Declaração do Representante Permanente Alterno, Embaixador João Genésio de Almeida Filho, durante reunião do Conselho de Segurança sobre o Afeganistão - 27 de setembro de 2022

Madam President,

Let me start by thanking today’s briefers: Mr. Markus Potzel, Ms. Ghada Waly and Ms. Fawzia Koofi. Also, I would like to welcome to this meeting the delegations of Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan.

Brazil acknowledges the highly important work performed by UNAMA in Afghanistan and remains deeply committed to upholding and supporting its mandate in favor of a more cohesive, stable and prosperous future for all Afghan citizens.

The latest report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security sheds light on a number of positive developments, which we noted with satisfaction.

These include the return of former government officials and political figures from abroad; greater engagement between “de facto” cabinet members and local leadership and constituencies, such as tribal leaders, civil society and the media; and a decrease in the overall number of conflict-related security incidents and civilian casualties compared to the same period of 2021.

Nevertheless, the report also raises unsettling concerns for the establishment of sustainable peace and unity in the country.

Chief among such concerns are allegations of extrajudicial killings, torture and other forms of human rights violations undertaken by “de facto” security forces, as well as threats, arbitrary arrests and detentions against human rights activists, journalists and media workers.

Particularly disturbing are the report’s observations on the continuing hardship of Afghan women and girls, who still endure discriminative policies that jeopardize their future and are at complete odds with relevant international law statutes, including the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women. In the same vein, the rights of women and girls must be entirely upheld and their presence in public life guaranteed if Afghanistan is to follow a sustainable path ahead.

Moreover, the “de facto” administration seems to fail to take steps in a sincere and meaningful manner to safeguard the rights of the Afghan people and bring about more inclusive and representative structures of governance.

In this scenario, we must renew our call on the “de facto” administration to respect previous commitments and effectively form an inclusive government, with adequate participation of women and ethnic and religious minorities.  

Brazil also urges “de facto” authorities to promote and protect the human rights of the Afghan population, decisively curbing the unacceptable violations referenced in the report.

Finally, we wish to reiterate that any travel bans on “de facto” leaders should be object of in-depth assessment. Isolating them from interactions with foreign counterparts may prove counterproductive and thus unlikely to contribute with the moderation of some of the regime’s hardened positions.

Afghanistan’s viability as a fully integrated nation among its neighbors and the wider international community also hinges on long-term development policies that can push the country past the restrictions and uncertainties associated with humanitarian and emergency relief. For this reason, we renew our call for the unfreezing of all assets of Afghan financial institutions.

We also recall our policy of humanitarian visas for Afghans threatened by the crisis in their country, with a particular focus on women and girls. To date, more than five thousand humanitarian visas have been issued.

Madam President,   

August 15th marked the one-year anniversary of the regime change, and the situation on the ground has yet to improve. As ever, Brazil is ready to support the dedicated efforts of UNAMA and work alongside this Council to achieve the future of peace, stability and progress that the people of Afghanistan deserves.

Thank you.