Security Council resolution 2344 (2017) [on extension of the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) until 17 Mar. 2018]
Symbol: S/RES/2344 (2017)
Date: 2017-03-17
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/72 [47] UN ASSISTANCE MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN
S/72 [46] AFGHANISTAN SITUATION
Subjects: UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan|UN. Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan|PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS|HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE|PEACEBUILDING|AFGHANISTAN
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: BOLIVIA (PLURINATIONAL STATE OF)
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: EGYPT
vote: yes
country: ETHIOPIA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: ITALY
vote: yes
country: JAPAN
vote: yes
country: KAZAKHSTAN
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: SENEGAL
vote: yes
country: SWEDEN
vote: yes
country: UKRAINE
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes
country: URUGUAY
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                   S/RES/2344 (2017)
               Security Council                                               Distr.: General
                                                                              17 March 2017




               Resolution 2344 (2017)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 7902nd meeting, on
               17 March 2017
                    The Security Council,
                    Recalling its previous resolutions on Afghanistan, in particular its resolution
               2274 (2016) extending through 17 March 2017 the mandate of the United Nations
               Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA),
                   Stressing the important role that the United Nations will continue to play in
               promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan,
                      Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence,
               territorial integrity and national unity of Afghanistan, as well as its continued
               support for the Government and people of Afghanistan as they rebuild their country
               and strengthen democratic institutions,
                    Stressing the central importance of a comprehensive and inclusive Afghan -led
               and Afghan-owned political process to support reconciliation for all those who are
               prepared to reconcile as laid forth in the Kabul Conference Communiqué and further
               elaborated in the Bonn Conference Conclusions, aimed at creating a peaceful and
               prosperous future for all the people of Afghanistan and welcoming efforts to
               advance the peace process, including via the High Peace Council,
                    Welcoming the start of the third year of the National Unity Government and
               emphasizing the importance of all parties in Afghanistan working within its
               framework in order to achieve a peaceful and prosperous future for all the people of
               Afghanistan,
                    Emphasizing the vital role of the Kabul Process and welcoming the strategic
               consensus between the Government of Afghanistan and the inter national community
               on the Self-Reliance through Mutual Accountability Framework (SMAF),
                     Stressing the importance of a comprehensive approach to address the security,
               economic, governance and development challenges in Afghanistan, which are of an
               interconnected nature, and recognizing that there is no purely military solution to
               ensure the stability of Afghanistan,
                    Stressing the crucial importance of advancing regional cooperation in the spirit
               of win-win cooperation as an effective means to promote security, stability and
               economic and social development in Afghanistan and the region to create a
               community of shared future for mankind,



17-04376 (E)
*1704376*

S/RES/2344 (2017)

                     Recognizing in this regard the positive impact and ongoing importance of
               international commitments made in 2016 in the NATO Warsaw Summit and the
               Brussels Conference on Afghanistan,
                    Welcoming the contribution of the International Contact Group (ICG) to the
               United Nations efforts in coordinating and broadening international support for
               Afghanistan,
                    Recalling the Government of Afghanistan’s commitments to strengthen and
               improve Afghanistan’s electoral process, and emphasizing the need for continued
               support of UNAMA, at the request of the Afghan authorities,
                    Underlining the importance of operationally capable, professional, inc lusive
               and sustainable Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) for meeting
               Afghanistan’s security needs, stressing the commitment of the international
               community to support their further development, and commending the resiliency
               and exceptional courage displayed by ANDSF as well as their leading role in
               securing their country and fighting against international terrorism,
                    Noting the ongoing work of the Committee established pursuant to Security
               Council resolution 1988 (2011) and the continuation of the cooperation of the
               Afghan Government, the High Peace Council and UNAMA with the Committee,
               including its Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, and expressing its
               concern over the increasing cooperation of the Taliban with other organizations
               involved in criminal activities,
                     Recognizing the continuously alarming threats posed by the Taliban, including
               the Haqqani Network, as well as by Al-Qaida, ISIL (Da’esh) affiliates and other
               terrorist groups, violent and 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
               all the above-mentioned 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,
                     Expressing serious concern at the presence and potential growth of ISIL
               (Da’esh) affiliates in Afghanistan, posing serious threats to the security of
               Afghanistan and the countries of the region, including in Central Asia, and affirming
               its support to the efforts by the ANDSF to combat them as well as assistance by
               Afghanistan’s international partners in this regard,
                     Expressing concern with the serious threat that anti-personnel mines,
               explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices (IED) pose to the
               civilian population, and noting the need to enhance coordination and information -
               sharing, both between Member States and with the private sector,
                     Expressing its deep concern about the record number of civilian casualties, as
               noted in the February 2017 UNAMA report on Protection of Civilians in armed
               conflict and condemning the suicide attacks, often in civilian -populated areas, and
               the targeted and deliberate killings, in particular of women and girls, including
               high-level women officials and those promoting women’s rights, as well as
               journalists,
                    Reaffirming that all parties to armed conflict must take all feasible steps to
               ensure the protection of civilians, especially women, children and displaced
               persons, including from sexual and gender-based violence, and that perpetrators of
               such violence must be held accountable,



