United Nations Security Council Resolution 1214 – Afghanistan

Resolution 1214 (1998)

The Security Council,

Having considered the situation in Afghanistan,

Reaffirming its previous resolutions, in particular resolutions 1189 (1998)of 13 August 1998 and 1193 (1998) of 28 August 1998, and the statements of itsPresident on the situation in Afghanistan,Recalling resolution 52/211 of the General Assembly,

Expressing its grave concern at the continued Afghan conflict, which hasrecently sharply escalated as a result of the offensive by the Taliban forces,which is continuing despite the repeated pleas by the Security Council to ceasethe fighting, and causing a serious and growing threat to regional andinternational peace and security, as well as extensive human suffering, further destruction, refugee flows and other forcible displacement of large numbers ofpeople,

Deploring the fact that despite the readiness of the United Front ofAfghanistan to conclude a durable ceasefire and to enter into a politicaldialogue with the Taliban, fighting continues on both sides,

Concerned also by the increasingly ethnic nature of the conflict, byreports of ethnic and religious-based persecution, particularly against theShiites, and by the threat this poses to the unity of the Afghan State,

Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence,territorial integrity and national unity of Afghanistan, and its respect for itscultural and historical heritage,

Reiterating that any outside interference in the internal affairs ofAfghanistan, including the involvement of foreign military personnel and thesupply of arms and ammunition to all parties to the conflict, should cease immediately,

Reaffirming its full support for the efforts of the United Nations, inparticular the activities of the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan(UNSMA) and those of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Afghanistanin facilitating the political process towards the goals of national reconciliation and a lasting political settlement with the participation of all parties to the conflict and all segments of Afghan society, and reiterating itsposition that the United Nations must continue to play its central and impartialrole in international efforts towards a peaceful resolution of the Afghanconflict,

Welcoming the work of the “six plus two” group, and supporting in thisregard the “points of common understanding” (A/53/455-S/1998/913, annex) adoptedat its meeting, at the level of Foreign Ministers, convened and chaired by theSecretary-General on 21 September 1998,

Deeply concerned at the serious and rapidly deteriorating humanitariancrisis in Afghanistan, deploring in this regard the measures taken by theTaliban which resulted in the evacuation of the United Nations humanitarianpersonnel from Afghanistan and underlining the urgent need for the promptimplementation of the necessary security requirements to allow their earlyreturn,

Reaffirming that all parties to the conflict are bound to comply with theirobligations under international humanitarian law and in particular under theGeneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and that persons who commit or order thecommission of breaches of the Conventions are individually responsible inrespect of such breaches,

Deeply disturbed by the continuing use of Afghan territory, especiallyareas controlled by the Taliban, for the sheltering and training of terroristsand the planning of terrorist acts, and reiterating that the suppression ofinternational terrorism is essential for the maintenance of international peaceand security,

Deeply disturbed also by the growing cultivation, production andtrafficking of drugs in Afghanistan, especially in areas controlled by theTaliban,

Reiterating its deep concern at the continuing discrimination against girlsand women and at other violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law in Afghanistan,

1. Demands that the Taliban, as well as other Afghan factions, stopfighting, conclude a ceasefire and resume negotiations without delay andpreconditions under United Nations auspices, and cooperate with the aim ofcreating a broad-based and fully representative government, which would protectthe rights of all Afghans and observe the international obligations ofAfghanistan;

2. Welcomes the progress made by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General in his efforts based on resolution 1193 (1998) and its relevantpreceding resolutions to reduce tensions in the region and towards improving the human rights and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and calls upon allconcerned to implement fully the commitments they have already entered into;

3. Reiterates its very strong support and appreciation for the continuingefforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General to secure the fullimplementation of its resolutions and demands that all parties, in particularthe Taliban, cooperate in good faith with these efforts;

4. Reiterates its strong call on the Taliban to inform the United Nationswithout further delay about the results of the investigation into the killing ofthe two Afghan staff members of the World Food Programme and of the Office ofthe United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Jalalabad, and the MilitaryAdviser to UNSMA in Kabul;

5. Condemns the capture by the Taliban of the Consulate-General of theIslamic Republic of Iran and the murder of the Iranian diplomats and ajournalist in Mazar-e-Sharif, stresses that these acts constitute flagrantviolations of international law, and calls upon the Taliban to cooperate withthe United Nations in investigating these crimes with a view to prosecutingthose responsible;

6. Encourages the Secretary-General to continue his efforts to despatch amission to Afghanistan to investigate numerous reports of grave breaches andserious violations of international humanitarian law in that country, inparticular mass killings and mass graves of prisoners of war and civilians andthe destruction of religious sites, and urges all parties, especially theTaliban, to cooperate with this mission, and in particular to assure the safetyand freedom of movement of its personnel;

7. Supports the Secretary-General’s proposal, as contained in his letterto the President of the Security Council of 23 November 1998 (S/1998/1139), toestablish within UNSMA, without prejudice to its mandate and taking into accountsecurity conditions, a civil affairs unit with the primary objective ofmonitoring the situation, promoting respect for minimum humanitarian standardsand deterring massive and systematic violations of human rights and humanitarianlaw in the future, and to send an assessment mission to Afghanistan, as soon assecurity conditions permit, in order to determine the exact mandate, compositionand location of the civilian monitors;

8. Encourages the initiatives of the “six plus two” group to facilitatethe peace process in Afghanistan;

9. Encourages further the additional support of other Member States forthe peace process in Afghanistan;

10. Reiterates its call upon all States to take resolute measures toprohibit their military personnel from planning and participating in militaryoperations in Afghanistan and immediately to end the supply of arms andammunition to all parties to the conflict;

11. Urges all Afghan factions, and in particular the Taliban, todemonstrate their full commitment to the safety and security of allinternational and humanitarian personnel, which is a prerequisite for theiractivities in Afghanistan, to facilitate their work and to ensure unimpededaccess and adequate conditions for the delivery of aid to all in need of it;

12. Demands that the Afghan factions put an end to discrimination againstgirls and women and other violations of human rights, as well as violations ofinternational humanitarian law, and adhere to the international norms andstandards in this sphere;

13. Demands also that the Taliban stop providing sanctuary and trainingfor international terrorists and their organizations, and that all Afghanfactions cooperate with efforts to bring indicted terrorists to justice;

14. Demands further that the Taliban, as well as others, halt the cultivation, production and trafficking of illegal drugs;

15. Deplores the failure of the leadership of the Taliban, in particular,to take measures to comply with the demands made in its previous resolutions,especially to conclude a ceasefire and to resume negotiations, and in thiscontext expresses its readiness to consider the imposition of measures, inaccordance with its responsibility under the Charter of the United Nations, withthe aim of achieving the full implementation of its relevant resolutions;

16. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

Adopted by the Security Council at its 3952nd meeting,on 8 December 1998.