Toruń Model United Nations 2017 | 29th of September - 1st of October 2017
Forum: General Assembly Fourth Committee
Issue: The issue of increasing violence and instability in Afghanistan
Student Officer: Paulina Pestka
Position: Deputy Chair of General Assembly Fourth Committee
Introduction:
The official conflict in Afghanistan started in 2011 and still remains. Itresulted in widespread human rights violations and abuses. Thousands of civilians were killed, injured or displaced in the violence, while ongoing insecurity restricted access to education, health and other services. While armed insurgent groups were responsible for the majority of civilian casualties, pro-government forces also killed and injured civilians. Anti- and pro-government forces use children as fighters. Since the beginning of the conflict, there was a reported increase in armed groups publicly punishing women including through executions and lashings. State and non-state actors threaten human rights defenders and impede them from carrying out their work and journalists encountered violence and censorship.
Definition of Key Terms:
VIOLENCE
Behaviour involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something.
INSTABILITY
Uncertainty caused by the possibility of a sudden change in the present situation.
Background information:
On 11 September 2001 terrorists hijacked four aeroplanes in the United States. Two were deliberately flown into each of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, with another hitting the Pentagon in Virginia. The fourth aeroplane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.
The Taliban, the ruling power in Afghanistan, were accused by the US of protecting Bin Laden. Taliban requests for negotiations with the US were rejected in favour of military action, and on 7 October 2001 the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom began in Afghanistan.
The aim of Operation Enduring Freedom was to find Osama Bin Laden, remove the Taliban from power, and prevent the use of Afghanistan as a terrorist haven. The US was supported by a broad coalition of international forces including the Afghan Northern Alliance, United Kingdom and Canada.
Although there had initially been broad public support for the war in Afghanistan in the US and UK, polls suggested a falling in confidence as costs spiralled and casualty numbers rose. What had started as an operation to remove the Taliban and al-Qaeda had become an expensive damage limitation and state-building exercise.
On 20 November 2010, Nato announced the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan by 2014. The plan, signed by Hamid Karzai and the UN's secretary general Ban Ki-moon, would see control handed to the new Afghan army (ANA) and police force.
In June 2011 US President Barack Obama announced that 10,000 US troops would leave Afghanistan by the end of the year, and an additional 23,000 would leave by 2012. Canada withdrew all its troops in 2011, and other Nato countries pledged to reduce their military presence.
In the UK, prime minster David Cameron pledged to end British combat operations in Afghanistan by 2015. "I believe the country needs to know there is an end point to all of this," he said, "so from 2015 there will not be troops in anything like the numbers now and crucially, they will not be in a combat role."
The Taliban and other armed insurgent groups were responsible for the majority of civilian casualties, approximately 60%, according to UNAMA. For instance On 3 February, the Taliban shot dead a 10-year-old boy on his way to school in Tirin Kot, southern Uruzgan. It was believed that the boy was shot because he had fought the Taliban on earlier occasions alongside his uncle, a former Taliban commander who switched allegiance and became a local police commander.
The Afghan judiciary said that it had registered more than 3,700 cases of violence against women and girls in the first eight months of 2016. The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission also reported thousands of cases in the first six months of the year, including beatings, killings and acid attacks.
Major countries and organisations involved:
Afghanistan Relief Organization (ARO)
In February 2002, for the first time in almost 30 years, a commercial 747 aircraft landed at Kabul International Airport, carrying desperately needed humanitarian supplies for Afghanistan Relief. Teaming up with two nonprofit organizations, Evergreen Humanitarian and Relief Services Inc. and Mercy Corps, and with the help of Microsoft, $2 million worth of aid supplies, much of it collected by Afghanistan Relief Organization following an appeal, were shipped aboard the plane. Items included hygiene kits, newborn and baby kits, livestock feed, winter clothing and blankets, school kits, and medical supplies.
Women for Women International
Since 2002, Women for Women International - Afghanistan has served more than 109,000 women through our yearlong program. Nearly 110 women have taken out microcredit loans to help them build their own businesses.
Australia
In 2015-16, Australia supported over 205 early childhood and primary school-level education classes, educating more than 5,387 Afghan children, including 3,919 girls. Through Australia's work in the agriculture sector in 2015-16 the Australia Afghanistan Community Resilience Scheme provided training for 9,299 famers on improved agricultural practices, including 4,237 women. Through Australia's Ending Violence Against Women program in Afghanistan, Australia supported four Women's Protection Centres in Afghanistan in 2015-16, providing shelter and support services to 935 women and their children. We also provided training for 1,665 police and justice officials on gender based violence case management. Australia's funding to the World Food Programme has successfully mobilised support to a targeted 3.5 million beneficiaries in food secure and hard to reach places.
Aid Afghanistan for Education (AAE)
AAE has been providing education to marginalized Afghan women and girls over the age of ten, who are denied access to the formal education system due to conflict age, marital status returnees without education documentation. AAE is guided by the indomitable spirit of Afghan women and children who, despite over 30 years of war and violence, are determined to build a bright and prosperous future for themselves and their families.
Timeline of events:
Date: Description of event:
September 11th, 2001 On 11 September 2001 terrorists deliberately flew four aeroplanes into targets in the United States of America, causing the death of almost 3000 people.
November, 2001 The US issued a series of demands to the Taliban including surrender of the prime suspect – Osama Bin Laden. The Taliban did not meet these demands.
October 7th - December 9th, 2001 US-led coalition forces begin military operations in Afghanistan using a combination of air strikes, special forces and local troops. Within two months, the Taliban had lost control of the country.
2002 – 2006 The Taliban retained influence in Afghanistan, mainly in the country's rural southern regions and areas east of Kabul.
2006 – 2010 In 2006, the UK took responsibilty for a Nato plan to reconstruct and develop the Afghan province of Helmand. Before long, the troops were under siege from a loose coalition of local forces as Helmand became the bloodiest battleground of the war in Afghanistan.
2007 – 2010 At its outset, there had been broad public support in both the UK and the US for the war in Afghanistan. From 2007, public confidence changed as the mission changed, casualties increased and costs spiralled.
November 20th, 2010 Nato announced a plan to hand over control of Afghanistan's security to the new Afghan army and police force, allowing the withdrawal of Nato troops by 2014.
Possible solutions:
Since the increasing violence and instability in Afghanistan is an issue that is known worldwide and may touch not only the nations at war but also the other countries, organisations all around the world should make an attempt to solve it. People affected by this conflict should be provided with money, food, basic supplies, such as clothing and medicine. Countries and organisations should also raise awarness about violating women's rights and the lack of education in Afghanistan.
Bibliography:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/asia-and-the-pacific/afghanistan/
http://www.womenforwomen.org/what-we-do/countries/afghanistan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan_Relief_Organization
https://www.aidafghanistanforeducation.org/#About-Us
http://dfat.gov.au/geo/afghanistan/development-assistance/Pages/development-assistance-in-afghanistan.aspx
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Research Report on the issue of increasing violence and instability in Afghanistan