MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Afghanistan

B9‑0329/2021

European Parliament resolution on the situation in Afghanistan

(2021/2712(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,

– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), to which the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is a party,

– having regard to the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War,

– having regard to the Cooperation Agreement on Partnership and Development (CAPD) between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, of the other part,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Afghanistan, in particular that of 13 March 2019 on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of the Cooperation Agreement on Partnership and Development between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, of the other part[1],

– having regard to the Communiqué of the Special Envoys and Special Representatives of the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, NATO, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States of 7 May 2021 on the Afghan Peace Process,

– having regard to the 2014-2020 Multi-annual Indicative Programme for Afghanistan within the Union’s Development Cooperation Instrument,

– having regard to the 2020 Afghanistan Conference in Geneva,

– having regard to the report of the UN Secretary-General of 10 September 2018 entitled ‘The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security’,

– having regard to the EU‐Afghanistan Joint Way Forward (JWF) on migration issues,

– having regard to UN Security Council resolutions 2210 (2015) and 2344 (2017), and to the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), UNSC resolution 2513 (2020),

– having regard to Rule 132(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas in February 2020 the US and the Taliban signed an agreement that paved the way for the first direct talks between the Taliban and representatives of the Afghan Republic since 2001;

B. whereas on 14 April 2021 the US formally announced plans to end America’s military presence in Afghanistan and pull the remaining 2 000 troops from the country by September, which will coincide with the 20th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks;

C. whereas after the 9/11 attacks, NATO invoked Article 5 of its founding treaty, representing the only time NATO has ever invoked its collective defence, and now 20 years later, allied nations are matching the decision to withdraw their forces and concentrate their efforts on capacity building and supporting the development of Afghan forces;

D. whereas in return, the Taliban pledged to prevent territory under their control from being used by terrorist groups and to enter into negotiations with the Afghan Government;

E. whereas the security situation throughout the country remains dire, with high levels of violence against civilians and Afghan security forces even as the Taliban have refrained from attacking US forces;

F. whereas the emergence of the terrorist threat from the Da’esh-linked group known as Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP) has contributed significantly to the further degradation of the security situation;

G. whereas Afghan political unity remains fragile as the Taliban does little to assure citizens that their treatment of Afghans will change from the extreme restrictions they brutally enforced in the 1990s;

H. whereas COVID-19 has caused both humanitarian and economic hardships on top of already severe poverty, food insecurity and climate vulnerability;

I. whereas the Cooperation Agreement on Partnership and Development (CAPD) reflects the principles and conditions on which the EU-Afghanistan future partnership will be based, including the essential elements clauses on human rights, the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, justice and the rule of law, including the fight against organised crime, money laundering and counter-narcotics;

J. whereas since 2002, the European Union and its Member States have collectively been the largest international donor to Afghanistan and its people, providing EUR 17.2 billion in development and humanitarian aid; whereas the Afghan economy still faces a number of challenges, such as corruption, low revenue collection, poor infrastructure and the anaemic pace of job creation; whereas the current multi-annual indicative programme has been designed to ensure maximum flexibility, factoring in current and future challenges, with the possibility of suspending or refocusing activities should the situation warrant it;

K. whereas since 2001, many EU Member States, NATO partners and allied countries have contributed military and civilian resources to the stabilisation and development of Afghanistan, suffering heavy casualties and losses; whereas a stable and independent Afghanistan that can provide for itself and deny a safe haven to terrorist groups is still in the vital security interests of EU, NATO and their member countries;

L. whereas there are 2.5 million registered refugees, and between 2 and 3 million undocumented Afghans in Iran and Pakistan; whereas there are more than 2 million internally displaced persons in Afghanistan, more than 300 000 of whom were displaced in 2018; whereas many of these people suffer from food insecurity, inadequate shelter, insufficient access to sanitation and health facilities, and a lack of protection, and whereas many are children classified as particularly vulnerable to the risk of child labour, sexual abuse or potential recruitment to criminal and terrorist groups;

