United Nations Talks on Afghanistan
December 6, 2001
1. Overview
A meeting to discuss the new administration to govern Afghanistan attended by representatives of four Afghan groups was held from 27 November (local time, hereafter as well) to 5 December in a suburb of Bonn, Federal Republic of Germany.
Representatives of four major Afghan groups from within and outside the country and UN representatives participated in the meeting. Diplomatic corps from major related countries (Japan sent Issei Nomura, Japanese Ambassador to Germany, and other staff from the Japanese Embassy in Germany) attended the opening, closing and signing ceremonies as observers, and observed the developments of the meeting from outside the venue.
The meeting was held behind closed doors, and included the general meeting, in addition to individual meetings between the Afghan groups and individual talks between the United Nations representatives and each group. Each group reached agreement after continuation of talks regarding the process of the establishment of the new administration and measures for maintaining public order, based on the concept announced on 13 November by Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, the Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary-General, and a ceremony for the signing of an agreement was held on 5 December.
2. Participants
According to the list of participants announced by the U.N. on 27 November, the participants from the four Afghan groups are as follows:
(1) Northern Alliance (participating as the United Front): 26 (including two women)
Yunus Qanooni, Interior Minister, etc.
(2) Rome Group: 19 (two women)
A group centered around the Former King of Afghanistan Mohammed Zahir Shah Professor Abdul Sattar Sirat (adviser to the former King), etc.
(3) Cyprus Group: 10 (one woman)
Overseas Afghans keeping a distance from the former King. Apparently backed by Iran. Houmayoun Jareer (Son-in-law of former Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar), etc.
(4) Peshawar Group: 7 (one woman)
Consists mainly of ethnic Pashtuns close to the former king. Sayed Hamed Gailani (Son of Cailani, the representative of the United Afghan Front), etc.
In addition, from the United Nations, 11 representatives were present, including Special Representative Brahimi, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General Francesco Vendrell (head of the United Nations Special Missions to Afghanistan (UNSMA)), Spokesman Fauzi, Counselor Hiroshi Takahashi (adviser), and Counselor Kiyotaka Kawabata.
3. Outline of the Agreement (Bonn Agreement)
(1) The Interim Authority shall represent Afghanistan in its external relations. The Interim Authority shall consist of an Interim Administration (equivalent to a Cabinet), a Special Independent Commission for the Convening of the Emergency Loya Jirga (National Assembly and traditional advisory body), and a Supreme Court of Afghanistan.
(2) The Interim Administration that will form the core of the Interim Authority shall be composed of thirty members (equivalent to minister), including a Chairman (equivalent to Prime Minister) and five Vice Chairmen.
(3) An Emergency Loya Jirga shall be convened within six months of the establishment of the Interim Authority, to be opened by (His Majesty) Mohammed Zaher, the former King of Afghanistan. The Emergency Loya Jirga shall decide on a Transitional Authority, for the appointment of a national leader, and other matters. A Constitutional Loya Jirga shall be convened within eighteen months of the establishment of the Transitional Authority.
(4) The participants in the UN Talks on Afghanistan request the United Nations Security Council to consider authorizing the early deployment to Afghanistan of a United Nations mandated force in Kabul. The participants in the UN Talks on Afghanistan pledge to withdraw all military units from Kabul and other urban centers or other areas in which the UN mandated force is deployed.
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