Deteriorating situation in Afghanistan
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- See Doc. 5495, report of the Political Affairs Committee. Text adopted by the Standing Committee, acting on behalf of the Assembly, on 20 November 1985.
- Thesaurus
The Assembly,
1. Gravely concerned at the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and at the increasingly acute suffering of the Afghan people, as shown by the following striking figures : at least 180 000 Afghan dead to date, some 3,2 million refugees in Pakistan and 1,5 million refugees in Iran, or more than one quarter of the population (15,5 million according to the 1979 census) .
3. Approving the statement issued by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the European Community on 22 July 1985, calling for an end to Soviet intervention, and supporting the efforts at mediation by the Secretary General of the United Nations with a view to a political settlement,
4. Deplores the continued violation by the USSR in Afghanistan of the principles of non-recourse to force, territorial integrity and non-interference in internal affairs, as well as the violation of fundamental human rights ;
5. Expresses its appreciation for the help already extended by the International Committee of the Red Cross and various non-governmental organisations such as Midecins sans frontières and the League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies as well as by individual Western governments, including notably the Scandinavian countries, and the generous humanitarian support given by the Pakistan Government and people to Afghan refugees ;
6. Urges the governments of member states of the Council of Europe to increase their contributions to the International Committee of the Red Cross, and to intervene with all United Nations member states to grant free access facilities for the Red Cross and Red Crescent to all the places they wish to visit ;
7. Urges all countries which voted in favour of
Resolution 40/12 of the United Nations General Assembly to give all possible assistance and support to the Afghan people by exercising their sovereign choice in the matter ;
8. Asks all its members as well as the governments of the member states of the Council of Europe to intervene, individually and in their capacity as members of the Committee of Ministers, to reaffirm their solidarity with the struggling Afghan people, and to seek a political settlement within the competent international bodies and within the framework of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe ;
9. Calls on President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev, during their current (19-21 November 1985) talks in Geneva, to show concern for all the legitimate rights of the Afghan people, especially peace and freedom.
