The situation in Afghanistan A/RES/71/9 26. Reiterates its concern at the destructive consequences of violent and terrorist activities, including against persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities, by the Taliban, including the Haqqani Network, Al -Qaida and other violent and extremist groups and other illegal armed groups and criminals, for the enjoyment of human rights and for the capacity of the Government to ensure human rights and fundamental freedoms for all Afghans, stresses the need to further promote tolerance and religious freedom and to ensure respect for the right to freedom of expression and the right to freedom of thought, conscience or belief as enshrined in the Afghan Constitution and the international covenants that Afghanistan adheres to, emphasizes the necessity of investigating allegations of current and past violations, stresses the importance of facilitating the provision of efficient and effective remedies to the victims and of bringing the perpetrators to justice in accordance with national and international law, calls for full implementation of the mass media law, while noting with concern and condemning the continuing intimidation and violence targeting Afghan journalists, such as cases of abduction and even the killing of journalists by terrorist and extremist and criminal groups, urges that harassment and attacks on journalists be investigated by Afghan authorities and that those responsible be brought to justice, and welcomes in this regard the issuance of the presidential decree of 31 January 2016 outlining specific measures for ensuring the safety, security and protection of journalists; 27. Reiterates its unwavering commitment and that of the Government of Afghanistan to achieving the full and equal participation of women in all spheres of Afghan life, and commends the achievements and efforts of the Government aimed at countering discrimination and protecting and promoting the equal rights o f women and men as guaranteed, inter alia, by its ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women 4 and by the Afghan Constitution, the National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan and the law on the elimination of violence against women; 28. Emphasizes the need to ensure respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of children in Afghanistan, and recalls the need for the full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, 5 its Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography 6 and its Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict 7 by all States parties, as well as of Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) of 26 July 2005, and all other subsequent resolutions on children and armed conflict, and Council resolutions 1998 (2011) and 2286 (2016) of 3 May 2016 on attacks against schools and/or hospitals, in particular by terrorist and extremist and criminal groups, commends the Government of Afghanistan for introducing legislation banning the recruitment and use of children, and welcomes the progress made on the implementation of the action plan for the prevention of underage recruitment, signed in January 2011, and the annex thereto on children associated with the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, and of the road map towards compliance; 29. Reiterates its appreciation for the anti-corruption commitment made by the Government of Afghanistan, welcomes in this respect the establishment of the High Council on Governance, Justice and Anti-Corruption, the Anti-Corruption _______________ 4 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1249, No. 20378. Ibid., vol. 1577, No. 27531. 6 Ibid., vol. 2171, No. 27531. 7 Ibid., vol. 2173, No. 27531. 5 7/12