Statement by H.E. Dr. M. Javad Zarif

Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran
on the Situation in Afghanistan and its Implications
for International Peace and Security and
Emergency International Assistance for Peace, Normalcy
and Reconstruction of War Stricken Afghanistan
before the 58th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
New York, 5 December 2003
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In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Mr. President,

I wish to begin by expressing my thanks to the Secretary General for his personal commitment to Afghanistan and for his comprehensive and informative reports, presented over the past year on various aspects of the situation in Afghanistan. I would also like to express our profound appreciation to his Special Representative, Ambassador Lakhtar Brahimi, for his unsparing undertakings for the restoration of peace and security to Afghanistan. Undoubtedly, the role Ambassador Brahimi and his colleagues are playing is of great importance in bringing about a lasting political settlement to the Afghan crisis.

Mr. President,

In the past two years, the Afghan people, led by President Karzi and assisted by the international community, have gone a long way in getting rid of the Taliban and discarding or isolating terrorists and extremists, who were once reigning terror over Afghanistan. A new path of political and economic rebuilding of the country has been embarked upon and several important milestones in the implementation of the Bonn Agreement have been passed.

At the present time, we are at yet another critical juncture in the political process. Having witnessed a number of positive developments such as the successful launch of a new national currency, some advancement in reconstruction projects, progress in the reform of the security sector, the start of a national disarmament, demobilization and reintegration campaign, we welcome the release of the draft constitution and the preparations for the Constitutional Loya Jirga. The start of the voter-registration drive in preparation for general elections is another welcome development in this respect. Moreover, we are pleased that, in the past two years, all Afghans have displayed a great deal of interest and steadfastness in upholding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan.

However, major challenges lie still ahead and the political process is yet to be made secure and irreversible. Insecurity, factional discords and narcotic drug production continue to take their toll on peace and stability in Afghanistan.

The remnants of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, attempting to regroup and conduct acts of subversion mainly in southern and south-eastern Afghanistan, are responsible for the major part of insecurity. Attacks on Government officials and international aid workers are destabilizing the situation in those areas and hindering reconstruction activities. We specially condemn the recent attacks on UN offices and staff members and the murder of a French UNHCR staffer, which led to pulling 30 UN foreign staff members out of large areas of southern and eastern Afghanistan and closing refugee reception centers in four provinces.

Subversive activities are all the more dangerous, because they aim also to deprive parts of the population, notably in majority Pashtun areas, from their rights to fully take part in the political process. While we stress the need for all Afghan ethnic groups, including the Pashtuns, to be able to fully enjoy their full rights as Afghan citizens and be proportionately represented in the central Government, we believe that the remnants of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda should not be allowed to disrupt and delay the implementation of the Bonn Agreement.

Narcotics-related activities are another major concern for the Afghans and many countries, including mine. Despite the sincere efforts by the Afghan Government, we witness an increasing trend in the production and trafficking in drugs and a growing narcotic economy largely unchecked. It is alarming that, as found by the UNODC’s survey last October, opium poppy cultivation has spread to new areas of Afghanistan and the total area involved nationwide has risen. It is obvious that thousands of metric tones of opium and its derivatives this year can adversely affect the legal economy and threaten reconstruction activities and the smooth progress of the political process.

As the remnants of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda are among the major beneficiaries of the drug money, there is an absolute need for the international community to assist the government in the implementation of its comprehensive National Drug Control Strategy, including building institution, strengthening law enforcement and promoting alternative livelihoods. As it is also a proven fact that the fight against traffic in drugs is more effective and less costly along Afghan borders, the international community should support the efforts made by Afghanistan’s neighboring states along trafficking routes to curb the flow of illicit drugs. My country is one of those that enormously suffer as a result of drugs emanating from Afghanistan. International support is indispensable, in order for the Iranian Government to sustain its ongoing resolute fight against drug trafficking.

Mr. President,

Factional discord and its adverse impact on security and reconstruction in Afghanistan is a cause for concern. Moreover, there is an absolute need for further expansion of the authority of the central Government across the country. The strengthening of the new national army, national police and border police and other central institutions and the controlling of national revenue by Kabul are of great importance. My government has spared no effort in helping the Afghan Government in this respect. We offered and in several instances used our good offices in mitigating and resolving unrest in various parts of Afghanistan.

Likewise, my Government also fully appreciates the important role that the neighboring countries can play in assisting the Afghan central government to fulfill its tasks. In this respect, we are committed to the Kabul Declaration on Good-Neighborly Relations of 22 December 2002, and do our utmost to control our common border with Afghanistan. We are pleased to note that the Afghan provinces adjacent to Iranian territory are among the quietest and calmest. My Government is determined to continue its policy of assisting Afghan people in their endeavor to rebuild their country and is fulfilling the pledge undertaken at the Tokyo Conference.

Mr. President,

Given the enormity of the task, especially after years of chaos and lawlessness, the Afghans need all kinds of support from the international community, be they moral, political, economic or security. We, the members of the international community, should stay the course and help the Afghans carry the task through despite difficulties. The signs the Afghans receive from the outside world should be ones of encouragement and indicative of steadfast understanding and assistance. The international community at large, including all Afghanistan's neighbors, has a high stake in the current trend and needs to protect it at all cost and ensure that it becomes irreversible. Undoubtedly, the United Nations system, led by the Secretary-general and his special representative, Mr. Brahimi, has so far played an important central role in rebuilding Afghanistan -- a role they should be greatly commended for.

Allow me, Mr. President, to conclude by expressing our pleasure to co-sponsor draft resolution A/58/L…and express our appreciation to the German delegation for its excellent work in carrying out the negotiations and consultations for this draft resolution.

Thank you Mr. President