United Nations Security Council Resolution 1214
Encyclopedia
United Nations
Security Council Resolution
1214, adopted unanimously on December 8, 1998, after recalling resolutions 1076
(1996) and 1193
(1998) concerning Afghanistan
, the Council discussed the deteriorating political, military and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and established a civil affairs unit as part of the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan
(UNSMA).
The Security Council expressed concern at the escalation of the Afghan conflict due to an offensive by the Taliban, causing a threat to international peace and security, destruction to property and the displacement of large numbers of people and refugees. It was also concerned at the increasingly ethnic and religious nature of the conflict, particularly against the Shiites. The United Front of Afghanistan wished to conclude a ceasefire with the Taliban, however there was continuing violence on both sides. Any outside interference in the country had to cease immediately.
The Council remained concerned at the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the country and reminded all Afghan factions of their obligations under the Geneva Conventions
. There was concern at the presence of terrorists
in areas controlled by the Taliban, drug trafficking and discrimination against women and girls.
The resolution demanded that the Taliban stopped fighting, conclude a ceasefire
and resume negotiations without preconditions. The Taliban were called upon to inform the United Nations about results into an investigation into the deaths of two United Nations personnel World Food Programme
and of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
in Jalalabad
and the Military Adviser to UNSMA in Kabul
. It also condemned the kidnapping
of the Iran
ian Consulate-General, the killing of Iranian diplomats and of a journalist in Mazar-i-Sharif.
The Secretary-General Kofi Annan
was asked to send a mission to investigate allegations of serious human rights violations such as massacres of prisoners of war
and civilians in addition to the destruction of religious sites. It encouraged further diplomatic efforts as part of the peace process, including the "six plus two" group and the international community
. Finally, the Afghan factions, particularly the Taliban, were urged to end the discrimination against girls and women, to respect human rights, to cease supporting terrorists and halt illegal drug activities. The Council would consider the imposition of further measures if the Taliban continued to defy previous Security Council resolutions.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Security Council Resolution
United Nations Security Council Resolution
A United Nations Security Council resolution is a UN resolution adopted by the fifteen members of the Security Council; the UN body charged with "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security"....
1214, adopted unanimously on December 8, 1998, after recalling resolutions 1076
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1076
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1076, adopted unanimously on October 22, 1996, after considering the situation in Afghanistan, resolutions by the General Assembly and the Joint Declaration made on October 4, 1996 by the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan...
(1996) and 1193
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1193
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1193, adopted unanimously on August 28, 1998, after recalling Resolution 1076 concerning Afghanistan, the Council discussed the deteriorating political, military and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan during the ongoing civil war in the country.In the...
(1998) concerning Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, the Council discussed the deteriorating political, military and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and established a civil affairs unit as part of the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan
United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan
The United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan was established by United Nations Secretary-General following a request by the General Assembly in December 1993.Its offices were forced to close in May 2001....
(UNSMA).
The Security Council expressed concern at the escalation of the Afghan conflict due to an offensive by the Taliban, causing a threat to international peace and security, destruction to property and the displacement of large numbers of people and refugees. It was also concerned at the increasingly ethnic and religious nature of the conflict, particularly against the Shiites. The United Front of Afghanistan wished to conclude a ceasefire with the Taliban, however there was continuing violence on both sides. Any outside interference in the country had to cease immediately.
The Council remained concerned at the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the country and reminded all Afghan factions of their obligations under the Geneva Conventions
Geneva Conventions
The Geneva Conventions comprise four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish the standards of international law for the humanitarian treatment of the victims of war...
. There was concern at the presence of terrorists
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
in areas controlled by the Taliban, drug trafficking and discrimination against women and girls.
The resolution demanded that the Taliban stopped fighting, conclude a ceasefire
Ceasefire
A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces...
and resume negotiations without preconditions. The Taliban were called upon to inform the United Nations about results into an investigation into the deaths of two United Nations personnel World Food Programme
World Food Programme
The World Food Programme is the food aid branch of the United Nations, and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger worldwide. WFP provides food, on average, to 90 million people per year, 58 million of whom are children...
and of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , also known as The UN Refugee Agency is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to...
in Jalalabad
Jalalabad
Jalalabad , formerly called Adinapour, as documented by the 7th century Hsüan-tsang, is a city in eastern Afghanistan. Located at the junction of the Kabul River and Kunar River near the Laghman valley, Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar province. It is linked by approximately of highway with...
and the Military Adviser to UNSMA in Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
. It also condemned the kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
of the Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian Consulate-General, the killing of Iranian diplomats and of a journalist in Mazar-i-Sharif.
The Secretary-General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
was asked to send a mission to investigate allegations of serious human rights violations such as massacres of prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
and civilians in addition to the destruction of religious sites. It encouraged further diplomatic efforts as part of the peace process, including the "six plus two" group and the international community
International community
The international community is a term used in international relations to refer to all peoples, cultures and governments of the world or to a group of them. The term is used to imply the existence of common duties and obligations between them...
. Finally, the Afghan factions, particularly the Taliban, were urged to end the discrimination against girls and women, to respect human rights, to cease supporting terrorists and halt illegal drug activities. The Council would consider the imposition of further measures if the Taliban continued to defy previous Security Council resolutions.
See also
- Civil war in AfghanistanCivil war in AfghanistanThe Afghan civil war began when the communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan took power in a military coup, known as the Saur Revolution, on 27 April 1978. Most of Afghanistan subsequently experienced uprisings against the unpopular Marxist-Leninist PDPA government. The Soviet Union...
- Civil war in Afghanistan (1992–1996)
- Civil war in Afghanistan (1996–2001)
- Human rights in AfghanistanHuman rights in AfghanistanThe situation of Human Rights in Afghanistan is a topic of some controversy and conflict. While the Taliban were well known for numerous human rights abuses, several human rights violations continue to take place in the post-Taliban government era....
- List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1201 to 1300 (1998 – 2000)
External links
- Text of Resolution at ReliefWebReliefWebReliefWeb is an on-line gateway to information on humanitarian emergencies and disasters. An independent vehicle of information, designed specifically to assist the international humanitarian community in effective delivery of emergency assistance, it provides information as events unfold, while...