Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

Explanation of vote by Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva after UNSC vote on renewal of UNAMA mandate

Mme.President,

The Russian Federation voted in favor of a draft UNSC resolution that envisaged a “technical rollover” of the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for another 6 months – until 17 March 2022.

We support the UNAMA activity coordinating international assistance for Afghanistan. We trust that UNAMA’s staff that has been evacuated will soon be able to return to Kabul. We are encouraged by the signals coming from the Afghan authorities who claim ready to continue interacting with the UN personnel, ensure their safety and inviolability of their facilities.

We commend the work that the informal penholders of the Afghan file at the Security Council accomplished in such a short term, and we appreciate their commitment to searching for compromise in order to reach a consensus. These joint efforts resulted in a renewal of UNAMA’s mandate, which will let the mission carry on with its activity on the ground.

At the same time, we regret that due to the positions of some members of the Council, the final text of the document disregarded objective assessments of threats posed by ISIL in Afghanistan or of the deeprooted drug problem, both of which remain the yearslong challenges not only for the country, but for the entire region and beyond.

We emphasize that addressing these threats is key for maintaining stability and security in the country. It is unacceptable to either neglect or play down these problems. We count on these topics to be objectively reflected in Secretary-General's report that the newly adopted resolution says he is to submit to the Council in January 2022.

Thank you.