United Nations Security Council Resolution 1974

by the United Nations

Resolution 1974 (2011)

Adopted by the Security Council at its 6500th meeting, on 22 March 2011

The Security Council,

Recalling its previous resolutions on Afghanistan, in particular its resolution 1917 (2010) extending through 23 March 2011 the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) as established by resolution 1662 (2006), and recalling also the report of the Security Council mission to Afghanistan, 21 to 24 June 2010 (S/2010/564),

Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Afghanistan,

Stressing the importance of a comprehensive approach to address the situation in Afghanistan, and recognizing that there is no purely military solution to ensure the stability of Afghanistan,

Reaffirming its continued support for the Government and people of Afghanistan as they rebuild their country, strengthen the foundations of sustainable peace and constitutional democracy and assume their rightful place in the community of nations,

Welcoming the results of the Kabul International Conference on Afghanistan held on 20 July 2010 which constituted a milestone in the Kabul Process towards accelerated Afghan leadership and ownership, strengthened international partnership and regional cooperation, improved Afghan governance, enhanced capabilities of Afghan security forces, economic growth and better protection for the rights of all Afghan citizens, including women, and welcoming specifically the commitments made by the Afghan Government including the development of a framework, timelines and benchmarks for the new National Priority Programmes, progress towards transition to an Afghan security lead, improvement of governance and tackling of corruption,

Reaffirming also the commitments made at the London Conference (S/2010/65), which set a clear agenda and agreed priorities for the way ahead on Afghanistan, underpinned by a comprehensive strategy to be taken forward by the Government of Afghanistan with the support of the region, the international community and with a central and impartial coordinating role for the United Nations, Looking forward to the international Afghanistan Conference to be held in Bonn in December 2011, under the leadership of the Government of Afghanistan,

Reaffirming also in this context its support for the implementation, under the ownership of the Afghan people, of the commitments set out in the London and Kabul Conference Communiqués, of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) and of the National Drugs Control Strategy, recognizing the threat posed by illicit drug production, trade, trafficking to international peace and stability in different regions of the world, and the important role played by the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) in this regard, and noting that sustained and coordinated efforts by all relevant actors are required to consolidate progress made towards their implementation and to overcome continuing challenges,

Stressing the central and impartial role that the United Nations continues to play in promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan by leading the efforts of the international community, including, jointly with the Government of Afghanistan, the coordination and monitoring of efforts in implementing the Kabul Process through the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB) in support of the priorities set up by the Government of Afghanistan and expressing its appreciation and strong support for the ongoing efforts of the Secretary-General, his Special Representative for Afghanistan and in particular the women and men of UNAMA who are serving in difficult conditions to help the people of Afghanistan,

Recalling the conclusions of the Consultative Peace Jirga and welcoming the establishment of the High Peace Council and its outreach efforts both within and outside Afghanistan,

Recognizing the courage and dedication of millions of women and men who exercised their right to vote, in the face of serious security threats, in the 2010 legislative elections, recognizing also the Afghan leadership in the elections, including the work of the Independent Electoral Commission and the Electoral Complaints Commission, welcoming the inauguration of a new Wolesi Jirga, recalling the Government of Afghanistan's commitments at the Kabul Conference to long-term electoral reform, and stressing the need for completing electoral reforms in order to ensure that future elections will be transparent, credible and democratic, and reaffirming that Afghanistan's peaceful future lies in the building of a stable, secure, economically self-sufficient state, free of terrorism and narcotics and based on strengthened democratic institutions, respect for the separation of powers, reinforced constitutional checks and balances and the guarantee and enforcement of citizens' rights and obligations,

Welcoming the contribution of the International Contact Group to the United Nations efforts in coordinating and broadening international support for Afghanistan, in particular the outcome of the International Contact Group's last meeting in Jeddah, hosted by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which demonstrated the increasing support of regional and other countries for peace, stability and development in Afghanistan,

