RESOLUTION 361 on NATO’S ONGOING ROLE IN AFGHANISTAN

The Assembly,

1.     Reaffirming the importance of the NATO mission in Afghanistan, and noting that the success of the mission is vital to the future welfare of the Afghan people and to the continuing credibility of NATO as an international actor;

2.     Stressing the strategic importance of the mission to secure the stabilisation and reconstruction of Afghanistan and prevent the region from becoming a haven for international terrorism or a narco‑state;

3.     Commending the excellent performance of our forces in Afghanistan and those of allied nations in very demanding conditions and honouring those who have lost their lives in this mission;

4.     Commending the successful expansion of NATO’s responsibilities across the totality of Afghan territory;

5.     Noting with concern the resurgence of violent opposition in Afghanistan as well as the surging narcotics problem, continued corruption, and limited reach of the central government;

6.     Recognising that the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is a transitional force, and that the training and equipping of the Afghan National Security Forces will be the ultimate key to the establishment of abiding security throughout Afghanistan;

7.     Understanding that in the long term, there is not a simple military solution to Afghanistan ’s problems, and that an Afghan political solution will be absolutely essential;

8.     Requesting a greater presence of other international organisations such as the United Nations and the European Union, and recognising that NATO’s role is only one of the necessary elements of Afghanistan ’s stabilisation;

9.     Recognising this is inherently a very long-term and multifaceted mission;

10.   Welcoming the additional contributions of some NATO members, but encouraging all member states to share fully in the risks and costs of our collective decisions;

11.   Noting that NATO Commanders continue to lack adequate personnel and equipment to perform the tasks assigned to them based on our collective decisions, and deploring the failure to supply additional forces and assets in adequate measure as requested;

12.   Further noting with concern that insufficient personnel and equipment can increase the risk to our troops as well as to innocent civilians, indigenous or otherwise;

13.   URGES member governments and parliaments of the North Atlantic Alliance:

a.     to reaffirm their commitment to assisting the Government of Afghanistan to provide a secure and stable environment for its people;

b.     to initiate a political dialogue leading to a consensus strategic vision on Afghanistan, which could be endorsed at the Bucharest Summit of 2008;

c.     to supply the personnel and equipment that our military commanders deem necessary to perform the mission with which we have tasked them and to include additional training teams, helicopters, and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance assets as a matter of priority;

d.     to encourage the sharing of “best practices” guidelines for Provincial Reconstruction Teams so that their efficacy can be maximised;

e.     to reconsider the prospect of direct NATO involvement in the counter-narcotics effort in support of the Government of Afghanistan;

f.      to further reduce those national caveats which continue to hamper commanders’ ability to plan and conduct operations to their maximum effect;

g.     to continue efforts to minimise civilian casualties, while challenging false or exaggerated reports thereof;

h.     to ensure political obstacles in Brussels  do not endanger full and necessary co-operation on the ground between NATO and other international organisations, especially the EU;

i.       to increase NATO force levels in the areas of Afghanistan  where the threat from insurgents is greatest.