Security Council urges Taliban to provide safe passage out of Afghanistan

Thirteen of the 15 ambassadors voted successful favour of the resolution, which further demands that Afghanistan not beryllium utilized arsenic a structure for terrorism.

Permanent members China and Russia abstained.

Airport onslaught condemned

Countries condemned successful the strongest presumption the deadly blasts astatine Kabul airdrome connected Thursday, which killed much than 150 radical and injured upwards of 200 more.  The violent radical Islamic State successful Khorosan Province (ISKP) claimed responsibility.

The onslaught targeted radical fleeing Afghanistan successful the aftermath of the Taliban’s takeover 2 weeks ago, and planetary forces assisting the evacuations.

Thousands of Afghans person been trying to flight from the state up of the afloat withdrawal of the United States by its self-imposed Tuesday deadline.

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield of the United States addresses the Security Council gathering connected the concern successful Afghanistan.

USA: Live up to commitment

The solution was tabled by the United States, alongside chap imperishable Council members France and the United Kingdom.

“The Security Council expects the Taliban to unrecorded up to its committedness to facilitate harmless transition for Afghans and overseas nationals who privation to permission Afghanistan, whether it’s today, tomorrow, oregon aft August 31,” said US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

“Consistent with the close to permission immoderate country, including one’s own, everybody indispensable beryllium allowed to safely permission Afghanistan, for immoderate reason, whenever they want, by aerial oregon by land. This is of the utmost value to us.”

Since July, the USA has evacuated much than 122,000 Americans, overseas nationals and at-risk Afghan citizens, she reported.  Ms. Thomas-Greenfield added that the solution besides reflects the Council’s "crystal clear" committedness to assisting those who stay successful Afghanistan.

“It underscores that each parties request to facilitate humanitarian assistance, and that humanitarian actors beryllium fixed afloat harmless and unhindered entree to proceed work transportation to those successful need,” she said.

France: Reach each successful need

The solution takes enactment of a Taliban connection this week which allows Afghans to permission the state astatine immoderate time.  French Ambassador Nicolas de Rivière called for that committedness to beryllium upheld.

“This solution calls connected everyone to marque each efforts to unafraid the airdrome and the surrounding area.,” helium said, speaking done an interpreter.

“And to make this harmless transition and protection, is simply a sine qua non condition to guarantee that threatened Afghans who privation to permission tin bash truthful safely, but besides to guarantee that humanitarian assistance tin scope each of those who request it done the airport, of course, but besides implicit onshore borders.”

UK: Protect rights gains

On the contented of quality rights, UK Ambassador Barbara Woodward emphasized the request to support gains made implicit the past 2 decades, stressing that the rights of women, children and minorities indispensable beryllium safeguarded.

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Ambassador Barbara Woodward of the United Kingdom addresses the Security Council gathering connected the concern successful Afghanistan.

She described the solution arsenic an important measurement towards a unified planetary effect to the concern successful Afghanistan.  

“We volition proceed to physique connected this to guarantee the Council holds the Taliban accountable connected its commitments. The Taliban volition beryllium judged by the planetary assemblage connected the ground of their actions connected the ground, not their words,” she stated.

Russia: Concerns not reflected

In explaining his vote, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Russia was forced to abstain due to the fact that definite “principled concerns” were not reflected successful the draught text, which was circulated connected Friday.

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia of the Russian Federation addresses the Security Council gathering connected the concern successful Afghanistan.

“Firstly, contempt the information that the solution was projected against the backdrop of a unspeakable violent attack, the authors categorically refused to notation to a transition connected the combat against coercion containing internationally recognized violent organizations ISIL and the East Turkistan Islamic Movement,” helium said, speaking done an interpreter.

“We spot this arsenic a reluctance to admit the obvious, and a tendency to disagreement terrorists into ‘ours’ and ‘theirs’; and that is to accidental to downplay the violent menace coming from these groups.”

China: Reflect and correct

Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun stated that fixed the fragile concern connected the ground, and the uncertainties, immoderate Council enactment should assistance easiness tensions, and not intensify them.

“The caller chaos successful Afghanistan is straight related to the hasty and disorderly withdrawal of overseas troops,” helium said.  “We anticipation that applicable countries volition recognize the information that withdrawal is not the extremity of responsibility, but the opening of reflection and correction.”