Stressing the crucial importance of advancing regional cooperation as an effective means to promote security, stability and economic and social development in Afghanistan, recalling the importance of the Kabul Declaration of 22 December 2002 on Good-Neighbourly Relations (Kabul Declaration) (S/2002/1416); welcoming, in this regard, the continued commitment of the international community to support stability and development in Afghanistan, noting international and regional initiatives such as the Istanbul "Heart of Asia" Summit, the quadrilateral Summit of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and the Russian Federation, as well as by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and looking forward to the Fifth Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) to be held in Tajikistan in the fall of this year,

Welcoming the efforts of countries that are increasing their civilian and humanitarian efforts to assist the Government and the people of Afghanistan and encouraging the international community to further enhance their contributions in a coordinated manner with the Afghan authorities and UNAMA,

Welcoming also the agreement reached at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Lisbon Summit 2010 between the Government of Afghanistan and countries contributing to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to gradually transfer lead security responsibility in Afghanistan to the Afghan National Security Forces country-wide by the end of 2014, taking note of the Declaration by NATO and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan on an enduring partnership signed in Lisbon on 20 November 2010 acknowledging the joint efforts under the Inteqal/Transition process, welcoming the progress made so far in preparing the transition of a first tranche of provinces and municipal areas, and looking forward to the continued implementation of the Transition process,

Recognizing once again the interconnected nature of the challenges in Afghanistan, reaffirming that sustainable progress on security, governance, human rights, the rule of law, and development, as well as the cross-cutting issues of anti‑corruption, counter-narcotics and transparency are mutually reinforcing and welcoming the continuing efforts of the Afghan Government and the international community to address these challenges through a comprehensive approach,

Stressing the importance of a comprehensive approach in addressing the challenges in Afghanistan to a successful transition to Afghan security leadership beginning in early 2011, recognizing that security gains must be supported by progress in Afghan governance and development capacity and noting, in this context, the synergies in the objectives of UNAMA and of ISAF as also noted in resolution 1943 (2010), and stressing the need for strengthened cooperation, coordination and mutual support, taking due account of their respective designated responsibilities,

Reiterating the need for all United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, through the Country Team mechanism and a "One-UN" Approach and under the guidance of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, to increase efforts to achieve greater coherence, coordination, efficiency and full alignment with the National Priority Programmes identified by the Government of Afghanistan,

Stressing the need to further improve the reach, quality and quantity of humanitarian aid, ensuring efficient, effective and timely coordination and delivery of humanitarian assistance, including through enhanced coordination among the United Nations agencies, funds and programmes under the authority of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and between the United Nations and other donors, especially where it is most needed, emphasizing in this regard the need for all, within the framework of humanitarian assistance, of upholding and respecting the humanitarian principles, of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence,

Reiterating its concern about the security situation in Afghanistan, in particular the ongoing violent and terrorist activities by the Taliban, Al-Qaida, other violent extremist groups, illegal armed groups, criminals and those involved in the production, trafficking or trade of illicit drugs, and the strong links between terrorism activities and illicit drugs, resulting in threats to the local population, including children, national security forces and international military and civilian personnel,

Recognizing the continuously alarming threats posed by the Taliban, Al-Qaida, other violent extremist groups and illegal armed groups as well as the challenges related to the efforts to address such threats, and expressing its serious concern over the harmful consequences of violent and terrorist activities by the Taliban, Al-Qaida, other violent extremist groups and illegal armed groups on the capacity of the Afghan Government to guarantee the rule of law, to provide security and basic services to the Afghan people, and to ensure the improvement and protection of their human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Recalling its resolutions 1674 (2006), 1738 (2006) and 1894 (2009) on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, expressing its serious concern with the increased high number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan, in particular women and children casualties, the large majority of which are caused by the Taliban, Al‑Qaida, other violent extremist groups and illegal armed groups, reaffirming that all parties to armed conflict must take all feasible steps to ensure the protection of affected civilians, calling for all parties to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law and for all appropriate measures to be taken to ensure the protection of civilians, and recognizing the importance of the ongoing monitoring and reporting to the United Nations Security Council, including by ISAF, of the situation of civilians and in particular civilian casualties, taking note of the progress made by Afghan and international forces in minimizing the civilian casualties,

