Thursday, May 17, 2012

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National Security Council Endorses MoU on Afghanization of Special Operations on Afghan Soil

April 8, 2012 By

 

 

On Sunday morning, the regular meeting of the National Security Council chaired by President Karzai endorsed the Memorandum of Understanding between Afghanistan and the United States on full Afghanization of Special Operations that includes Night Operations in Afghanistan.

The meeting attended by both the Vice-presidents and security sector officials discussed in detail the Memorandum of Understanding on Special Operations and was endorsed as a result.

Consistent to the MoU, the Special Operations are conducted by Afghan Forces with support by US forces in accordance with Afghan laws.

Also as part of the agenda for the meeting, the progress made on the strategic partnership document with the US was discussed.

The meeting concluded by a briefing on the overall security situation in the province of Badakhshan where the Ministries of Interior and Defense were instructed to work together in joint efforts to ensure the security of the province so the enemy is not able to disturb public order.

For further information, please contact:

Office of the Spokesperson to the President of Afghanistan,

 Tel.:   +93 (20) 210 2853

           +93 (20) 210 3705

 

 

 

 

 

UN Meeting in Geneva on the Question of Palestine

April 3, 2012 By

Press Release

April 3, 2012 by Afghan Mission

At the United Nations offices in Geneva, Switzerland, the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People are meeting on 3-4 April to discuss the question of Palestine, the situation of Palestinian political prisoners, legal and political implications of Israeli prisons and detention facilities, and the role of the international community.

As Vice Chair of the Committee, H.E. Zahir Tanin, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the UN is in attendance. Other participants include representatives of UN Member States and Observers, intergovernmental organizations, UN entities, academia, civil society organizations and the media.

At the opening session, Maxwell Gaylard, Deputy UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, delivered a message from Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.  He stated that, “the Middle East peace process is at a dangerous impasse.  The target date set by the Quartet for an agreement by the end of this year remains the objective.  The Quartet will continue to work toward this goal. In parallel, we must all do our part to bolster the Palestinian Authority and ensure progress on State-building and addressing the dire financial situation of the Palestinian Authority.” Abdou Salam Diallo, Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, and the Issa Quaraqe, Minister of the Palestinian Authority for Prisoners’ Affairs also spoke at the opening session.

This afternoon, a meeting was held the first of three thematic discussions set out in its agenda, on humanitarian and legal aspects of Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention facilities.  H.E. Ambassador Zahir Tanin chaired the first thematic discussion.

Speaking at the first thematic discussion were; Khaled Quzmar, Legal Consultant for Defense for Children International, Ahmad Shreem, Palestinian Legislative Council, Jan Borgen, Deputy Secretary-General of the International Commission of Jurists, Mohammed Albatta, Director-General of the Rehabilitation Programme, Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs of the Palestinian Authority, and Lama Odeh Sharif, Psycho-Social Supervisor at the Rehabilitation Programme, Young Men’s Christian Association, East Jerusalem

The meeting will conclude after two plenaries on 4 April.

UN Security Council Debates The Situation in Afghanistan: Renewal of UNAMA Mandate

March 21, 2012 By

On Tuesday March 20th, the Security Council held a debate on the Situation in Afghanistan. The debate was in advance of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Mandate adoption on Thursday the 22nd, which will renew the mandate for 12 months. Mr. Jan Kubis, Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head of UNAMA, briefed the Security Council on the challenges the country continues to face, as well as the progress that has been made thus far. H.E. Ambassador Zahir Tanin, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Afghanistan along with Council members and other Representatives spoke on the Situation in Afghanistan.

 

Mr. Kubis stressed that a continued UNAMA presence is needed for future gains and success of the country. He made it clear that the transition is “on track and on target,” and “the ANSF have so far proven that they are up to the tasks”. In addition, he expressed the hope that the upcoming International Conferences will be a strong platform for international and governmental, noting that “the Chicago summit should firm up developments and plans by specific and solid commitments”. He discussed the UN’s support role for human rights protections, improvements to the election system, and the fight against the drug production and trade, as well as the importance of non-violent protests by Afghan citizens.

 

H.E. Ambassador Zahir Tanin, Permanent Representative of Afghanistan agreed that the transition process is continuing apace.  “A paradigm shift is under way; the aim is sovereignty — empowering Afghanistan to take charge of its own destiny and turning the direct military and civilian function of the international community into a supporting role,” he declared, adding that a successful transition required renewed parameters of partnership between Afghanistan and the international community, with the guaranteed commitment of the continuation of military, political and financial support during the transition and the “decade of transformation” from 2015-2024.  “This is what we, Afghanistan and the international community, set out to do last December in Bonn.  This commitment will be supported concretely in Tokyo,” he said.

 

He stressed that an effective transition is also contingent upon the successful outcome of an Afghan-led reconciliation, outreach and reintegration process.  The dynamics of peace talks have shifted with the announcement of the opening of the Taliban office in Qatar, and national efforts have made progress with nearly 3,500 anti-Government elements now enrolled in the Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Programme. According to Ambassador Tanin, regional and international support for the peace process is crucial, expressing the importance of regional cooperation through the Istanbul Process.

 

He said that it was imperative to bring to an end to such incidents as the brutal killing of civilians in Kandahar and the burning of the Quran north of Kabul and that the perpetrators be held accountable.

 

Council members and other speakers welcomed the progress of the transition to Afghan leadership as described by Mr. Kubiš and Ambassador Tanin, and affirmed the importance of the upcoming meetings in Chicago and Tokyo in strengthening the mutual commitments of Afghanistan and the international community.

 

Photos of the Meeting: