EYP's resolution on Afghanistan

This is a proposal of resolution regarding Afghanistan that I submitted with some colleagues in the European Youth Parliament

Submitted by: Leonardo Specchiulli, Carolina Cernusco, Jacopo Mattia Gandolfo, Margherita Maiandi, Matteo Canarutto Gatti, Barbara Mattea

A. Deeply concerned about the future of Afghan refugees under the Taliban regime and alarmed by Afghanistan’s growing humanitarian crisis,

B. Noting with concern the increasing number of displaced persons and people under the poverty line1,

C. Aware that the humanitarian crisis, derived from the massive exodus of refugees from Afghanistan, will inevitably reach the European Union,

D. Bearing in mind the importance of the Regulation (EU) No 604/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council 26 June 2013 establishing the criteria for the welcoming of migrants in MSs, and of the Council Directive 2001/55/EC, 20 July 2001 establishing the standards for protection of migrants, and the current discrepancies in the migration politics among the Member States,

E. Observing article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which establishes the legitimacy of interrupting or diminishing economic relations with one or more EU countries that do not comply with the measures made to achieve the objectives of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP),

F. Keeping in mind the spreading of Covid-19 and the restrictions in human mobility derived from it,

G. Appreciating the donation of 200 million Covid-19 vaccines by the EU to developing countries by the end of 2022, as stated by the Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen,

H. Considering that 75% of Afghanistan’s public expenditure comes from foreign donors,

I. Acknowledging that the illegal economy impaires and overcomes international aids and that trafficking in opium, hashish, methamphetamines and other narcotics is not the main source of illegal income, because the actual income comes from the illegal movement of ordinary goods, such as fuel and consumer imports,

L. Recognizing that the humanitarian aid currently made available by the EU is not sufficient2, and aware of the restrictive measures established by Regulation n. 753/2011, especially the fifth article, which allows the release of certain frozen funds or economic resources for the basic expenses of sanctioned persons,

M. Noting with regret that the Taliban have denied civil rights to the population by:

i) prohibiting or limiting women to access education,

ii) dismantling Afghanistan’s educational system installed during the United States’ presence, and not recognizing the degrees obtained during that period,

iii) limiting freedom of the press, of thought and expression3,

N. Appreciating the intention of building a trans-Afghan railroad connecting Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan and the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline, but considering the dramatic lack of infrastructures and services, such as:

i) hospitals, that are often without adequate supplies of medicines,

ii) road networks for communication, trade and business,

iii) access to the Internet, limited by the Taliban,

O. Aware that the EU is a relevant member of the United Nations (UN) and is the only UN observer that can intervene during the United Nations General Assembly4;

1. Encourages the European Commission to financially help Afghanistan's bordering countries, such as Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, in order to help refugees and prevent massive migrations as happened in 2016 from Syria5;

2. Suggests that the European Commission provides the first EU Member States reached by the refugees with special funds, to face the emergency expenditure for their reception;

3. Warmly recommends the European Council to organize the distribution of the refugees that will arrive in the EU, in proportional measure among the MSs according to each State’s population, territory and economic situation, and sanction States who are not willing to cooperate, with particular attention to the fact that:

a) each Member State must guarantee security and should not deportee Afghanistan's people who are searching for protection,

b) no government can separate family members,

c) children are particularly vulnerable and must be protected;

4. Encourages the European Commission to allocate funds, to provide necessary goods and organize training courses to support the voluntary work of local organizations that assist the refugees in the MS territories where they are redistributed;

5. Urges the European Commission to allocate funds and dispatch qualified personnel to support reception and accommodation centres administered by the local, regional and national authorities of the Member States where refugees are redistributed;

6. Calls for the European Commission to cooperate with the World Health Organization (WHO) in order to set up a plan to prevent the spreading of Covid-19 during and after the redistribution of the refugees, which should include, but not be limited to:

7. Invites the European Commission to donate the necessary doses of the Covid-19 vaccine for those who have not received it yet by creating agreements with the pharmaceutical companies and with the Talibans;

8. Encourages the European External Action Service (EEAS) to keep on establishing diplomatic relations with the Talibans6, without for the moment recognising their government, while:

9. Urges MS to discuss a common price to pay for the purchase of opium for medical purposes from Afghanistan so that it is more advantageous for the Taliban to sell it to the EU instead of using it for illegal drug trade;

10. Urges the European Commission to encourage and economically support Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) which can provide the necessary support for the Afghan population in terms of food, medicines and medical treatments, payments for rent or mortgages, insurance premiums and public utility charges;

11. Invites the European Commission to cooperate with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) to set up a plan for the promotion of subsistence agriculture in Afghanistan, which should include:

12. Calls the European Commission for the funding of schools and hospitals in Afghanistan, by collaborating with both local and international institutions such as the World Bank and UNICEF, in order to make these services accessible to everyone, regardless of their gender;

13. Recommends the European Commission to help the Afghan government to fix the disastrous infrastructures' situation by sending engineers and useful materials to help reconstruct roads, hospitals and schools;

14. Asks to the Council of the European Union, as an important actor during this humanitarian crisis, to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and to the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations to present programs and ask for funds during the next General Assembly of the UN, in order, but not limited, to:

1https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/11/13/the-world-must-act-now-to-stop-afghans-starving, 23 million out of 38 face acute hunger. 8.7 million are in a state of emergency. The UN reckons that by summer 2022 all but 3% of the Afghans will be under the poverty line.

21 billion €; Euronews 12/10/2021