M. whereas more than 450 000 Afghan people have returned to Afghanistan or been deported from Iran since the beginning of 2018; whereas the Government of Pakistan has announced that the 1.7 million Afghan refugees registered in the country will need to be forcibly returned to Afghanistan;

N. whereas according to the UN, corruption in Afghanistan undermines the legitimacy of the state, posing a serious threat to good governance and sustainable development by preventing ‘a real economy from emerging’;

1. Remains committed to the implementation of an inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process leading to fair, comprehensive and lasting peace, and responsive to the needs and concerns of all Afghans; calls in this regard for the pace of peace negotiations and talks to be accelerated and for continued support for the Afghan Government in its efforts to build a secure and stable future for the people of Afghanistan, by undertaking key reforms in order to improve governance and the rule of law, fight terrorism and extremism, achieve sustainable peace and development, build legitimate democratic institutions and ensure respect for human rights;

2. Urges the immediate resumption, without pre-conditions, of substantive negotiations on the future of Afghanistan with the aim of developing and negotiating realistic compromise positions on power sharing that can lead to an inclusive and legitimate government and a just and durable settlement which will sustain and build on the economic, social, political and development gains achieved since 2001;

3. Underscores that the long-term development of Afghanistan will depend on accountability, good governance, the sustainable provision of human security, including the reduction of poverty and the creation of job opportunities, access to social and health services, education, and the protection of fundamental freedoms and human rights;

4. Remains committed to a strong and enduring partnership with Afghanistan, its governing and security institutions, and its people, including mobilisation of international support for reconstruction following a peace agreement, based on the conditions as laid out in the outcome documents of the 2020 Geneva Conference; is concerned by the fragility and instability of the central government and the lack of control it exerts in much of the country, which exacerbates the conflict’s impact on the civilian population;

5. Strongly condemns the continued violence in Afghanistan for which the Taliban is largely responsible and demands that all parties take immediate and necessary steps to reduce violence and, in particular, to avoid civilian casualties in order to create an environment conducive to reaching a political settlement; urges all sides to immediately agree on steps that enable the successful implementation of a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire;

6. Insists that the Taliban and the Government of the Islamic Republic must fulfil their counterterrorism commitments, including preventing al-Qaida, Da’esh or other terrorist groups and individuals from using Afghan soil to threaten or violate the security of any other country, not hosting members of these group, and preventing them from recruiting, training or fundraising;

7. Calls for the EU to assist in efforts against the long-term trend of inter-ethnic tensions that contributes to the disintegration of central power and to support the rich multi-ethnic fabric of Afghan society;

8. Emphasises its long-term support for credible, free, fair and transparent elections, in line with international standards, and expresses its support for election observations in the country;

9. Stresses the need for increased US-EU policy coordination and dialogue on Afghanistan and regional issues;

10. Calls on Afghanistan to immediately and unconditionally release all human rights defenders, prisoners of conscience and journalists detained and sentenced merely for exercising their right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly;

11. Underscores that the long-term development of Afghanistan will depend on the accountability of governance, the sustainable provision of human security, and the protection of fundamental freedoms and human rights;

12. Recalls that Afghanistan is deeply influenced by neighbouring countries and regional powers, in particular China, Iran, India, Russia and Pakistan; regrets that a stable and successful Afghanistan is not always the end goal for these regional actors and underlines the crucial role not only of these countries, but also of Turkey and other actors willing to contribute to the stabilisation, peace process and further development of Afghanistan;

13. Welcomes an expanded role for the UN in contributing to the Afghanistan peace and reconciliation process, including by leveraging its considerable experience and expertise in supporting other peace processes;

14. Urges the EU to increase its efforts towards dialogue and cooperation with regional partners to combat drug trafficking, money laundering, terrorist financing and human smuggling;

15. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Presidential Executive Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Afghan Parliament.