2/9                                                                                                    17-04376

                                                                                              S/RES/2344 (2017)

                 Encouraging the international community and regional partners to further
           effectively support Afghan-led sustained efforts to address drug production and
           trafficking in a balanced and integrated approach, and recognizing the important
           role played by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in this
           regard,
                Expressing serious concern over the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan,
           and supporting the Afghan Government’s essential role in the provision of
           humanitarian assistance to its citizens in coordination with efficient and effective
           delivery by United Nations agencies, funds and programmes,
                1.   Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General of 3 March 2017
           (S/2017/189);
                 2.   Expresses its appreciation for the United Nations’ long-term
           commitment, including throughout the Transformation Decade, to support 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, and stresses
           the need to ensure continued adequate resourcing for UNAMA to fulfil its mandate;
                3.    Decides to extend until 17 March 2018 the mandate of UNAMA, as
           defined in its resolutions 1662 (2006), 1746 (2007), 1806 (2008), 1868 (2009), 1917
           (2010), 1974 (2011), 2041 (2012), 2096 (2013), 2145 (2014), 2210 (2015), 2274
           (2016) and paragraphs 5 and 6 below;
                 4.   Recognizes that the renewed mandate of UNAMA is in support of
           Afghanistan’s full assumption of leadership and ownership in the security,
           governance and development areas, consistent with the Transformation Decade
           (2015-2024) and with the understandings reached between Afghanistan and the
           international community in the international conferences in Kabul (2010), London
           (2010 and 2014), Bonn (2011), Tokyo (2012) and Brussels (2016), and the NATO
           Summits held in Lisbon (2010), Chicago (2012), Wales (2014) and Warsaw (2016);
                 5.   Decides further that UNAMA and the Special Representative of the
           Secretary-General, within their mandate and in a manner consistent with Afghan
           sovereignty, leadership and ownership, will continue to lead and coordinate the
           international civilian efforts, in full cooperation with the Government of
           Afghanistan and in accordance with the London, Kabul, Tokyo and Brussels
           Conferences Communiqués and the Bonn Conference Conclusions, with a particular
           focus on the priorities laid out below:
                 (a) 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 and sequencing of the Government’s reform agenda,
           mobilization of resources, coordination of international donors and organizations as
           facilitator and co-convener of development policy fora, including in developing and
           monitoring frameworks of mutual accountability, promoting coherent information
           sharing and analysis, design and delivery of development assistance in a manner
           consistent with Afghan sovereignty, leadership and ownership, 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,
           coordinate also in a manner consistent with the Afghan leadership, ownership and
           sovereignty, international partners for follow-up, in particular through information
           sharing, prioritize efforts to increase the proportion of development aid delivered
           through the Afghan Government, in line with the commitments made at the Kabul
           and Tokyo Conferences, and support efforts to increase the mutual accountability
           and transparency, and the effectiveness of aid use in line with the commitments

17-04376                                                                                                   3/9

