Afghanistan, 2012

As we speak today, the world

is being shaken by the depravity of fanatics who

have committed acts insulting the faith of more than

1.5 billion Muslims. We strongly condemn such

offensive acts, whether they involve the production

of a film, the publication of cartoons or indeed any

other insults and provocations. Such acts can never

be justified as manifestations of freedom of speech

or expression. Equally, they cannot become a reason

for genuine protests to be used to incite violence and

terrible losses of innocent lives.

It is a matter for grave concern that our world

remains strewn with daily outbreaks of violence, hatred

and injustice. In particular, the menace of Islamophobia

is a worrying phenomenon that threatens peace and

coexistence among cultures and civilizations. I call on leaders in the West, both among politicians and in the

media, to confront Islamophobia in all its many forms

and manifestations. It is incumbent on us all to advance

the cause of dialogue and cooperation, to fight the

forces of division and hatred and to fulfil the promise

of a better and brighter future for future generations.

We must work to defeat the forces that foment conflicts

among civilizations, and to support the voices of

tolerance and understanding.

My country, Afghanistan, is testament to the

benefits of multilateral cooperation and international

solidarity. It was a little over a decade ago that many

countries from around the world joined the Afghan

people in our struggle for peace and against the forces

of extremism and terrorism. At the time, Afghanistan

was a country decimated in every way. For decades we

had suffered, unnoticed, from violence, deprivation

and sinister foreign intervention. Long before terrorism

became a security threat to the whole planet, Afghans

were victims of atrocities inf licted by terrorist

networks from various parts of the world that had made

Afghanistan their haven.

Looking back 10 years, Afghanistan has undergone

a remarkable transformation. Democracy has taken

root; health services are accessible to the majority of

the population in every corner of the country; millions

of students, boys and girls, are enrolled in primary and

higher education. Our achievements have not come

about easily, though. The aspirations of the Afghan

people for security and peace have yet to be realized. As

the global fight against terrorism continues unabated,

the Afghan people continue to pay a bigger price than

any other nation, in both life and treasure.

Terrorism is not rooted in Afghan villages and

towns; it never was. Its sources and support networks

all exist beyond Afghanistan’s borders. Thus while

the security of the international community is being

protected from the threat of terrorism, the people of

Afghanistan must no longer be made to pay the price

and endure the brunt of the war. It is in deference to the

immense sacrifices of the Afghan people, and to the

precious lives lost from the international community,

that the campaign against terrorism must be taken to

the sources of terrorism and be results-oriented.

Today in Afghanistan, we are pursuing the cause of

peace and an end to violence as a matter of great urgency.

Since peace is the greatest desire of the Afghan people,

and since we are convinced that military efforts alone

are not an adequate strategy for ensuring security, we have initiated a peace and reconciliation process, which

aims to induce all elements of the armed opposition to

take up peaceful lives in our country.

At this time last year, my visit to the General

Assembly was cut short by the tragic assassination of

Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani, the then Chairman

of the High Peace Council. A terrorist posing as a

peace emissary took his life, and by doing so dealt our

peace process a serious blow. This year, however, and

fortunately, the late Professor’s son, Mr. Salahuddin

Rabbani, who stepped up to take the Chair of the High

Peace Council, is part of the Afghan delegation and

present in the Assembly today.

I have often said that our hand of peace and

reconciliation remains extended not only to the Taliban

but also to all other armed opposition groups who wish

to return to dignified, peaceful and independent lives

in their own homeland. What we ask of them in return

is simple: bringing an end to violence, cutting ties

with terrorist networks, preserving the valuable gains

of the past decade and respecting the Constitution of

Afghanistan. To help facilitate the peace process, I am

asking the Security Council to give its full support to

our efforts. In particular, I urge the Security Council

Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988

(2011), the Taliban sanctions committee, to make more

active efforts to delist Taliban leaders, as a step towards

facilitating direct negotiations.

In pursuing the path of peace, we remain hopeful

about the critical role that our fraternal neighbour the

Islamic Republic of Pakistan has to play. Over recent

years, we have engaged our brothers in Pakistan in a

close dialogue in support of the Afghan peace process.

It is a dialogue that we believe is critical for Pakistan’s

own security and for the security of the wider region

and beyond. We are deeply committed to our brotherly

relations with Pakistan, but we are aware of the

challenges that may strain our efforts to build trust

and confidence. Such incidents as the recent shelling

of Afghan villages risk undermining the efforts of both

Governments to work together in the interest of our

common security and prosperity.

For the past two years, our national priority has

been to have Afghanistan’s own security forces assume

full responsibility for the security of our country and

our people. The transition process will be completed

by mid-2013 and NATO and International Security

Assistance Force forces withdrawn from our country

by the end of 2014.

Apart from advancing transition and pursuing the

peace process, the past year has been one of significant

progress for consolidating international commitment

and partnership. In Chicago in May, we received the

long-term commitment of NATO and other countries to

training, equipping and ensuring the sustainability of

the Afghan National Security Forces. In Tokyo this past

July, the international community reaffirmed its strong

commitment to Afghanistan’s social and economic

development during the transformation decade, for

which we are grateful.

The Mutual Accountability Framework adopted in

Tokyo sets in place a clear structure for a more results-

oriented partnership and cooperation. We welcome the

international community’s readiness to align aid with

our national priorities and channel assistance through

the Afghan budget. For our part, we have reiterated our

determination to improve governance and to collaborate

with our international partners to wipe out the cancer of

corruption, whether it is in the Afghan Government or

the international aid system.

We recognize that Afghanistan’s destiny is tied to

the region that surrounds it, with respect both to our

common threats, such as terrorism, extremism and

narcotics, and to the opportunities we must grasp to

grow and prosper. In that context, the Istanbul Process

presents a new agenda for security, confidence-building

and cooperation across the region of which Afghanistan

is the centre. We will spare no effort to build strong and

lasting relations with our neighbors near and extended.

Turning to the international arena, Afghanistan

views the situation in Syria with much concern.

Over the course of the past year, thousands of our

Syrian brothers and sisters have lost their lives due

to an escalating cycle of violence. We welcome the

appointment of the new Joint Special Representative

for Syria of the United Nations and League of Arab

States, Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi. We know him very well.

Mr. Brahimi is well respected in Afghanistan, and he

brings vast experience and a unique ability to the task

before him. Here, I say to the people of Syria that we

Afghans have experienced violence ourselves, and we

know what it takes to rebuild a country. I hope very

much, on behalf of the Afghan people, that the Syrians

will sit down together as soon as possible and find a

way to end the violence, since it will be not easy to

repair.

The continuing plight of the Palestinian people

has been a source of deep distress for Afghanistan and

the rest of the international community. The people of

Palestine have suffered immensely for far too long. We

remain in full support of the realization of the rights

of our brothers and sisters in Palestine, including their

right to an independent Palestinian State. The time has

come for an end to the occupation and for realizing the

just aspirations of the people of Palestine.

Finally, reform of the United Nations remains an

important item on the international agenda. Since its

inception in 1945, the United Nations has exercised

a key role in promoting a safer and more secure

world, improving the lives of citizens worldwide,

and safeguarding and promoting human rights.

Nevertheless, in view of our ever-changing world, we

cannot deny the fact that the Organization is in dire

need of comprehensive reform, enabling it to better

reflect the new challenges and realities of our time.

The reform of the Security Council is long overdue.

Achieving a reformed Council that is more inclusive,

representative and transparent must remain a priority.

We welcome the ongoing progress within the framework

of the intergovernmental negotiations.