The UN Security Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for another year despite objections from China for excluding references to the Belt and Road initiative in the final text
UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th September, 2019) The UN Security Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for another year despite objections from China for excluding references to the Belt and Road initiative in the final text.On Monday, a scheduled meeting by the Security Council to vote on the draft resolution, sponsored by Germany and Indonesia, was postponed after China threatened to veto the measure if the final version of the document did not mention the Belt and Road initiative.
"The result of the voting is as follows: The draft resolution received 15 votes in favor. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously," Russia's Permanent Representative to the UNSC Vassily Nebenzia, who is presiding over the UN body this month, announced after the vote.
The final text of the resolution does not include a reference to Beijing's Belt and Road unlike the documents passed in the last three years.
The resolution extends the mandate of the UN mission in Afghanistan until September 17, 2020 and stipulates that the UNAMA will continue to support the organization of the Afghan presidential election slated for September 28.
For a resolution to be passed by the Council, it requires nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the five permanent member states - Russia, the United States, China, France and the United Kingdom.
Afghanistan has been rocked by a series of Taliban attacks as the election draws near. Many fear that the turnout will be low in the light of repeated terrorist attacks committed by the Taliban movement, which promised to disrupt the vote. The Afghan government says it will put all efforts to prevent the attacks.
Earlier in the day, more than 40 people were killed and dozens wounded after two terrorist acts carried out in Afghanistan.
The Taliban have been waging a war against the Afghan government for almost two decades. The movement views the officials as US puppets and refuses to engage in peace talks with Kabul. The latest US-Taliban peace talks failed to deliver an agreement, which would guarantee the withdrawal of foreign troops, after the movement perpetrated several attacks in Kabul.
