GUIDANCE FOR UNSC DEBATE ON AFGHANISTAN, OCTOBER

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 109268 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNSC PREL PGOV UNAMA MARR MOPS EAID KDEM AF SUBJECT: GUIDANCE FOR UNSC DEBATE ON AFGHANISTAN, OCTOBER 14, 2008 ¶1. The Department instructs USUN to draw on the points below for its participation in the UN Security Council debate on the Secretary General's September 23 report on the situation in Afghanistan, scheduled to take place on October 14. ¶2. Begin points: Mr. President I would like to thank the (Secretary General) and (Special Representative Eide) for their report(s) to the Council today. The SRSG has built a strong and promising relationship with the government of Afghanistan and with the international community. Concurrent with his appointment, the Security Council took the crucial decision to expand the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission to Afghanistan. It is imperative for that decision to be implemented through increased staff and resources for UNAMA. We fully agree with the Secretary General,s call for "political surge" in the mission, given the huge challenges that UNAMA faces regarding civil-military coordination, effectiveness of humanitarian relief, and elections preparation. We fully support SRSG Eide,s effort to recruit more staff and to expand UNAMA,s presence throughout the provinces. We urge the Secretariat to do everything in its power to facilitate Ambassador Eide,s efforts. Today I would like to make five points on the issues covered by the Secretary General,s report. First, we share the Secretary General,s assessment that the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is worsening and puts many Afghan lives in jeopardy. We are gravely concerned about food insecurity, drought, and malnutrition. The United States is the largest donor in food assistance to Afghanistan, both financially and in kind. The Food for Peace program provided over $170 million in food aid to Afghanistan and 100,000 metric tons of wheat. On the humanitarian front, the President has authorized $8.3 million in aid, part of which is earmarked for Afghan refugees and internally displaced persons. We urge UN member states to respond to Afghan government as well as UN appeals. Second, I would like to underscore the importance of the role of Afghanistan's neighbors in continuing to integrate Afghanistan into regional mechanisms and the regional economy, which is crucial to Afghanistan's long-term economic development and stability. We welcome Afghanistan's increased contacts with regional actors cited in the Secretary General's report, in particular the deepening ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and Afghanistan's participation in the SAARC summit. Third, we commend President Karzai,s commitment to hold elections in 2009 despite threats and intimidation from the Taliban and others. Voter registration started on October 6, and effective cooperation between Afghan security forces and ISAF has led to elections preparations starting on a positive note. We welcome UNAMA,s efforts to support the Afghan government in preparing for these elections and welcome the SRSG,s leadership in this regard. It is imperative that the international community redouble efforts to ensure credible elections that will be recognized by all ethnic groups as legitimately demonstrating the will of the Afghan people. We call on the Afghan government to maintain its firm commitment to carry out these elections as scheduled and to demonstrate leadership in creating the conditions for free and fair elections throughout the the country. Fourth, we concur with the report,s conclusion that the security situation has become more challenging as the number of anti-government incidents have increased and the Taliban have continued to wage deadly attacks on Afghan security forces, ISAF, and on the civilian population. We are nonetheless more determined to continue our mission to help Afghanistan become a stable, democratic and prosperous country. STATE 00109268 002 OF 002 The United States deeply regrets the loss of civilian lives and we share the Secretary General,s grave concern over the issue of civilian casualties. U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, speaking in Afghanistan a few weeks ago said "While no military has ever done more to prevent civilian casualties, it is clear that we have to work even harder." I want to assure Council members that we will do everything in our power to ensure that ISAF and Operation Enduring Freedom take every precaution to prevent civilian casualties. Secretary Gates has talked directly with pilots. We have intensified our efforts with the Government of Afghanistan to improve coordination and communication in operations to prevent future incidents of civilian casualties. And our military's Central Command has issued guidance to U.S. forces to continue to take steps to prevent Afghan civilian casualties and acknowledge such casualties when they occur. At the same time, we should not lose sight of the fundamental cause of this increase in casualties, clearly spelled out in the Secretary General,s report: the Taliban and other anti-government elements are waging a systematic campaign of violence and intimidation against civilians. They are increasingly and deliberately targeting civilians and using them as shields. And, as the report points out, the Taliban are increasingly resorting to asymmetric attacks on population centers, aid-related targets, and NGOs. In light of the increasingly inhumane tactics employed by the Taliban against their own people, it is crucial that Afghan security forces, the army and the police, continue to take increasing responsiblity for protecting the Afghan people. We welcome the improvement of the performance of the Afghan army, noted in the Secretary General's report, and also share the concerns expressed regarding the slower progress in improving the police. Fifth, the challenging security situation highlights the need for both more and better civil-military coordination. On the military side, the United States, in consultation with our ISAF partners, has streamlined its chain of command to make our forces better able to carry out their mission. General McKiernan, is now the Commander of both the International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan and is working very closely with the Afghan security forces. On the civilian side, UNAMA needs to be a strong and forthcoming leader. Civil-military coordination is a crucial part of UNAMA,s mandate and we expect SRSG Eide to take the lead in that regard in partnership with General McKiernan. Furthermore, we have a strategy that puts UNAMA at the center of coordinating international relief efforts. The endorsement of the Afghan National Development Strategy in June, as well as the unprecedented level of pledges by the international community, are clear signs of the determination to succeed. We must now implement this strategy at all levels: donors must follow through on their commitments, and the Afghan government must not only create new structures, but make tough decisions, and implement agreed policies as outlined in the Afghan National Development Strategy, specifically: in the areas of local governance, economic development, counternarcotics, and security. In closing, Mr. President, the Secretary General,s report accurately highlights the increasing difficulties and challenges that the Government of Afghanistan and its international partners are facing. These challenges should serve to reaffirm the Security Council,s commitment to the establishment of peace and security for the Afghan people. RICE