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Indonesia Urges the UN Security Council to Stop Violence in Afghanistan - FOCUS                                                                                                                               KEMLU

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi attended the UN Security Council (DK) Arria Formula meeting regarding the Peace Process in Afghanistan, which was held virtually on Friday (20/11). The meeting was co-hosted by members of the Estonian Security Council, Germany and Indonesia along with the Afghan co-sponsors: Finland, Norway and Qatar.

The Aria Formula summit with the topic "What can the Security Council do to support the peace process in Afghanistan?" led by the Estonian Foreign Minister, Urmas Reinsalu and attended by President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani and Afghan Foreign Minister, Mohammad Haneef Atmar and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al-Thani and Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto. The meeting was also attended by a number of briefers, including the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons; member of the Afghan negotiation team, Fatima Gailani; and Asia Director of the International Crisis Group, Laurel Miller.

As quoted on the page Kemlu.go.id (20/11), Minister Retno emphasized the importance of the peace process in Afghanistan and put the people of Afghanistan at the center. According to Minister Retno, UN member countries must act immediately and cannot wait anymore. She also explained that violence in Afghanistan must be stopped because it will only erode efforts for peace and trust among the Afghan people. She also remarked that the violence in Afghanistan continues and the casualties have reached more than 6,000 people this year.

To realize this goal, Minister Retno Marsudi emphasized three important points: First, violence must be stopped immediately, because it threatens the peace process and erodes the trust of the Afghan people. Second, the international community must increase its contribution in helping the peace process in Afghanistan. Increased international assistance is needed to create a more conducive situation on the ground, increase the capacity of the Government, and at the same time sustain the economy of the Afghan people. Third, the synergy among various UN agencies needs to be strengthened to be able to further assist the peace process in Afghanistan.

Minister Retno Marsudi also pointed out that this synergy is important not only to create a conducive situation on the ground, but also to better protect vulnerable groups, including women's empowerment. All levels of society must be involved in the process of reconciliation and country development. In addition, she reiterated Indonesia's commitment to keep supporting Afghanistan, until the peace that the people of Afghanistan have longed for.

Meanwhile, President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani expressed his appreciation to the UN Security Council for its continued support for Afghanistan. Thereby, the UN Security Council is considered to have a major role in encouraging a ceasefire, implementing sanctions, supporting efforts to fight terrorists, including funding, and supporting regional connectivity efforts.

The countries participating in the meeting expressed support for an inclusive peace process in Afghanistan and condemned the ongoing violence. A number of countries also expressed their appreciation for the roles of Indonesia and Germany so far as countries on the agenda of discussing Afghanistan at the UN Security Council. The UN Security Council Formula Arria meeting aims to identify efforts that can be made by the UN Security Council and the international community to support the Afghan peace negotiations and ensure stability and peace in Afghanistan. In this Arria Formula meeting, Indonesia is one of the co-sponsors of the joint meeting with Afghanistan, Estonia, Germany, Finland, Norway and Qatar.