ICMP Statement

Distinguished Chair, Your Excellences’, Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, it is a great pleasure for me to participate and address this consultative meeting. I would like to thank the International Commission on Missing Persons for the remarkable role they have played during these years.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Over the past four decades, Afghanistan has suffered from war and terrorism. Terrorism continues to pose serious challenges to security, stability and development of Afghanistan and beyond. For many years, Afghanistan has been the prime victim of this menace and continues to pay the highest price and sacrifice, and suffer the most in fighting this heinous phenomenon.

International terrorist groups, including the Taliban, al-Qaeda, and ISIS, have committed crimes against humanity in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, thousands of people have been killed, injured or have been reported missing as a result of the crimes committed by these international terrorist groups.

Moreover, many have been forced to flee Afghanistan due to the war and — among them a significant number have been reported missing by their family members — who are waiting for information regarding the whereabouts of their loved ones.

The accession of Afghanistan to the Agreement on the Status and Functions of the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) was a step forward for the Government of Afghanistan to establish a new institution addressing the issue of missing persons and to take responsibility as a State for securing the rights of families of the missing persons.

The Government of Afghanistan would spare no efforts to solve the painful issue of persons missing in our country, as we are committed to protect and support human rights of our citizens.

Afghanistan’s foreign and security policy is human-rights based. The promotion of human rights, the rule of law, democracy, peace and freedom are the central elements on which the Afghanistan’s foreign and security policy rests.

Afghanistan appreciates the increasingly close relationship with the ICMP since being granted the status of State Party in 2019.

The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan agrees to extend the agreement of the International Commission on Missing Persons for indefinite period in accordance with Article seven of the agreement on the status and functions of the ICMP.

The Government of Afghanistan also agrees with the proposal of the Board of Commissioners of ICMP to amend the agreement in a way to redress the possible dis-incentive to broader state participation including giving to CSP more competencies.

Creating possibilities for ICMP to secure sustainable funding will be an important discussion for effective operation of the organization.

In conclusion, I wish to cordially thank the ICMP Secretariat for organizing this important consultative meeting.

We sincerely hope that the world community will eventually overcome the COVID-19 pandemic so that we all return to normal business.

With that note, I conclude my intervention.

Thank you