Expressing also concern with the serious threat that anti-personnel mines, remnants of war and improvised explosive devices pose to the civilian population, and stressing the need to refrain from the use of weapons and devices prohibited by international law,

Supporting the Afghan Government's continued ban of Ammonium Nitrate fertilizer, and urging prompt action to implement regulations for the control of all explosive materials and precursor chemicals, thereby reducing the ability of insurgents to use them for improvised explosive devices,

Recalling the declaration addressed to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) by the Government of Afghanistan that there is no legal use for acetic anhydride in Afghanistan for the time being and that producing and exporting countries should abstain from authorizing the export of this substance to Afghanistan without the request from the Afghan Government, and encouraging, pursuant to resolution 1817 (2008), Member States to increase their cooperation with the INCB, notably by fully complying with the provisions of article 12 of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988, Recalling its resolutions 1265 (1999), 1296 (2000), 1674 (2006), 1738 (2006) and 1894 (2009) on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, its resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1960 (2010) on women and peace and security, and its resolution 1612 (2005) and 1882 (2009) on children and armed conflict, and taking note of the report of the Secretary-General (S/2011/55) on Children and Armed Conflict in Afghanistan,

1. Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General of 11 March 2011 (S/2011/120);
2. Expresses its appreciation for the United Nations' long-term commitment to work with the Government and the people of Afghanistan and reiterates its full support to the work of UNAMA and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General;
3. Decides to extend until 23 March 2012 the mandate of UNAMA, as defined in its resolutions 1662 (2006), 1746 (2007), 1806 (2008), 1868 (2009), 1917 (2010) and paragraphs 4, 5 and 6 below;
4. Calls on the United Nations, with the support of the international community, to support the Government of Afghanistan's National Priority Programmes covering the issues of security, governance, justice and economic and social development and to support the full implementation of mutual commitments made on these issues at the Kabul and London Conferences, as well as on continuing implementation of the National Drug Control Strategy, and requests that UNAMA assist the Government of Afghanistan on its way towards Afghan leadership, as defined by the Kabul process;
5. Decides further that UNAMA and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, within their mandate and guided by the principle of reinforcing Afghan sovereignty, ownership and leadership, will continue to lead the international civilian efforts, in accordance with the London and Kabul Conference Communiqués, and with a particular focus on the priorities laid out below:
   1. promote, as co-chair of the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB), more coherent support by the international community to the Afghan Government's development and governance priorities, including through supporting the ongoing development of the new National Priority Programmes, mobilization of resources, coordination of international donors and organizations, and direction of the contributions of United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, in particular for counter-narcotics, reconstruction and development activities; at the same time, support efforts to increase the proportion of development aid delivered through the Afghan Government, and support efforts to increase the transparency and effectiveness of the Afghan Government's use of such resources;
   2. strengthen the cooperation with ISAF and the NATO Senior Civilian Representative at all levels and throughout the country in support of the transition to Afghan leadership agreed to at the Kabul and London Conferences and the Lisbon Summit, in a sustainable manner to ensure the protection and promotion of the rights of all Afghans, in accordance with their existing mandates, in order to improve civil-military coordination, to facilitate the timely exchange of information and, to ensure coherence between the activities of national and international security forces and of civilian actors in support of an Afghan-led development and stabilization process, including through engagement with provincial reconstruction teams and engagement with non-governmental organizations, in particular through its participation on the Joint Afghan-NATO Inteqal Board (JANIB) as an observer;
   3. provide outreach as well as good offices to support, if requested by the Afghan Government, the Afghan-led process of peace and reconciliation, including through the implementation of the Afghan Peace and Reintegration Programme and proposing and supporting confidence building measures within the framework of the Afghan constitution and with full respect for the implementation of measures and application of the procedures introduced by the Security Council in its resolutions 1267 (1999), 1822 (2008) and 1904 (2009) as well as other relevant resolutions of the Council;
