Remarks by H.E. Mr. Tadamichi Yamamoto, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, on the situation in Afghanistan. Security Council, 8199th meeting
Marking International Women’s Day, the UN Security Council held a meeting today on the political and peace processes in Afghanistan and the participation of women.
The UN chief in Afghanistan, Tadarnichi Yamamoto, said all participants in the second conference of the Kabul Process for peace and security endorsed the call for direct negotiations between the Government and the Taliban without preconditions. He said President Ashraf Ghan’s offer for negotiations was “on the table” and called on the Taliban to “come forward with an offer of their own, and start direct talks with the Government to put an end to the suffering of the Afghan people.” Yamamoto said, “The Taliban’s argument that they will not talk to the Afghan Government because the conflict is not between Afghan parties misrepresents the reality that tens of thousands of Afghan people are killed and maimed every year in direct confrontations between the Taliban and the government forces.”
