Security Council votes to establish UN presence in Afghanistan

The United Nations Security Council will vote Thursday on a draft resolution put forward by Norway aimed at establishing a future United Nations presence in Afghanistan unless Russia, which has been an obstacle to negotiations this week, uses its veto.

This draft resolution re-introduces the relations of the United Nations with Afghanistan, taking into account the Taliban's seizure of power in mid-August, which has not yet been recognized by the international community and is still without representation by the movement itself in the United Nations.

On Wednesday, according to diplomatic sources, Moscow opposed the draft of the new mission of the political mission "Manoa", which has been under discussion for weeks, on the grounds that the "approval of the de facto authorities", that is, the Taliban, is incomplete.

On Tuesday, Russia blocked the text for the first time, saying, like China, that a high priority had been given to the human rights clause in the text, a diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity.

But India, Brazil and France demanded amendments to the text.

On Wednesday, Moscow was the only council member blocking the draft resolution, which was amended to take account of the remarks.

Russia's deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyansky, confirmed to AFP his country's opposition to the proposed text.

"Because it does not reflect our position," he said.

"We'll see tomorrow," he said, when asked whether Moscow would go so far as to veto the draft resolution.

A Western diplomat, who declined to be named, said that Russia would not go that far.

"It's just obstruction," another diplomatic source said.

"The division existed in the past, and the war in Ukraine has revived it," the ambassador of a member state of the UN Security Council told AFP, and it is present in all UN files.

"When one says yes, the other says no," he added, referring to Russia and the West.

He explained that "the division makes it difficult to reach any consensus" among the 15 member states of the Security Council.

The draft resolution presented by Norway provides for the extension of the Manoa mission for a year, until March 17, 2023.

It begins with a section on the humanitarian assistance to be provided to the Afghan people against the backdrop of a tragic economic and social situation and a seemingly stabilizing security environment.

The text states that the UN mission must "coordinate and facilitate, under international law, including international humanitarian law and in accordance with humanitarian principles, the provision of humanitarian assistance and financial resources in support of humanitarian activities."

Then there is a political fissure in the draft resolution that says the UN should “provide outreach and good offices services in particular to facilitate dialogue between all concerned Afghan political parties” by “focusing on encouraging inclusive and representative governance” that should be “without any discrimination on the basis of sex.” or religion or ethnicity.”

The text stresses the "full, equal and significant participation of women" while women have so far been excluded from Taliban rule.

The defense of human rights was later addressed with the aim of ensuring that any violations were independently documented by the United Nations.

Women and girls are mentioned again in an attempt to ensure "the full protection of their human rights", especially the right to education that the Taliban have so far denied them.

Children and journalists are also referred to in order to be given special attention in any future mission of the United Nations mission.

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