United Nations A/56/681–S/2001/1157 General Assembly Distr.: General Security Council 6 December 2001 Original: English General Assembly Security Council Fifty- sixth session Fifty-sixth year Agenda item 43 The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security Report of the Secretary-General I. Introduction development of plans for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the country. The Security Council 1. The present report is submitted pursuant to noted with appreciation the reappointment of paragraph 31 of General Assembly resolution 55/174 A Mr. Brahimi (see S/2001/937). My Special of 19 December 2000, in which the Assembly Representative has overarching authority over all requested me to report on the progress of the United United Nations activities in Afghanistan, providing Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan (UNSMA). guidance and direction to ensure overall coordination The report, which covers developments since the and coherence of action. An Integrated Management issuance on 20 November 2000 of my last annual Task Force has been established to support Mr. Brahimi report (A/55/633-S/2000/1106), is also submitted in in these efforts. I have asked my Personal response to requests by the Security Council for regular Representative, Francesc Vendrell, to continue his information on the main developments in Afghanistan. political functions as my Deputy Special Two progress reports have been submitted this year, the Representative and head of the United Nations Special first on 19 April 2001 (A/55/907-S/2001/384) and the Mission to Afghanistan. second on 17 August 2001 (A/55/1028-S/2001/789). The present report covers developments regarding II. Peacemaking efforts and activities Afghanistan until 15 November 2001. of the Special Mission 2. Since the terrorist attacks of 11 September, much of my attention, and that of the United Nations system A. Peacemaking efforts at large, has been focused on Afghanistan. Given the seriousness of the evolving situation in Afghanistan, on 3. On 12 November, I opened and chaired a meeting 3 October I reappointed Lakhdar Brahimi as my of Ministers for Foreign Affairs and other senior Special Representative, entrusting him with a widened representatives of the “six plus two” group (see para. mandate entailing overall authority for the 49). The next day, 13 November, the Security Council humanitarian and political endeavours of the United held an open meeting on Afghanistan. I delivered an Nations in Afghanistan. He will also oversee the 01-67741 (E) 071201 *0167741* A/56/681 S/2001/1157 opening statement to the Council at that important Shah, who informed him that he was willing to help in meeting. a manner that was useful and acceptable to everyone. 4. From 10 to 12 March, I visited Pakistan as part of 7. Following his return to Headquarters on 9 a tour of the South Asian region. Various aspects of the November, Mr. Brahimi conferred with a large number situation in Afghanistan were discussed in my talks of senior officials, including heads of Government and with the President and Chief Executive, General Pervez Foreign Ministers, during the week of the general Musharraf, and with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, debate in the General Assembly, from 10 to 16 Abdul Sattar. I expressed the international community’s November. appreciation to Pakistan for extending hospitality to the 8. On 13 November, Mr. Brahimi presented an in- millions of Afghan refugees who have been forced to depth briefing to the Security Council. On 12 flee their country in the past two decades and to take November, he gave a briefing to and participated in the shelter in Pakistan. We agreed that Pakistan would take high-level meeting of the members of the “six plus measures to further aid Afghans who had recently two” group, at which most countries were represented entered Pakistan, while the United Nations system, for at the Foreign Minister level. Furthermore, on 16 its part, would redouble its efforts to provide assistance November, my Special Representative briefed the to Afghans inside Afghanistan so as to discourage members of the “Group of 21” on Afghanistan about further outflows. the current situation and his peacemaking efforts. 5. I also had talks, during my visit to Pakistan, with 9. Prior to 11 September, my Personal the then Taliban “Foreign Minister”, Wakil Ahmad Representative (later Deputy Special Representative) Mutawakkil, at which I discussed the written and head of UNSMA held numerous meetings with agreement, reached by the Taliban and the United Front senior representatives of the Taliban and the United in November 2000 to pursue dialogue, under my Front. Mr. Vendrell’s principal interlocutor on the auspices. I asked that implementation of the fatwa Taliban side, in Kabul and Kandahar, was the Taliban calling for the destruction of all statues not proceed, Foreign Minister, Wakil Ahmad Mutawakkil; he also and that options instead be explored for relocating had contacts with the Governor of Kandahar, Mullah them. Shortly thereafter, I was distressed to learn that Hassan Rahmani; the