New York, March 8, 2018. The Kazakhstan delegation headed by Special Envoy for Afghanistan Ambassador at Large Stanislav Vassilenko took part in a UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan.

Within the event, the Security Council members unanimously approved resolution 2405, containing an assessment of the situation in that country, as well as the extended mandate of the UN Assistance Mission to Afghanistan for another year. This event is held quarterly to implement the provisions of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and to discuss political developments in the country. The meeting was particularly focused on women's involvement in the peace process.

The Security Council highly appreciated the visit of the UNSC members to Afghanistan under the chairmanship of Kazakhstan in January 2018, which helped to better understand the situation in the country. Additionally, the emphasis was laid on the weight and effectiveness of the UNSC debates on Afghanistan chaired by Kazakhstan on January 19, 2018, themed “Building a regional partnership in Afghanistan and Central Asia as a model to link security and development."

Vassilenko stated that political and economic challenges, as well as security threats faced by Afghanistan, require ongoing support from the regional countries, the international community, and, notably, the Security Council. It was highlighted that women and youth occupy a central position in the conflict prevention pattern.

Therefore, Kazakhstan is planning to carry out an international conference “Women empowerment in Afghanistan" in autumn 2018 in Astana. Vassilenko also stated: “Our country has suggested to continue the education program for Afghan citizens with co-financing from the European Union and other partners. Within the framework of our $ 50 million educational program, about 1,000 Afghan citizens will study in Kazakh universities between 2010 and 2021." Currently, the European Union has been allocating funds for the first stage of the joint project, which will be implemented together with UN Women and is aimed at training Afghan girls in the universities of our country.

Vassilenko pointed out that during the UN Security Council's mission to Afghanistan meetings were held with all the key representatives of the Afghan government and socio-political communities of the country, including women's organizations led by First Lady Rula Ghani.

The Kazakh delegation underlined the significance of the so-called three-pronged strategy for tackling conflicts. It includes, firstly, the link between security and development, where sustainable development programs are also required for a lasting peace and security in the country; secondly, a regional approach for close cooperation among the regional countries is needed to overcome transboundary challenges and threats, because today it is impossible to deal with various threats and challenges exclusively within the borders of one state; thirdly, the One United Nations principle, the essence of which is to strengthen coordination and efficiency of the UN at the central and local levels.

Given the importance of women in conflict resolution, the Kazakh representative concluded his speech with the Kazakh proverb “Woman rocks the cradle with one hand and rules the world with the other."