for that very reason that

at the Istanbul Conference we will aim to focus

on political and security issues.

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“In the coming weeks, we will expect to

consult with all countries in the Heart of Asia

region to develop a common understanding in the

run-up to the Conference.

“In today’s interconnected world,

developments in Afghanistan and the surrounding

region are hugely influenced by events in the

wider world. Therefore, we in Afghanistan are

closely watching the situation in the Middle East.

As a nation that has experienced war and

destruction for many years, the eruption of

violence in these countries fills us with anxiety.

We are particularly concerned by the

developments in Libya. We recognize the

National Transitional Council as the legitimate

Government of Libya. However, based on our

own experience, we urge the brotherly Libyan

nation to recall that the shortest route to peace

will be through ensuring inclusivity and

safeguarding the unity of the Libyan nation.

“The people of Afghanistan deeply

sympathize with the plight of our brothers and

sisters in Palestine. We reiterate our call for an

immediate end to their suffering and the

realization of their inalienable rights, including

the right to an independent State. In this

connection, we stand firmly behind the efforts

aimed at Palestine’s admission as a full Member

of the United Nations. I hope that this year we

will witness, with pride, the inclusion of Palestine

as the 194th Member of the United Nations.

“The Afghan people also shared the pain of

the loss experienced by the Japanese people when

the natural disasters struck earlier this year. Japan

is a longstanding friend of Afghanistan, and we

are confident that this great nation will soon

overcome the challenges of recovery.

“The Assembly is a manifestation of our

collective will to stand together against the

challenges that face human society and to realize

the potential for a peaceful and prosperous world

for all. Our gathering here is also a testimony to

the valuable role that the United Nations plays in

the realization of our collective will. I applaud

the remarkable leadership that Secretary-General

Ban Ki-moon has demonstrated in steering the

United Nations in a direction where it can truly

become an asset to a peaceful world.

“Finally, many countries from across the

globe have stood in solidarity, over the past

10 years, with the Afghan people. On behalf of

the people of Afghanistan, I again thank them for

their support.”