A/RES/68/11
The situation in Afghanistan
Framework, 3 which reaffirms the partnership between the Government of
Afghanistan and the international community based on their mutual commitments,
Recognizing once again the interconnected nature of the challenges in
Afghanistan, reaffirming that sustainable progress on security, governance, human
rights, the rule of law and development, as well as on the cross-cutting issues of
counter-narcotics, anti-corruption and accountability, are mutually reinforcing and
that governance and development programmes prioritized for implementation in
transition should be consistent with the goals set forth in the Tokyo Declaration and
the national priority programmes, and underlining the importance of the continuing
efforts of the Government of Afghanistan and the international community to
address these challenges,
Welcoming and supporting the outcome of the Conference on Security and
Cooperation in the Heart of Asia, held in Istanbul, Turkey, on 2 November 2011, and
the follow-up Heart of Asia Ministerial Conferences, held in Kabul on 14 June 2012
and in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 26 April 2013, which launched and furthered the
Istanbul Process on Regional Security and Cooperation for a Secure and Stable
Afghanistan 4 whereby Afghanistan and its regional partners, with the support of the
international community, affirmed their commitment to strengthen regional security
and cooperation for a secure and stable Afghanistan, including through enhanced
regional dialogue and confidence-building measures, and looking forward to the
fourth Heart of Asia Ministerial Conference, to be held in Tianjin, China, in 2014,
Stressing the crucial importance of advancing regional cooperation as an
effective means of promoting security, stability and economic and social
development in Afghanistan, recognizing in this regard the importance of the
contribution of neighbouring and regional partners, as well as regional
organizations, recalling the importance of the Kabul Declaration on Goodneighbourly Relations of 22 December 2002, 5 welcoming in this regard the
continued commitment of the international community to support stability and
development in Afghanistan, and noting international and regional initiatives, such
as those of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Collective Security Treaty
Organization, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the Regional
Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan process, the European Union and
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe,
Welcoming the process by which Afghanistan and its regional and international
partners are entering into long-term strategic partnerships and other agreements
aimed at achieving a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan,
Underlining the significance of the agreement reached between the
Government of Afghanistan and countries contributing to the International Security
Assistance Force at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit, held in Lisbon
on 19 and 20 November 2010, to gradually transfer full security responsibility in
Afghanistan to the Government countrywide by the end of 2014, welcoming the
continued progress towards the completion of the security transition, notably the
milestone reached on 18 June 2013 when all areas of Afghanistan entered into the
transition process and the Afghan National Security Forces assumed the lead for
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3
Ibid., annex II.
A/66/601-S/2011/767, annex.
5
S/2002/1416, annex.
4
2/21