   4. support, at the request of the Afghan authorities, the organization of future Afghan elections, as well as supporting work on the sustainability and integrity of the electoral process, as agreed at the London and Kabul Conferences; and provide capacity building and technical assistance to the Afghan institutions involved in this process;
6. Also reaffirms that UNAMA and the Special Representative will continue to lead international civilian efforts in the following priority areas:
   1. support regional cooperation to work towards a stable and prosperous Afghanistan, building on the achievements made;
   2. through a strengthened UNAMA presence, promote, in support of the Afghan Government's efforts, implementation of the Kabul Process throughout the country including through enhanced cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and facilitate inclusion in and understanding of the Government's policies;
   3. support the efforts of the Afghan Government to improve governance and the rule of law including transitional justice, budget execution and the fight against corruption, throughout the country in accordance with the Kabul Process, with a view to helping bring the benefits of peace and the delivery of services in a timely and sustainable manner;
   4. continue, with the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, to cooperate with the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), to cooperate also with the Afghan Government and relevant international and local non-governmental organizations to monitor the situation of civilians, to coordinate efforts to ensure their protection, to promote accountability, and to assist in the full implementation of the fundamental freedoms and human rights provisions of the Afghan Constitution and international treaties to which Afghanistan is a State party, in particular those regarding the full enjoyment by women of their human rights;
   5. to coordinate and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance, in support of the Afghan Government and in accordance with humanitarian principles, with a view to building the capacity of the Government so it can assume the central and coordinating role in the future, including by providing effective support to national and local authorities in assisting and protecting internally displaced persons and to creating conditions conducive to the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of refugees and internally displaced persons;
7. Calls upon all Afghan and international parties to coordinate with UNAMA in the implementation of its mandate and in efforts to promote the security and freedom of movement of United Nations and associated personnel throughout the country;
8. Reiterates the need to ensure security of United Nations staff and its support for the measures already taken by the Secretary-General in this regard;
9. Stresses the importance of a strong presence of UNAMA and other United Nations agencies, funds and programmes in the provinces, encourages the Secretary-General to continue his current efforts to take necessary measures to address the security issues associated with their presence, and strongly supports the authority of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the coordination of all activities of United Nations agencies, funds and programmes in Afghanistan;
10. Underscores the importance of a sustainable democratic development in Afghanistan with all Afghan institutions acting within their clearly defined areas of competence, in accordance with the relevant laws and the Afghan Constitution and welcomes, in this regard, the commitment of the Government of Afghanistan to work closely with the United Nations to build on the lessons learned from the 2009 and 2010 elections to deliver further improvements to the electoral process, including addressing the sustainability of the electoral process, and, taking into account the commitments made at the London and Kabul Conferences, reaffirms UNAMA's leading role in supporting, at the request of the Afghan Government, the realization of these commitments, and requests that, upon the request of the Government of Afghanistan, UNAMA provide technical assistance to the relevant Afghan institutions to support constructive electoral reforms; and further calls upon members of the international community to provide assistance as appropriate;
11. Welcomes the renewed efforts of the Afghan Government, including through the national Consultative Peace Jirga held in June 2010, the establishment of the High Peace Council and the implementation of the Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Programme, to promote dialogue with those elements in opposition to the Government who are ready to renounce violence, break ties with Al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations, denounce terrorism and accept the Afghan Constitution, particularly as it relates to gender and human rights issues, and encourages the Government of Afghanistan to make use of UNAMA's good offices to support this process as appropriate, in full respect of the implementation of measures and procedures introduced by the Security Council in its resolution 1267 (1999), 1822 (2008) and 1904 (2009) as well as other relevant resolutions of the Council, also welcomes the measures taken by the Government of Afghanistan, and encourages it to continue to increase the participation of women, minorities and civil society in outreach and consultation processes, and recalls that women can play a vital role in the peace process, as recognized in Security Council resolution 1325 (2010) and related resolutions;
