Bangladesh calls for meaningful dialogue to ensure lasting peace in Afghanistan

Md Mustafizur Rahman, ambassador and permanent representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations Office at Geneva, has called on all parties to engage in a purposeful discussion on national sovereignty and territorial integrity led by Afghans to ensure lasting peace in the country.

"An Afghan-led and Afghan-owned inclusive political dialogue anchored on national sovereignty and territorial integrity is essential for establishing and sustaining peace in Afghanistan," he said at the 31st special session of the UN Human Rights Council on the ongoing human rights situation in Afghanistan.

Mentioning an unstable Afghanistan as a serious threat to regional and global peace and security, Ambassador Rahman said Bangladesh wants to see Afghanistan as a peaceful, stable, prosperous, responsible and contributing member of the global community.

He reiterated Bangladesh's commitment to contribute to the reconstruction and socio-economic development of Afghanistan as a brotherly and friendly country.

The ambassador also called on the United Nations to take concrete steps to prevent another humanitarian catastrophe in the South Asian region.

The Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council was convened at the request of 104 UN member states, including the countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the European Union. At the end of the session, a resolution entitled "Strengthening the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic Afghanistan" was adopted by consensus.