S/RES/2344 (2017)

               made at the Kabul, Tokyo and Brussels Conferences, including cost -effectiveness in
               this regard;
                     (b) support, at the request of the Afghan authorities, the organization of
               future Afghan elections, including the upcoming parliamentary elections, as well as
               to strengthen, in support of the Government of Afghanistan’s efforts, including
               electoral reform efforts, the sustainability, integrity and inclusiveness of the
               electoral process, as agreed at the London, Kabul, Bonn, Tokyo and Brussels
               Conferences and the Chicago Summit; and provide capacity-building and technical
               assistance to the Afghan institutions involved in this process in close consultation
               and coordination with the government of Afghanistan;
                     (c) provide outreach as well as good offices to support, if requested by and
               in close consultation with the government of Afghanistan, the Afghan-led and
               Afghan-owned peace process, including through support to the High Peace Council
               and its activities and proposing and supporting confidence -building measures also in
               close consultation with the government of Afghanistan within t he 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), 1988 (2011), 1989 (2011) and 2082 (2012), 2083 (2012) and 2255
               (2015) as well as other relevant resolutions of the Council;
                     (d) support regional cooperation, with a view to assisting Afghanistan utilize
               its role at the heart of Asia to promote regional cooperatio n, and to work towards a
               stable and prosperous Afghanistan, building on the achievements made;
                     (e) continue, with the support of the Office of the United Nations High
               Commissioner for Human Rights, to cooperate with and strengthen the capacity of
               the Afghanistan 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 monitor places of detention, 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, including the Convention on the Elimination of all
               Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW);
                     (f) closely coordinate and cooperate, where relevant, with the non -combat
               Resolute Support Mission agreed upon between NATO and Afghanistan, as well as
               with the NATO Senior Civilian Representative;
                     6.    Calls on UNAMA and the Special Representative to further increase
               efforts to achieve greater coherence, coordination and efficiency among relevant
               United Nations Agencies, Funds and Programmes in Afghanistan based on a “One
               UN” approach in close cooperation with the Government of Afghanistan with a
               view to maximizing their collective effectiveness in full alignment with the
               Government of Afghanistan’s reform agenda, and continue to lead, in a manner fully
               consistent with the Afghan leadership, ownership and sovereignty, international
               civilian efforts aimed at reinforcing the role of Afghan institutions to perform their
               responsibilities, with an increased focus on capacity building in key areas identified
               by the Afghan Government, with a view, in all UN programmes and activities, to
               move towards a national implementation model with a clear action -oriented strategy
               for mutually agreed condition-based transition to Afghan leadership and ownership
               including making greater use of country systems, in the following priority areas:
                     (a) support through an appropriate UNAMA presence, to be determined in
               full consultation and cooperation with the Governm ent of Afghanistan, and in


4/9                                                                                                     17-04376

                                                                                                 S/RES/2344 (2017)

           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, in line with the Government’s polic ies;
                (b) support the efforts of the Afghan Government in fulfilling its
           commitments as stated at the London, Kabul, Bonn and Tokyo Conferences, 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 and the Self-Reliance through Mutual Accountability
           Framework (SMAF), with a view to helping bring the benefits of peace and the
           delivery of services in a timely and sustainable manner;
                (c) coordinate and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance,
           including in support of the Afghan Government and in accordance with
           humanitarian principles, with a view to reinforcing the Government’s capacity,
           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 from neighbouring
           and other countries and internally displaced persons, with a particular focus on
           development solutions in areas of high returns;
                 7.   Affirms its continuing commitment to UNAMA, and to ensure that the
           Mission is able to effectively support Afghanistan, requests the Secretary -General,
           in accordance with best practices, to conduct a strategic review of UNAMA,
           examining mandated tasks, priorities, and related resources, assessing the mission’s
           efficiency and effectiveness, in order to optimize the division of labour and
           configuration to ensure better cooperation and minimize duplication with other UN
           related organizations, and further requests the Secretary-General to report to the
           Security Council on the results of this review by July 2017;
                 8.   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;
                9.    Stresses the critical importance of a continued and appropriate presence
           of UNAMA and other United Nations Agencies, Funds and Programmes in the
           provinces, in close consultation and coordination with and in support of the Afghan
           Government, in response to needs and with a view to security and including the
           objective of overall United Nations effectiveness;
                 10. Underscores the importance of a sustainable democratic development in
           Afghanistan based on inclusive, transparent and credible elections, welcomes in that
           regard the forthcoming organization of parliamentary elections in line with the
           relevant international conferences and the commitment of the Government of
           Afghanistan to deliver further improvements to the electoral progress and its
           ongoing efforts in this regard, and requests that, upon the request of the G overnment
           of Afghanistan, UNAMA provide assistance to the relevant Afghan institutions to
           support the integrity and inclusiveness of the electoral process, including measures
           to enable the full and safe participation of women and requests the Secretary
           General to continue to include in his reports to the Security Council relevant
           information on the process of integration of women into the political, economic and
           social life of Afghanistan and further calls upon members of the international
           community to provide assistance as appropriate;
               11. Calls on the United Nations, with the support of the international
           community, to support the Government of Afghanistan’s reform agenda;



