PLENARY
Statement by HE The Hon Robert Hill, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations, on the Situation in Afghanistan
10 November 2008
(As delivered)
Australia welcomes the opportunity to endorse the UN General Assembly resolution on Afghanistan and reaffirm our commitment to continuing international efforts to help build a more secure and stable Afghan state. We have seen important steps taken this year, most particularly the renewed commitments and comprehensive political-military plan adopted by ISAF partners at the NATO Summit in Bucharest in April and the important outcomes of the Afghanistan Review Conference in Paris in June. We take this opportunity to congratulate again the efforts of France, Afghanistan and the UN to bring this conference together and to launch the Afghan National Development Strategy (ANDS).
We note that around 80 countries participated in the conference, pledging over $20 billion to the ANDS– and that this strategy provides a sound framework for planning for Afghanistan’s national development needs over the next five years.
But we must be realistic about the enormous challenges Afghanistan and its international partners face, and the fact that, without basic security, much of what is needed – building the Afghan people’s capacity to manage their own affairs, creating conditions for economic and social development – will not be realised.
There is no question that the Taliban-led insurgency remains a serious threat to sustained progress and to the Afghan people. It is determined to prevail, not on the battlefield, but by sapping our resolve and public support for our endeavours and sacrifices, and through fear and intimidation of the Afghan civilian population.
We have ample evidence of their use of indiscriminate violence, which primarily harms Afghan civilians (over 500 civilians killed in the first eight months of this year), and deliberate campaigns of intimidation and violence against those that represent progress and moderation – doctors, teachers, elders and local officials As the Secretary-General cites in report, Afghanistan has witnessed 142 cases of summary executions of community leaders and officials by insurgent groups in the last year.
We know also of the insurgent’s tactics to manipulate and disseminate information to discredit and our efforts. Australia, like others, continues to deeply regret civilian casualties that arise from the actions of international forces. But we have strict rules of engagement to minimise those risks, and processes to review and ensure that our actions comply with those rules. Our enemies, in contrast, have no moral issue with using civilians as shields or instruments of terror.
We, as the international community, clearly have a responsibility to the Afghan people, as recognised by numerous UN resolutions, to prevent the return to rule by the violent ideology that bred hatred, brutalised women and fostered only extreme poverty and repression of basic human rights. Equally importantly, we all have a responsibility to our own people, to prevent the Taliban-led insurgency from re-establishing safe haven for terrorist groups, who seek to export violence across the globe.
Australia is proud to be part of the around 40 countries contributing forces to assist the Afghans fight the Taliban-led insurgency and international terrorists. These terrorists were behind attacks as far apart as New York and Indonesia, including the October 2002 attack in Bali when 202 people were killed, including many of my countrymen and women. Australia is committed – with 1,100 troops, we are the largest non-NATO contributor to ISAF.
We have also committed over $600 million in development assistance to Afghanistan since 2001. We will subject our commitment to annual review against the mission we have set for ourselves. We welcome the SRSG’s setting out to the Security Council of some achievables for UNAMA over the next six months. We support UNAMA, and look forward to being constructive in consideration of its budget in Fifth Committee for additional resources to allow it to fulfil its mandate, particularly in relation to support for election preparations.
Australia’s stabilisation and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan are concentrated in Oruzgan province, in the south of the country, where we are working in partnership with the Afghan government and the Netherlands, to whom we give our praise for their partnership. Our Reconstruction Task Force has built schools, provided basic training in trades such as carpentry and has rebuilt bridges and irrigation systems. But while positive, these are only small steps.
Oruzgan demonstrates the critical need for a coherent and integrated military and civilian strategy that provides the basis to secure and sustain progress – and this is as true in the provinces as it is in the country overall.
We know that there needs to be much greater focus on building Afghanistan’s capacity to take responsibility for security, which will enable important reconstruction and development activity to take place. I am pleased to state that Australia’s first Operational Mentor and Liaison Team is currently establishing itself in the province and will soon be actively training and mentoring Afghan military units.
There also needs to be greater focus on more effective coordination of civilian efforts - of relief, rebuilding and governance activity – within a comprehensive political-military strategy, and we believe the UN has a strong role to play in this. We very much value the work and effort by SRSG Kai Eide and the UNAMA team, particularly in their lead role in coordinating international donor activity in support of the Afghan government. We know the difficult circumstances in which they work. We are pleased that a special allowance was introduced for them. Australia is committed to working with the Secretariat and other member states to ensure a UNAMA that is capable of fulfilling the demanding role we have set it.
We also reiterate our support for President Karzai and Afghan parties committed to strengthening Afghanistan’s institutions. The next two years will see the crucial tests of further elections, and we call on all to assist them to be conducted in a secure, free and fair fashion. We can be certain that those opposed utterly to the Afghan people making up their own minds will do all they can to disrupt these elections.
They must be prevented from doing so. Australia also takes this opportunity to praise the Pakistan Government for its recent improvement in relations with the Afghan Government. The Taliban are a shared threat, and both countries must work together to address it. We note also the valuable and constructive role that Afghanistan’s other neighbours can play to promote and support Afghan stability, particularly in areas such as border security, trafficking and counter-narcotics.
The broad base of co-sponsorship for the draft resolution illustrates the importance of Afghanistan’s stability to the international community, and the commitment of many countries to work together to help the Afghan people build a more secure future. The challenges ahead are substantial, but collectively we can meet them. To do so will require our continued commitment and cooperation.
Australia supports the draft resolution A/63/L.17, and is proud to co-sponsor it.