12. Stresses the role of UNAMA in supporting the process of peace and reconciliation, including the Afghan Peace and Reintegration Programme, as mandated in this Resolution, and encourages the international community to assist the efforts of the Government of Afghanistan in this regard including through continued support to the Peace and Reintegration Trust Fund and, in this context, notes the conference on reintegration to be hosted by the Afghan Government in Kabul in the spring of this year;
13. Welcomes ongoing efforts by the Government of Afghanistan, its neighbouring and regional partners and international organizations including the Organization of the Islamic Conference to foster trust and cooperation with each other as well as recent cooperation initiatives developed by the countries concerned and regional organizations, including the Fifth Trilateral Summit of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey held in Istanbul and the results of the latest Istanbul Conference of 3 November 2010, notes the proposed Afghanistan Regional Conference to be organized by Turkey and looks forward to the Fifth Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) to be held in Tajikistan in the fall of this year, further welcomes the reaffirmation in the Kabul Conference Communiqué of the principles set out in the Good Neighbourly Relations Declaration of 2002, and stresses the importance of increasing cooperation between Afghanistan and its partners against the Taliban, Al-Qaida, other violent extremist groups and illegal armed groups, in promoting peace and prosperity in Afghanistan and in fostering cooperation in the economic and development sectors as a means to achieve the full integration of Afghanistan into regional dynamics and the global economy;
14. Reaffirms the central role played by the JCMB in coordinating, facilitating and monitoring the implementation of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) and the National Priority Programmes and calls upon all relevant actors to enhance their cooperation with the JCMB in this regard with a view to further improve its efficiency;
15. Calls on international donors and organizations and the Afghan Government to adhere to their commitments made at the Kabul Conference and previous international conferences, and reiterates the importance of further efforts in improving aid coordination and effectiveness, including by ensuring transparency, combating corruption; and enhancing the capacity of Government of Afghanistan to coordinate aid;
16. Calls upon the Afghan Government, with the assistance of the international community, including ISAF and the Operation Enduring Freedom coalition, in accordance with their respective designated responsibilities as they evolve, to continue to address the threat to the security and stability of Afghanistan posed by the Taliban, Al-Qaida, other violent extremist groups, illegal armed groups, criminals and those involved in the production, trafficking or trade of illicit drugs;
17. Condemns in the strongest terms all attacks, including Improvised Explosive Device attacks, suicide attacks, assassinations and abductions, targeting civilians and Afghan and international forces and their deleterious effect on the stabilization, reconstruction and development efforts in Afghanistan, and condemns further the use by the Taliban and other extremist groups of civilians as human shields;
18. Condemns also attacks against humanitarian workers, emphasizing that the attacks impede efforts to aid the people of Afghanistan, and underlines the need for all parties to ensure safe and unhindered access of all humanitarian actors, including United Nations staff and associated personnel, and comply fully with applicable international humanitarian law;
19. Welcomes the achievements to date in the implementation of the Mine Action Programme of Afghanistan, and encourages the Government of Afghanistan, with the support of the United Nations and all the relevant actors, to continue its efforts towards the removal of anti-personnel landmines, anti-tank landmines and explosive remnants of war in order to reduce the threats posed to human life and peace and security in the country; and expresses the need to provide assistance for the care, rehabilitation, and economic and social reintegration of victims, including persons with disabilities;
20. Recognizes the progress made by ISAF and other international forces in minimizing the risk of civilian casualties, as described in the 9 March 2011 UNAMA report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, and calls on them to continue to take robust efforts in this regard, notably by the continuous review of tactics and procedures and the conduct of after-action reviews and investigations in cooperation with the Afghan Government in cases where civilian casualties have occurred and when the Afghan Government finds these joint investigations appropriate;
21. Emphasizes the importance of ensuring access for relevant organizations, as applicable, to all prisons and places of detention in Afghanistan, and calls for full respect for relevant international law including humanitarian law and human rights law;