17-04376                                                                                                      5/9

S/RES/2344 (2017)

                     12. Welcomes the continuing efforts of the Afghan Government to advance
               the peace process, including by the High Peace Council and the implementation of
               the Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Programme, to promote an inclusive,
               Afghan-led and Afghan-owned dialogue on reconciliation and political
               participation, including the participation of women and women’s rights groups, as
               laid forth in the Kabul Conference Communiqué on dialogue for all those who as
               part of an outcome of such a process renounce violence, have no links to
               international terrorist organizations, respect the Constitution , and are willing to join
               in building a peaceful Afghanistan, and as further elaborated in the principles and
               outcomes of the Bonn Conference Conclusions, and encourages the Government of
               Afghanistan to make use of UNAMA’s good offices to support this proc ess as
               appropriate, in full respect of the implementation of measures and procedures
               introduced by the relevant Security Council resolutions;
                     13. Stresses the role of UNAMA in supporting, if requested by and in close
               consultation with the Government of Afghanistan, an inclusive Afghan -led and
               Afghan-owned peace process, while continuing to assess, including in collaboration
               with the AIHRC, the impact of the aforementioned peace process, with reference to
               the relevant parameters set out in the Kabul Conference Communique’ and the Bonn
               Conference Conclusions, and encourages the international community to assist the
               efforts of the Government of Afghanistan in this regard;
                     14. Welcomes and encourages the continuation of the efforts of all regional
               and international partners of Afghanistan to support peace and reconciliation in
               Afghanistan, in all formats, working toward holding early, direct talks between the
               Government of Afghanistan and authorized representatives of Taliban groups, and
               calls upon all regional and international partners of Afghanistan to continue these
               efforts;
                    15. Reaffirms the central role played by the JCMB, in a manner consistent
               with Afghan leadership, ownership and sovereignty, in coordinating, facilitating and
               monitoring the implementation of the Government of Afghanistan’s reform agenda,
               and calls upon all relevant actors to enhance their cooperation with the JCMB in this
               regard;
                     16. Reiterates the importance of increasing, in a comprehensive framework,
               the functionality, professionalism and accountability of the Afghan security sector in
               line with resolution 1325 (2000) and its successor resolutions on Women, Peace and
               Security through appropriate vetting procedures, training including on women’s and
               children’s rights in support of the implementation of Afghanistan’s 1325 National
               Action Plan, and stresses the importance of the commitment by the Government of
               Afghanistan and the international community to ensure a capable, professional and
               sustainable Afghan National Defence and Security Force (ANDSF);
                     17. 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 and assistance, including
               through the contribution of trainers, resources, advisory teams, advice in developing
               a sustainable defence planning process, and assistance in defence reform initiatives;
                     18. 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,
               including the commitment by the Ministry of Interior and the Afghan National
               Police to develop an effective strategy for coordinating increased recruitment,
               retention, training and capacity development for women in the Afghan National
               Police, fully implement Afghanistan’s 1325 National Action Plan, and further the
               implementation of their gender integration strategy, stresses the importance of
               international assistance through financial support and provision of trainers and

6/9                                                                                                        17-04376

