Afghanistan today remains a proud Muslim society with more women now serving in the Afghan National Assembly than in many democracies. Access to education is getting closer to being universal. Under the Taliban, fewer than 1 million children, almost all of them boys, were in school. Now more than 8 million children go to school, and more than a third of them are girls.

However, we remain concerned about the human rights situation in Afghanistan, in particular the violence against women. In that regard, however, we need to view the situation from a historical perspective and to remember what was the condition of women during the Taliban regime. We are encouraged by the resolve of the Afghan Government in implementing the Law on Elimination of Violence against Women in Afghanistan.

We welcome the decline in the number of civilian casualties in 2012, the first such decline in six years. The international forces and Afghan authorities have made progress in minimizing the risk of civilian casualties. However, we are deeply concerned that women, girls and children continue to suffer enormously, including through the use of children as suicide bombers and the targeted killings of women.

The falling number of casualties can be attributed in part to the Afghan Peace and Reintegration Programme, which continues its roll-out, and to the significant role of the High Peace Council. By late December 2012, more than 6,000 combatants had joined the programme with the aim of laying down their arms and joining the Afghan National Army.

With regard to the preparations for the elections, we join the Secretary-General's call in his report urging the parties concerned to adopt a constructive attitude in order to avoid a deadlock, whose consequences would be severe.

Human rights is the third, and final, point I would like to address. Let us not forget that Afghanistan is first and foremost a country of more than 30 million people who yearn for a normal life for themselves and their families, including respect of their fundamental rights.

We urge the United Nations to continue its support for systematic monitoring and reporting on the gender commitments contained in the Tokyo Declaration and Mutual Accountability Framework.

My second point is on the situation of women and girls. We appreciate the commitment of the Afghan Government to empowering women and ensuring gender equality. Post-Taliban Afghanistan has seen the appointment of the first female district governor, Saira Shakeeb Sadat. Women are asserting themselves as ministers and members of Parliament and of the High Peace Council.

Much more needs to be done, however. Every two hours, a woman dies from pregnancy-related causes. Domestic violence against women and the imprisonment of women for alleged moral crimes are a cause of concern, as is the number of women and girls killed or injured during the past year, which increased considerably.

The elections are closely connected to the political process to promote national reconciliation under Afghan leadership and ownership. We welcome the recent encouraging developments, including the more constructive attitude in the relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan.