Concerned about spread of Afghan crisis, Security Council renews call for talks
25 September -- Members of the Security Council today expressed concern at the growing spread of the Afghan conflict beyond the country's borders and its destabilizing effect on neighbouring countries, urging the parties -- particularly the Taliban - to resume negotiations under United Nations auspices "without further delay and any preconditions."
The Council members reiterated their call to all Afghan parties to work together for peace and the establishment of a broad-based, multiethnic and fully representative government, according to a press statement released after closed-door consultations by the Council president, Ambassador Moctar Ouane of Mali.
Urging respect for international humanitarian norms, the Council members also called upon all parties to take measures to end human rights abuses, particularly of women and girls, and to bring to justice the murderers of seven employees of the UN mine action programme, who had been ambushed and killed on 5 August while carrying out their work. Another cause of concern for the Council was "the continuing alarming levels in the cultivation, production and trafficking of drugs" to and from the country, the statement said.
The statement also confirmed the members' determination to ensure full compliance by the Taliban with its obligations under the Council resolution 1267 of 1999 which imposed sanctions pending the hand-over of indicted terrorist Usama bin Laden. The members of the Council reiterated that the Taliban's continuing disregard for the Council's demands was "totally unacceptable" and recalled their "readiness" to consider the imposition of further measures.
The Council was briefed this morning by Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Personal Representative for Afghanistan, Franscesc Vendrell, who told reporters after the meeting that some members of the Council were inclined to strengthen the sanctions, but added that this was "not necessarily the view of all of the members."
Mr.Vendrell said he had been asked to report back by the beginning of November on the willingness of the parties to achieve a ceasefire and enter into negotiations. He said he would meet with the two sides next week to "try and persuade them that it is in their interest, as well as in particular the interest of the Afghans, that they should accept."
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