22. Expresses its strong concern about the recruitment and use of children by Taliban forces in Afghanistan as well as the killing and maiming of children as a result of the conflict, reiterates its strong condemnation of the recruitment and use of child soldiers in violation of applicable international law and all other violations and abuses committed against children in situations of armed conflict, in particular attacks against schools, education and health care facilities, and the use of children in suicide attacks, calls for those responsible to be brought to justice, stresses the importance of implementing Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) and 1882 (2009), in this context, and requests the Secretary-General to continue to strengthen the child protection component of UNAMA, in particular through the appointment of child protection advisers;
23. Welcomes the recent signing of a comprehensive, time-bound and verifiable Action Plan between the Government of Afghanistan and the United Nations to halt the use and recruitment of children into the Afghan National Security Forces;
24. Reiterates the importance of increasing, in a comprehensive framework, the functionality, professionalism and accountability of the Afghan security sector through appropriate vetting procedures, training, mentoring, equipping and empowerment efforts, for both women and men, in order to accelerate progress towards the goal of self-sufficient and ethnically balanced Afghan security forces providing security and ensuring the rule of law throughout the country;
25. Welcomes in this context the continued progress in the development of the Afghan National Army and its improved ability to plan and undertake operations, and encourages sustained training efforts, including through the contribution of trainers, resources and Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams through the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan, and advice in developing a sustainable defence planning process as well as assistance in defence reform initiatives;
26. Takes note of the ongoing efforts of the Afghan authorities to enhance the capabilities of the Afghan National Police, calls for further efforts towards that goal and stresses the importance, in this context, of international assistance through financial support and provision of trainers and mentors, including the contribution of the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan, the European Gendarmerie Force (EGF) contribution to this mission and the European Union through its police mission (EUPOL Afghanistan);
27. Welcomes the progress in the implementation by the Afghan Government of the programme of disbandment of illegal armed groups and its integration with the Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Programme, and calls for accelerated and harmonized efforts for further progress, with support from the international community;
28. Takes note of the recent progress in addressing and the drop in opium production, remains concerned at the serious harm that opium cultivation, production and trafficking and consumption continue to cause to the security, development and governance of Afghanistan as well as to the region and internationally, calls on the Afghan Government, with the assistance of the international community, to accelerate the implementation of the National Drug Control Strategy, including through alternative livelihood programmes, and to mainstream counter-narcotics throughout national programmes, and encourages additional international support for the four priorities identified in that Strategy; commends the support provided by the UNODC to the Triangular Initiative and the Central Asian Regional Coordination and Information Centre (CARICC) within the framework of the Paris Pact Initiative and the Rainbow Strategy; as well as the contribution of Domodedovo Police Academy of Russia;
29. Calls upon States to strengthen international and regional cooperation to counter the threat to the international community posed by the production, trafficking, and consumption of illicit drugs originating in Afghanistan, in accordance with the principle of common and shared responsibility in addressing the drug problem of Afghanistan including through strengthening the law enforcement capacity and cooperation against the trafficking in illicit drugs and precursor chemicals and money-laundering and corruption linked to such trafficking, notes the proposed Third Ministerial Conference on Drug Trafficking Routes from Afghanistan to be held in 2011 within the framework of the Paris Pact initiative and its "Paris-Moscow" process, and, in this regard, calls for full implementation of its resolution 1817 (2008);
30. Calls for the continuation of the Paris Pact initiative in countering the production, trafficking and consumption of opium and heroin from Afghanistan and the elimination of poppy crops, drug laboratories and stores as well as the interception of drug convoys, underlines the importance of border management cooperation and welcomes the intensified cooperation of the relevant United Nations institutions with the OSCE and the Collective Security Treaty Organization in this regard;
31. Reiterates the importance of the full, sequenced, timely and coordinated implementation of the National Priority Programme on Law and Justice for All, by all the relevant Afghan institutions and other actors in view of accelerating the establishment of a fair and transparent justice system, eliminating impunity and contributing to the affirmation of the rule of law throughout the country;