                                                                                                  S/RES/2344 (2017)

           mentors, and notes the importance of a sufficient and capable po lice force for
           Afghanistan’s long-term security;
                 19. Reiterates its support for the Government of Afghanistan, and in
           particular to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF), in
           securing their country and in their fight against terrorism and violent extremism,
           and calls upon the Afghan Government, with the assistance of the international
           community, to continue to address the threat to the security and stability of
           Afghanistan posed by the Taliban, including the Haqqani Network, as well as by Al
           Qaida, ISIL (Da’esh) affiliates and other terrorist groups, violent and extremist
           groups, illegal armed groups, criminals and those involved in the production,
           trafficking or trade of illicit drugs;
                 20. Reiterating its concern about the security situation in Afghanistan, in
           particular the ongoing region based violence and attacks by the Taliban, including
           the Haqqani Network, as well as by Al-Qaida, ISIL (Da’esh) affiliates and other
           terrorist groups, violent and extremist groups, illegal armed groups, criminals, and
           foreign terrorist fighters, and calls upon all States in this regard to strengthen their
           international and regional security cooperation to enhance information -sharing,
           border control, law enforcement and criminal justice to better counter t he threat
           posed, including from returning foreign terrorist fighters;
                 21. 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, including the Haqqani Network as well as Al -Qaida,
           ISIL (Da’esh) affiliates, and by other terrorist groups, violent and extremist groups,
           and illegal armed groups of civilians as human shields;
                 22. Strongly condemns the continued flow of weapons, including small arms
           and light weapons (SALW), military equipment and IED components to the Taliba n,
           including the Haqqani network, as well as by Al -Qaida, ISIL (Da’esh) affiliates and
           other terrorist groups, violent and extremist groups, illegal armed groups and
           criminals, and encourages Member States to share information, establish
           partnerships and develop national strategies and capabilities to counter IEDs;
                 23. Further condemns all acts of violence against diplomatic and consular
           officials and other representatives of the international community in Afghanistan, as
           well as the continued high incidence of attacks against humanitarian and
           development workers, including attacks on health-care workers and medical
           transports and facilities;
                24. Welcomes the achievements to date in the implementation of the Mine
           Action Programme of Afghanistan, notably the ratification of Protocol V on
           Explosive Remnants of War to the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional
           Weapons, and encourages the Government of Afghanistan, with the support of the
           United Nations and all the relevant actors, to continue its efforts towa rds the
           removal and destruction of anti-personnel landmines, anti-tank landmines and
           explosive remnants of war and to provide assistance for the care, rehabilitation, and
           economic and social reintegration of victims;
                 25. Notes concern over increasing child casualties and recruitment and use of
           children and the need for protection of schools and hospitals, reiterates its strong
           condemnation of all violations and abuses committed against children in situations
           of armed conflict, and calls for those responsible to be brought to justice, in this
           context, requests UNAMA to continue to support efforts to strengthen the protection
           of children affected by armed conflict, including engagement with the Afghan

17-04376                                                                                                       7/9

S/RES/2344 (2017)

