Statement by H.E. Ambassador YAMAZAKI Kazuyuki, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations, at the United Nations Security Council Adoption, Agenda item “The situation in Afghanistan”

 
Thank you, Mr. President.
 
I deliver this statement on behalf of the United Arab Emirates and Japan, in our capacity as co-penholders on the situation in Afghanistan.
 
I would like to start by thanking the Ecuador presidency for scheduling this adoption today.
 
The report of the Independent Assessment on Afghanistan was submitted to the Council in early November, in accordance with Resolution 2679, which was adopted unanimously in March this year. Since the report’s submission, the Council members had multiple occasions to deliberate on the assessment and its recommendations, inside and outside this Chamber.
 
UAE and Japan firmly believe that the Independent Assessment serves as the best basis for discussions on our way forward. Based on this belief, we crafted a resolution that shows the Council's stance on it, listening carefully to the Council members’ views. The draft resolution in front of us (S/2023/1056) is the product of our consultations and we are ready for it to be put to a vote today.
 
Once adopted, this resolution will express the Council’s strong determination to facilitate a new strategy to address a wide range of issues in Afghanistan and set the course for international mechanisms necessary to tackle them. In addition, I would like to emphasize that the resolution highlights the need to increase international engagement in a more coherent, coordinated, and structured manner, as the Independent Assessment states.
 
By adopting this resolution, we will also demonstrate to the people of Afghanistan, including relevant authorities, women, girls and civil society, that the international community remains committed to a peaceful, stable, prosperous and inclusive Afghanistan. The country continues to face enormous challenges and we should maintain and increase our attention on it.
 
Before concluding our statement, I want to thank all members of the Council for their constructive and valuable engagement with the draft text and their flexibility. We have maintained unity on the Afghanistan file this year and hope we can keep it that way as the year-end is approaching.
 
I thank you.