32. Stresses in this context the importance of further progress in the reconstruction and reform of the prison sector in Afghanistan, in order to improve the respect for the rule of law and human rights therein;
33. Notes with strong concern the effects of widespread corruption on security, good governance, counter-narcotics efforts and economic development, and urges the Afghan Government, with the assistance of the international community, to vigorously lead the fight against corruption, and to enhance its efforts to establish a more effective, accountable and transparent administration;
34. Encourages all Afghan institutions, including the executive and legislative branches, to work in a spirit of cooperation, calls on the Afghan Government to pursue continued legislative and public administration reform in order to ensure good governance, with full representation of all Afghan women and men, and accountability at both national and subnational levels, and stresses the need for further international efforts to provide technical assistance in this area;
35. Calls for full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and international humanitarian law throughout Afghanistan, welcomes the growth in Afghan free media, but notes with concern the continued restrictions on freedom of media, and attacks against journalists, commends the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) for its courageous efforts to monitor respect for human rights in Afghanistan as well as to foster and protect these rights and to promote the emergence of a pluralistic civil society, and stresses the importance of full cooperation with the AIHRC by all relevant actors; and supports broad engagement across government agencies and civil society for the realization of the mutual commitments made, including the commitment to provide sufficient government financing for the AIHRC;
36. Recognizes that despite progress achieved on gender equality, enhanced efforts are necessary to secure the rights of women and girls, strongly condemns continuing forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls, in particular violence aimed at preventing girls from attending schools, stresses the importance of implementing Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1960 (2010), and of ensuring that women fleeing domestic violence are able to find save and secure refuge;
37. Welcomes the Afghan Government's commitment to strengthen the participation of women in all Afghan governance institutions, including elected and appointed bodies and the civil service, supports efforts to accelerate implementation of the National Action Plan for Women in Afghanistan (NAPWA), to integrate its benchmarks into the National Priority Programmes and to develop a strategy to implement the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) law, including services to victims, recalls that the promotion and protection of women's rights are an integral part of peace, reintegration and reconciliation, and requests the Secretary-General to continue to include in its reports to the Security Council relevant information on the process of integration of women into the political, economic and social life of Afghanistan;
38. Welcomes the cooperation of the Afghan Government and UNAMA with the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) with the implementation of resolution 1904 (2009), including by providing relevant information for updating the Consolidated List, and by identifying individuals and entities participating in the financing or support of acts or activities of Al-Qaida and the Taliban using proceeds derived from illicit cultivation, production and trafficking of narcotic drugs and their precursors, and encourages the continuation of such cooperation;
39. Calls for strengthening the process of regional economic cooperation, including measures to facilitate regional trade, to increase foreign investments and to develop infrastructure, noting Afghanistan's historic role as a land bridge in Asia;
40. Recognizes the importance of voluntary, safe, orderly return and sustainable reintegration of the remaining Afghan refugees for the stability of the country and the region, and calls for continued and enhanced international assistance in this regard;
41. Affirms also the importance of voluntary, safe, orderly return and sustainable reintegration of the internally displaced persons;
42. Requests that the Secretary-General reports to the Council every three months on developments in Afghanistan, and to include in his reports an evaluation of progress made against the benchmarks for measuring and tracking progress in the implementation of UNAMA's mandate and priorities as set out in this resolution;
43. Further requests that the Secretary-General conduct a comprehensive review of UNAMA's mandated activities and the United Nations' support in Afghanistan, including UNAMA's presence throughout the country, in consultation with the Afghan Government and relevant international stakeholders, by the end of 2011, with the aim of strengthening national ownership and leadership consistent with the Kabul Process, taking into account the evolving nature of the international community's presence and the role of ISAF, and including first experiences with the Transition (Inteqal), with a view to informing the Council's review of UNAMA's mandate in March 2012; and calls on all actors concerned to cooperate with UNAMA in this process;
44. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

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