Participation

51. Recognizes that despite progress achieved on gender equality, enhanced efforts, including on measurable and action-oriented objectives, are necessary to secure the rights and full participation of women and girls and to ensure that all women and girls in Afghanistan are protected from violence and abuse, that perpetrators of such violence and abuse are held accountable, and that women and girls enjoy equal protection under the law and equal access to justice, welcomes the publication, in June 2015, of the National Action Plan for the implementation of the Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), emphasizes the importance of maintaining adequate legislative protections for women, and of ensuring that women fleeing  domestic violence are able to find safe and secure refuge, strongly condemns discrimination and violence against women and girls, in particular violence aimed at preventing girls from attending schools, and stresses the importance of implementing Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2 009), 1889 (2009), 1960 (2010), 2106 (2013), 2122 (2013) and 2242 (2015) noting the mainstreaming commitments introduced therein, and welcomes in this regard the establishment in January 2016 of a new Trust Fund for Victims of Violence against Women by the Government of Afghanistan to support victims of violence against women; 

Takes note of the commitment by the Ministry of Interior and the Afghan National Police to develop an effective strategy for coordinating increased recruitment, retention, training, and capacity development for women in the Afghan National Police, as well as furthering the implementation of their gender integration strategy, and welcomes UNAMA’s continued support for women police associations; 

18. Welcomes also the measures taken by the Government of Afghanistan, including the publication, in June 2015, of the National Action Plan for the implementation of the Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), and encourages it to continue to increase the participation of women as well as minorities and civil society in outreach, consultation and decision-making processes, recalls that women play a vital role in the peace process, as recognized in Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and related resolutions, therefore reiterates the need for the full, equal and effective participation of women at all stages of peace processes, and urges their involvement in the development and implementation of post-conflict strategies in order to take account of their perspectives and needs as affirmed by the Bonn and Tokyo Conferences;

Requests that, upon the request of the Government of Afghanistan, UNAMA provide assistance to the relevant Afghan institutions to support the integrity and inclusiveness of the electoral process, including measures to enable the full and safe participation of women, and welcomes the participation of women in the electoral process as candidates, registered voters and campaigners,

Emphasizing the Kabul Process towards the primary objective of reinforced Afghan leadership and ownership, strengthened international partnership and regional cooperation, improved Afghan governance, enhanced capabilities of Afghan security forces, economic growth, sustainable development and better protection for the rights of all Afghan citizens, in particular women and girls, and welcoming specifically the commitments made by the Afghan Government, 

Affirming that sustainable progress on security, political stability, governance, fiscal sustainability, human rights, especially women’s rights, rule of law and development as well as the cross-cutting issues of counter-narcotics, anti-corruption and accountability are mutually reinforcing and that governance and development programmes should be consistent with the goals set forth in the Tokyo Declaration and be consistent with the Government of Afghanistan’s reform agenda, and welcoming the continuing efforts of the Government of Afghanistan and the international community to address these challenges through a comprehensive approach, 

Welcoming the Afghan government reform programme entitled “Realizing Self-Reliance: Commitments to Reforms and Renewed Partnership” that contains strategic policy priorities for Afghanistan towards realizing self-reliance in the Transformation Decade for improving security, political stability, economic and fiscal stabilization, advancing good governance, including electoral reform and strengthening democratic institutions, promoting the rule of law and respect for human rights, particularly in relation to women and girls, fighting corruption and the illicit economy, including narcotics, and paving the way for enhanced private sector investment and sustainable, social, environmental and economic development, and in this context affirming its support for the implementation of this reform programme under leadership and ownership of the Government of Afghanistan, 

Expressing its appreciation and strong support for the ongoing efforts of the Secretar y-General, his Special Representative for Afghanistan and in particular the women and men of UNAMA who are serving in difficult conditions to help the people of Afghanistan, 

Stressing the importance of a comprehensive and inclusive, Afghan-led and Afghan-owned political process in Afghanistan to support reconciliation for all those who are prepared to reconcile as laid forth in the 20 July 2010 Kabul Conference Communiqué on dialogue for all those who renounce violence, have no links to international terrorist organizations, including Al-Qaida, respect the constitution, including its human rights provisions, notably the rights of women, and are willing to join in building a peaceful Afghanistan, and further elaborated in the 5 December 2011 Bonn Conference Conclusions supported by the Government of Afghanistan and the international community, with full respect for the implementation of measures and application of the procedures introduced by the Security Council in its resolutions 1267 (1999), 1988 (2011), 2082 (2012), 2160 (2014) and 2255 (2015), as well as other relevant resolutions of the Council,

Underlining the importance of operationally capable, professional, inclusive and sustainable Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) for meeting Afghanistan’s security needs, with a view to lasting peace, security and stability both in Afghanistan and the region, stressing the long-term commitment of the international community to support, throughout the Transformation Decade (2015- 2024), the further development, including training, and professionalization of the ANDSF, and the recruitment and retention of women to the ANDSF,

Reiterating its concern about the security situation in Afghanistan, in particular the region based violent extremist activities by the Taliban, including the Haqqani Network, as well as Al-Qaida and other violent and extremist groups, illegal armed groups, criminals and those involved in the production, trafficking or trade of illicit drugs, and the strong links between terrorism activities and illicit drugs, resulting in threats to the local population, including women, children, national security forces and international military and civilian personnel, including humanitarian and development workers, 

Expressing also its deep concern for the record number of civilian casualties, in particular women and children from conflict-related violence in Afghanistan, as noted in the February 2016 UNAMA report on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, 

Recalling its resolutions 1674 (2006), 1738 (2006) and 1894 (2009) on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, expressing its grave concern with the high number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan, in particular women and children, the increasingly large majority of which are caused by the Taliban, Al-Qaida and other violent and extremist groups and illegal armed groups, condemning the suicide attacks, often in civilian-populated areas, and the targeted and deliberate killings, in particular of women and girls, including high-level women officials and those promoting women’s rights, as well as journalists, reaffirming that all parties to armed conflict must take all feasible steps to ensure the protection of affected civilians, especially women, children and displaced persons, including from sexual violence and all other forms of gender-based violence, and that perpetrators of such violence must be held accountable, calling for all parties to comply with their obligations under international law including international humanitarian law and human rights law and for all appropriate measures to be taken to ensure the protection of civilians, and recognizing the importance of the ongoing monitoring and reporting to the United Nations Security Council, of the situation of civilians and in particular civilian casualties, taking note of the efforts made by Afghan and international forces in minimizing civilian casualties, and noting the February 2016 report by UNAMA on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, and the December 2015 UNAMA special report on Kunduz Province, 

Recalling its resolutions 1265 (1999), 1296 (2000), 1674 (2006), 1738 (2006), 1894 (2009) and 2222 (2015) on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, its resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), 1960 (2010), 2106 (2013), 2122 (2013) and 2242 (2015) on women and peace and security, its resolution 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009), 1998 (2011), 2068 (2012) and 2143 (2014) on children and armed conflict, and 2117 (2013) on small arms and light weapons, and taking note of the reports of the Secretary-General on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict (S/2015/453), on Children and Armed Conflict (S/2015/409), and in particular the report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict in Afghanistan (S/2015/336) as well as the conclusions of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, 

Urging the full, equal and effective participation of women in all activities relating to the democratic transition, conflict resolution and peacebuilding in line with relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 1325 (2000), 2122 (2013), and 2242 (2015), and in this regard welcoming the UN facilitation of meetings of women’s participation within the framework of the Political Dialogue,