Peace will be paramount issue for the incoming government in Afghanistan, the United Nations envoy to the war-torn country said on Monday.
Speaking at the UN Security Council meeting in New York, Tadamichi Yamamoto said that when the election is completed with credibility, it will become a milestone in the history of establishing a representative political system of the country.
“Whatever the outcome of the presidential election may be, peace will be the issue of paramount importance to the new administration,” he said.
“Even while we await the outcome of the elections, efforts for peace have not ceased. Talks between the United Statesand theTaliban have resumed. Efforts are underway to continue with the intra-Afghan dialogue. President Ghani outlined his thoughts on peace at the HeartofAsiaMinisterial Conference. These efforts reflect the strong yearningfor peaceby all, particularly the people of Afghanistan.”
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s representative at UN, Adela Raz, welcomed the efforts of regional and international partners in seeking to facilitate talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
“But we remain firm that a willingness to move this process can only come in the form of an immediate ceasefire by the Taliban,” she said.
She also said that a lasting peace could not be achieved without the participation of women and maintenance of their rights.
Aisha Khurram, Afghan Youth Delegate for the UN, told the meeting that the even was taking place at a “critical but highly uncertain” period for Afghanistan.
“The ongoing peace process, presidential elections and the possible foreign troops withdrawal are going hand-in-hand to define the fate and future of our country at a time when Afghans are deeply frustrated and weary of the continued violence”,Khurram said.
“This isn’t just a war on terrorism anymore; this is now a war against innocent civilians that want nothing but peace,” she said.