Taliban Minister of Education, the two priceless statues of the Buddha in Bamyan had Amir Khan Muttaqi; the Taliban Deputy Justice already been destroyed. Minister, Jalaluddin Shinwari; and the Taliban Deputy 6. Since his appointment my Special Representative Foreign Ministers Mullah Abdul Jalil and Abdul has undertaken numerous intensive contacts with a Rahman Zahed. On the United Front side, his main wide range of Afghans and with various concerned interlocutors in various meetings, inside and outside Governments, in New York and elsewhere, with the Afghanistan, were Burhanuddin Rabbani, President of aim of accelerating the political process in the light of the Islamic State of Afghanistan; the late Commander the rapidly changing circumstances. During a visit to Ahmad Shah Massoud, Vice-President and Minister of the region from 27 October to 7 November, his Defence of the Islamic State of Afghanistan; and contacts included a meeting in Riyadh with the Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah. Minister for Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, Prince 10. At the beginning of the year, my Personal Saud Al-Faisal, and in Islamabad with President Representative had pursued two main objectives, Musharraf and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, as well namely, to persuade the Taliban, first, to adhere to the as the Foreign Secretary, Inám-ul Haque, and the commitments arrived at on 2 November 2000, when Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence, they agreed in writing to enter into a process of Lieutenant General Ehsanul Haq. In the Islamic dialogue with the United Front, and, secondly, to Republic of Iran, Mr. Brahimi met with President comply with the demands contained in Security Mohammad Khatami and with the Minister for Foreign Council resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1333 (2000), in Affairs, Kamal Kharrazi. Mr. Vendrell accompanied particular with regard to Osama bin Laden and the him in Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran. In closure of terrorist camps. At virtually every meeting both countries, Mr. Brahimi consulted with a broad that Mr. Vendrell held with Taliban representatives, he spectrum of Afghans. Mr. Brahimi also went to Rome, urged them to accept the need to surrender Bin Laden where he met with the former King Mohammad Zahir 2 A/56/681 S/2001/1157 and cease support for terrorism, warning them of the 14. Following the arrest of 8 foreign nationals and 16 serious consequences that their lack of cooperation Afghan staff working for the non-governmental could entail, particularly if there were to be another organization Shelter Now International at the beginning terrorist incident that could be attributed to Bin of August, my Personal Representative intervened, first Laden’s network. trying to ensure consular access to the foreign detainees, which was granted, and then turning his 11. In addition, my Personal Representative sought to efforts towards securing their release. In the event of convince the Taliban to consider various formulae that their not being released, he pressed for a speedy and would allow them to participate in direct or indirect fair trial, followed by a display of clemency — in the talks with the United Front, specifically at the case of the foreigners, their expulsion from the country. invitation of the Governments of Japan and Uzbekistan. Contacts with the Taliban, on this and all other issues, The Taliban declined these invitations, refusing to ceased following the terrorist attacks of 11 September. attend any meeting at which the United Nations was present. They further declined, for the same reason, an 15. The United Front, for its part, demonstrated a invitation by the Government of Germany issued to the good deal of openness and receptivity throughout, and two warring sides to visit Berlin late in July to present remained ready to implement the agreement of their views to a meeting of former senior officials of 2 November 2000. Among topics discussed by the Islamic Republic of Iran, Pakistan, the Russian Mr. Vendrell with United Front representatives were Federation and the United States of America, convened governance and human rights issues; their vision for by my Personal Representative. The United Front was the future of Afghanistan, including the possible represented at that meeting by Abdullah Abdullah, convening of a loya jirga and a potential role for the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Islamic State of former King; contacts with the former King and with Afghanistan. non-warring Afghan groups abroad; possible avenues for achieving the reopening of meaningful negotiations 12. As it became increasingly evident that the Taliban with the Taliban; and the military situation. In the had no intention of pursuing the process of dialogue period covered by this report, UNSMA, particularly its under United Nations auspices and that they would not Civil Affairs Unit, was able to deepen its cooperation accept the United Nations as an impartial intermediary, with the United Front and expand its activities Mr.