Brahimi lays out political and security plan

The UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, emphasised on Monday the importance of establishing genuine and lasting security in that country and outlined plans for political transition. "The pervasive presence of non-Afghan armed and terrorist groups with no interest in lasting peace will necessitate the introduction of a robust security force able to deter and, if necessary, defeat challenges to its authority," Brahimi told a high-level meeting of the UN Security Council. Options included an all-Afghan security force, a multinational force, or a UN peacekeeping operation. Brahimi said the first option was the best, but since it would take time to constitute, serious consideration should be given to deploying an international security presence. "Such a presence…could ensure security in the major cities and preserve the political space in which negotiations toward the resolution of the many problems ahead could proceed," Brahimi said. He added that a UN peacekeeping force was not recommended. "The Secretary-General could require several months to obtain from Member States sufficient numbers of troops to pose a credible military deterrent and subsequently to deploy them," Brahimi said. "UN peacekeepers have proven most successful when deployed to implement an existing political settlement among willing parties - not to serve as a substitute for one," he added. In his remarks on the political process Brahimi said that while there was agreement on the goal of establishing a representative and accountable government in Afghanistan, difficulties were encountered in how to achieve this end. Since time was now of the essence, he said, it was indispensable that the efforts of the various Afghan groups be brought together in a single process. Based on ideas widely discussed by Afghans themselves, Brahimi said the approach might begin with a UN-convened meeting of representatives of the Northern Alliance and the Rome and Cyprus processes, among others, that would be later complemented with representatives of other groups, to agree on a framework for the process of political transition. The meeting would suggest concrete steps to convene a provisional council, composed of a large and representative group of Afghans and chaired by an individual recognized as a symbol of national unity. The council would propose a transitional administration and programme of action for the period of political transition, to last no more than two years, as well as security arrangements, he said. An emergency Loya Jirga would then be convened to approve the proposals and to authorise the transitional administration to prepare a constitution. The transitional phase would result in the convening of second Loya Jirga, which would approve the constitution and create the Government of Afghanistan. Brahimi stressed the crucial need to have Afghans constitute their own administration. "Parachuting a large number of international experts into Afghanistan could overwhelm the nascent transitional administration and interfere with the building of local capacity," he said. Brahimi also called attention to the looming humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan, pledging the UN's commitment to assisting all people in need and urging the international community to support this effort. At the same time, he highlighted the need for significant international resources for the reconstruction of Afghanistan. "The processes being proposed are not perfect," he said. "The provisional institutions, whose creation is suggested, will not include everyone who should be there, and it may include some whose credentials many in Afghanistan have doubt about, but let everyone please remember that what is hopefully to be achieved is the elusive peace the people of Afghanistan have been longing for so long."