               Government to fully implement the Action Plan and Road Map , and actions to
               address other violations and abuses, including sexual violence against children, and
               requests the Secretary-General to continue to give priority to the child protection
               activities and capacity of UNAMA and to include in his future reports the matter of
               children and armed conflict in the country in line with the relevant Security Council
               resolutions;
                     26. Calls upon States to strengthen international and regional cooperation to
               counter the threat to the international community posed by the p roduction,
               trafficking, and consumption of illicit drugs originating in Afghanistan which
               significantly contribute to the financial resources of the Taliban and its associates,
               in accordance with the principle of common and shared responsibility in address ing
               the drug problem of Afghanistan, including through cooperation against the
               trafficking in illicit drugs and precursor chemicals, appreciates the work of the Paris
               Pact initiative and its “Paris-Moscow” process, as well as the efforts of the Shanghai
               Cooperation Organization (SCO), underlines the importance of border management
               cooperation, and welcomes the intensified cooperation of the relevant United
               Nations institutions with the OSCE, the CSTO, and the Central Asian Regional
               Information and Coordination Centre for combating the illicit trafficking of narcotic
               drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors (CARICC) in this regard;
                    27. Welcomes the continued efforts of the United Nations Office on Drugs
               and Crime in empowering the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics-led
               implementation of the Afghan National Drug Control Strategy;
                     28. Reiterates the importance of accelerating the establishment of a fair and
               transparent justice system, eliminating impunity and strengthening the rule of law
               throughout the country, expresses its appreciation for the anti-corruption
               commitments by the Government of Afghanistan and initial measures taken in this
               regard, stresses 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, 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;
                     29. Encourages all Afghan institutions, including the executive and
               legislative branches, to tackle corruption and to ensure good governance, and
               stresses the need for further international efforts to provide technical assistance in
               this area;
                     30. Calls for full respect for and protection for all human rights and
               fundamental freedoms, in accordance with international law, including international
               humanitarian law, throughout Afghanistan, and notes with concern the continued
               restrictions on freedom of media, including attacks against journalists by terrorist as
               well as extremist and criminal groups;
                    31. Calls for enhanced efforts, including on measurable and action-oriented
               objectives, to secure the rights and full participation of women and girls and to
               ensure that all women and girls in Afghanistan are protected from violence and
               abuse, that perpetrators of such violence and abuse are held accountable, and that
               women and girls enjoy equal protection under the law and equal access to justice;
                   32. Calls on international donors and organizations and the Afghan
               Government to adhere to their commitments made at the Kabul, Bonn, Tokyo,
               London, and Brussels Conferences;
                     33. Reaffirms its support to the ongoing Afghan-led regional efforts within
               the framework of the “Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process on Regional Security and

8/9                                                                                                      17-04376

                                                                                               S/RES/2344 (2017)

           Cooperation for a Secure and Stable Afghanistan” and the Regional Economic
           Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) Summits, and welcomes ongoing
           efforts to build trust and cooperation, including by the Organization of Islamic
           Cooperation, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Collective Security Treaty
           Organization (CSTO), South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC),
           and Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA),
           as well as through the Trilateral Summit of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan, the
           Trilateral Summit of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey, the Trilateral S ummit of
           Afghanistan, Pakistan and the UK;
                 34. Welcomes and urges further efforts to strengthen the process of regional
           economic cooperation, including measures to facilitate regional connectivity, trade
           and transit, including through regional development initiatives such as the Silk Road
           Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (the Belt and Road)
           Initiative, and regional development projects, such as the Turkmenistan -
           Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, the Central Asia So uth Asia
           Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA-1000), the Chabahar port
           project, agreed between Afghanistan, India and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the
           Lapis Lazuli Transit, Trade and Transport Route agreement and the Turkmenistan -
           Aqina and Herat-Khawaf railway segments, and bilateral transit trade agreements,
           expanded consular visa cooperation and facilitation of business travel, to expand
           trade, increase foreign investments and develop infrastructure, including
           infrastructural connectivity, energy supply, transport and integrated border
           management, with a view to promoting sustainable economic growth and the
           creation of jobs in Afghanistan and the region, and in this regard urges all relevant
           stakeholders to ensure a secure environment, integrate their development policies
           and strategies and promote the practical connectivity cooperation for these
           development initiatives and trade agreements to be fully implemented;
                 35. Recalls that regional security cooperation plays a key role in maintaining
           stability in Afghanistan and the region, welcomes the progress achieved by
           Afghanistan and regional partners in this regard, and calls for further efforts by
           Afghanistan and regional partners and organizations, to strengthen their partnership
           and cooperation, including to enhance the capabilities of the Afghan security forces
           and to enhance security in the region;
                 36. Expresses its concern over the recent increase in the number of internally
           displaced persons in and refugees from Afghanistan, strongly enco urages intensified
           efforts by the Government of Afghanistan in making repatriation and reintegration
           of Afghan refugees among its highest national priorities including their voluntary,
           safe and dignified return, strongly supports the Government of Afghanis tan’s efforts
           to create the necessary conditions for the repatriation and sustainable reintegration
           of Afghan refugees in the country, and calls for continued and enhanced
           international assistance in this regard;
                 37. 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, including at the subna tional level, and
           priorities as set out in this resolution;
                38.   Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.




17-04376                                                                                                    9/9