Kazakhstan to chair UN Security Council debates on Afghanistan
On 1 January, Kazakhstan assumes the one-month presidency of the United Nations Security Council, says the Kazakhstani Foreign Ministry. The program of presidency envisages on 19 January the ministerial debate on the threats to international peace and security under the topic "Building a Regional Partnership in Afghanistan and Central Asia as a Model to Link Security and Development." It is expected that the event will be attended by the ministries of foreign affairs of Central Asian countries, as well as heads of foreign ministries UNSC member-states. The debate will be chaired the minister of foreign affairs of Kazakhstan Kairat Abdrakhmanov. It is planned that the Secretary-General António Guterres will brief and Afghan foreign minister Salahuddin Rabbani will address the Council. According to debate concept, the debate will touch upon three aspects, which are considered key to achieving progress in Afghanistan. First, there is a strong interconnection between security and development. Second, the solutions to country-specific issues generally require a regional approach. Third, it is necessary to coordinate the efforts of the international and regional organizations providing assistance to Afghanistan. In this context, the debate in Security Council will consider the ways how to address the instability in Afghanistan with the focus on economic development, eliminating illicit drug production, increasing efficiency of counter-terrorism efforts, calling for greater coordination between the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), and the relevant UN agencies and regional organizations in strengthening the region’s capacity to overcome its challenges The debate will result in adoption of statement. One of the priorities of Kazakhstan as a member of the UN Security Council in 2017-2018 is promoting the interests of Central Asia, strengthening regional security and cooperation.
