Stalni predstavnik RH pri Ujedinjenim narodima, veleposlanik Neven Jurica održao je 12. ožujka 2008. godine govor u Vijecu sigurnosti UN-a u svezi situacije u Afganistanu.
Mr. President,
I would like to thank the Secretary General for his thorough and comprehensive Report on the situation in Afghanistan and we welcome the observations and conclusions contained therein. We would also like to thank Under-secretary-General the Mr. Jean Marie Guéhenno for providing a comprehensive briefing on the situation.
We have taken note with satisfaction of the Secretary General's appointment of Mr. Kai Eide of Norway, as his Special Representative for Afghanistan and Head of UNAMA. We are confident that Mr. Eide, with his excellent background on security issues and possessing much needed experience and diplomatic skills, will successfully accomplish the mission entrusted to him.
Let me begin by extending our appreciations to the staff members of UNAMA, who strive so hard to help secure a democratic and stable Afghanistan in which good governance, justice and the protection of human rights is extended to all its inhabitants. We hope that through close cooperation between UNAMA and Afghan authorities and people, Afghanistan will be restored to its rightful place in the community of sovereign nations.
Mr. President,
In past years, since the fall of the Taliban, the Afghan government and international community have together made some significant steps in improving the political, social and economic plight of Afghans. Conversely, and despite significant increases in the number of foreign troops and the amount of aid to Afghanistan, violence, insecurity and opium production have risen dramatically. The international community must stand united in support of the Afghan government and people and together with them confront the challenges and threats that Afghanistan faces. Genuine security remains the fundamental prerequisite for achieving stability and development in Afghanistan.
As far as security is concerned, the main role undoubtedly belongs to the military and police. In our view the capability of the Afghan National Security Forces to guarantee security in their own country is to this end of utmost importance, so enhancing it should be our first and foremost task.
At the same time, it is important to underline that security cannot be provided by military means alone. Military has its clear place in these efforts but at the same time we have to be aware of its limits and we would like to see more civilian experts engaged on the ground. Good governance and rule of law, as well as, economic reconstruction and social development, all play an important role in the efforts to stabilize Afghanistan. We have to support the efforts of the Afghan government to deliver services to its citizens because in our view this is the truly decisive element which will over time build confidence and trust of the people in the government.
In this sense, of particular importance is the strong support provided by the international community to the Afghan government and a mutual respect for the principles of aid effectiveness as laid down by the Afghanistan Compact vision. This important agreement should be thoroughly implemented and become the main promoter of the government's policies at the provincial and local level. Croatia welcomes the announcement on preparations for an international conference to be held in Paris to review progress on implementation of the Afghanistan Compact, as well as, to discuss the way ahead.
Afghan ownership is crucial for the ultimate success of all peace efforts. We expect there will be great interest in the finalization of the Afghan National Development Strategy (NDS) as a result of the open public policy dialogue undertaken in Afghanistan on the most important security, economic and development issues. We are confident that coordinated and effective implementation of the National Development Strategy will lead to substantive improvements in daily life of most Afghans.
The rule of law and the improvement of current state of affairs in the judiciary sector are of great importance and we support all activities pursuant to the outcomes of the Rome Conference 2007. However, due to the fact that the majority of cases still go through traditional dispute settlement mechanisms, Croatia believes serious consideration should be given to look at ways of how to include human rights principles in these mechanisms as well. We believe that attention should be paid to the findings of the High Commissioner for Human Rights because it is exactly the human rights concept which should be the foundation for a stable and functioning political system. In this context particular attention should be paid to the improvement of the status and rights of women and children.
Mr. President,
Croatia agrees with the view of the Secretary General that civilian - military cooperation is truly indispensable in overcoming the existing challenges. To this end my government would like to stress the importance of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT's). As a practical form of civilian - military partnership these relatively small teams deployed in Afghan provinces should be considered as innovative forms of crisis management units designed to achieve synergy in joint activities of the two components. That is the reason why we believe that they should be fully supported in their activities and such a concept should be further developed based on lessons learned in the period since its commencement. UNAMA could in this regard assume a greater coordinating role for international assistance programs.
The promotion of Afghan-led reconciliation programs, under the vigilant control of the Afghan government, seems to us as a particularly important factor in the attempt to pacify the security situation in the country. It bears repeating that such a dialogue should take place exclusively within the framework of the Afghan Constitution and with full respect for the sanctions regime established by the Security Council, particularly by its resolution 1267 [1999]. National reconciliation would facilitate the cooperation of various groups throughout the country with the central government and would, we hope, lead to the pacification of the country and regional stabilization.
Mr. President,
The drug related economy, as expressly stated in the Secretary General's report, represents a fundamental threat to political, economic and social institutions in Afghanistan. There are clear and growing links between the drug related economy and the insurgency, which has been largely financed from this source. Moreover, the drug related economy in Afghanistan is a serious regional and international problem, since Afghanistan is the largest producer of opium in the world. Accordingly, we put high hopes in the effective implementation of the National Drug Control Strategy, particularly at the local level, with the aim to achieve a sustained and significant reduction in the production and trafficking of narcotics, leading to its complete elimination. Afghan farmers should be strongly encouraged to eradicate poppy production and given assistance to pursue alternative livelihoods. Croatia supports regional and international cooperation in the fight against the illicit trafficking of drugs, including through border management cooperation in drug control and contributions to the Counter Narcotics Trust Fund. It is clear that a certain number of high officials benefit from this trade and that the drug related economy generates widespread corruption. Having that in mind, we urge the Afghan government to implement the national anti-corruption strategy and curb this silent destroyer.
Mr. President,
Croatia is quite active in the international peace efforts in Afghanistan and we will continue to be in the future. By simultaneously deploying military and civilian components, the latter consisting of civilian police and diplomatic branches, we are developing a comprehensive approach. We contribute to the NATO-led ISAF operation, the Croatian contingent there is 200 strong and we plan to increase it to the level of 300 by the end of 2008. We also contribute to the EU-led police mission EUPOL Afghanistan as well. The implementation of the Croatian Parliament's decision to contribute to UNAMA is at this moment still pending. Croatia is one of the countries that has deployed the so-called Operational Monitoring and Liaison Teams (OMLTs) to train the Afghan National Army and is actively involved in training of Afghan National Police as well, first in the framework of the German Police Project and now within the EU-led EUPOL Afghanistan mission.
Thank You.
Priopćenja
