The UNSC adopted a resolution that gave de facto recognition to the Taliban as a state actor in Afghanistan, The Indian Express reported.
As the last US Soldier was leaving Afghanistan on Tuesday, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), under India’s presidency, adopted a resolution that gave de facto recognition to the Taliban as a state actor in Afghanistan, The Indian Express reported.
Sponsored by France, UK and the US, the resolution was adopted with 13 members, including India, voting in favour, none against it. However, permanent and veto-wielding members Russia and China abstained from voting.
In the first resolution to be adopted since the fall of Kabul on August 15, it is said that the territory of Afghanistan is not to be used to threaten any country or shelter terrorists, and that the international community expects the Taliban to adhere to the commitments they made regarding the safe and orderly departure of Afghans and all foreign nationals from the country.
India’s Presidency ended on Thursday, with Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla chairing the session in which the resolution was adopted. Mr Shringla said the resolution “unequivocally” conveys that Afghan territory should not be used to threaten or attack any nation, shelter or train terrorists, and this is of “direct importance to India”. He said it sends a “strong signal” from the international community on its expectations from Kabul.
Naming the Taliban five times, the resolution did not condemn the hardliner Islamist movement. Rather, it “noted” Taliban’s “commitments” about “the safe, secure, and orderly departure of Afghans and all foreign nationals from Afghanistan”.
The resolution also stressed the importance of maintaining humanitarian access, upholding human rights, reaching an inclusive political settlement and combating terrorism.
However, the resolution did not specify any provision to punish the Taliban if they failed to allow such departures or follow the commitments.
Russia’s envoy to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, said the resolution wasn’t specific enough about terror threats, did not speak of the “brain drain” effect of evacuating Afghans and did not address the economic and humanitarian consequences of Washington freezing the Afghan government’s US accounts following the Taliban takeover.
Moscow “was forced” to abstain during the vote on the resolution on Afghanistan “because the authors of the draft ignored our principled concerns”, Mr Nebenzia added.
Beijing, sharing some of Moscow’s concerns, criticised the US for civilian casualties in a drone strike that American officials said hit a vehicle carrying multiple Islamic State suicide bombers. China said the current chaos was a direct consequence of Western countries’ “disorderly withdrawal”.
After the vote, US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said: “We cannot airlift an entire country to safety. This is the moment where diplomacy has to step up.” She expressed disappointment over Russia and China’s abstentions.
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