Welcomes the continuing efforts of the Afghan Government to advance the peace process, including by the High Peace Council and the provincial peace committees, 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 effective and meaningful participation of women and women’s rights groups, as laid forth in the Kabul Conference Communiqué
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 and district council elections in 2018 and presidential elections in 2019 in line with the relevant international conferences and the commitment of the Government of Afghanistan to deliver further improvements to the electoral process and emphasizes the importance of accelerated progress in this regard, and requests that, upon the request of the Government of Afghanistan, UNAMA provides 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, both as voters and candidates
Welcomes the new Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework (ANPDF) setting out the strategic policy priorities of Afghanistan towards achieving Self-Reliance and the presentation of 5 new national priority programs, on a citizens’ charter, women’s economic empowerment, urban development, comprehensive agriculture and national infrastructure, to improve the conditions for advancing sustainable development and stability, and welcomes the international community’s long-term support for Afghanistan on the basis of mutual accountability as stated in the SMAF, and underlines the crucial importance of continued and sequenced implementation of the reform agenda, national priority programs and the development and governance goals as agreed in the SMAF
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, including 2242 (2015), through appropriate vetting procedures, women’s equal and effective participation and full involvement in all stages of the security sector reform process, and training, including on women’s and children’s rights and their protection, 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)
Welcomes 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 mentors, and notes the importance of a sufficient and capable police force for Afghanistan’s long-term security
Encourages the engagement of relevant local communities and non-governmental actors and the participation and leadership of women and women’s organizations in developing strategies to counter terrorism and violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism, including through countering incitement to commit terrorist acts, creating counter narratives and other appropriate interventions, and building their capacity to do so effectively
Calls for enhanced efforts to secure the rights of women and girls and to ensure that women and girls are protected from violence and abuse, including from sexual- and gender-based violence, and that perpetrators of such violence and abuse are held accountable, and emphasizes the importance of ensuring equal protection under the law, equality before the courts in accordance with international law, and equal access to justice, including through measurable and action-oriented objectives and the integration of gender expertise, knowledge and capacity
Welcomes the commitment of the Government of Afghanistan to empower women politically and economically, and reiterates in this regard the importance of increasing the full and effective participation and leadership of women in decision - making, including in peace talks and overall peacebuilding strategies at the national and subnational level, and calls on the Government of Afghanistan to fully implement and finance the 1325 National Action Plan, and encourages the Government of Afghanistan to identify further opportunities to support participation of women in the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process, and requests the support of UNAMA in this regard, 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
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 [...] (e) cooperat[ing] 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)
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 [...] Expressing its deep concern about the continued high level of civilian casualties, as noted in the February 2018 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 gender equality and women’s and girl’s empowerment, education, human rights, and full participation and engagement in all levels of decision-making are critical to efforts to maintain peace and security in Afghanistan, urging the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), and emphasizing the need for protection for women’s rights activists