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having regard to its previous resolutions on Afghanistan,

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having regard to the EU-Afghanistan Joint Way Forward (JWF) on migration issues of 2 October 2016,

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having regard to the Cooperation Agreement on Partnership and Development between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, of the other part, signed on 18 February 2017,

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having regard to the North Atlantic Council statement on the Afghanistan Peace Negotiations of 9 December 2020,

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having regard to the remarks by President Biden on the Way Forward in Afghanistan of 14 April 2021,

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having regard to the Self-Reliance through Mutual Accountability Framework, agreed to at the Brussels Conference on Afghanistan of 4-5 October 2016,

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having regard to the 2020 International Ministerial Pledging Conference (Afghanistan Conference) held on 23 and 24 November 2020,

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having regard to the joint statement by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) and the External Affairs Minister of India of 4 May 2021 on Afghanistan,

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having regard to the communiqué of the Special Envoys and Special Representatives of the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, NATO, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States of 7 May 2021 on the Afghan Peace Process,

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having regard to the Afghanistan Opium Survey 2020 published jointly by the Afghanistan National Statistics and Information Authority and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in April 2021,

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having regard to the EU Guidelines for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child, on Children and Armed Conflict, and on Human Rights Defenders,

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having regard to the UN Security Council resolutions on Afghanistan,

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having regard to the UN Human Rights Council resolutions on Afghanistan,

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having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948,

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having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966,

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having regard to Rule 132(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

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having regard to Rule 144(5) and 132(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.

whereas in February 2020 the U.S. and the Taliban signed an agreement that paved the way for the first direct talks between the Taliban and representatives of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan since 2001;

B.

whereas on 14 April 2021 the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced the unilateral withdrawal of US troops by 11 September 2021; whereas NATO allies follow the principle of ‘in together, out together’, and will withdraw at the same time;

C.

whereas the Afghan peace talks between the Afghan Government and Taliban started in 2020 in Doha; whereas the ceasefire agreement was not adhered to, and currently the peace talks are in a stalemate, with the Taliban waiting for the withdrawal of Allies troops;

D.

whereas since 2001, the EU has had an active presence in Afghanistan to support social and economic development and coordinate international assistance; whereas many EU Member States, NATO partners and allied countries have contributed military and civilian resources to the stabilisation and development of Afghanistan, suffering heavy casualties and losses; whereas a stable and independent Afghanistan that can provide for itself and deny a safe haven to terrorist groups is still in the vital security interests of EU, NATO and their member countries;

E.

whereas it is paramount to preserve the progress of the past two decades in Afghanistan, particularly regarding human rights and fundamental freedoms;

F.

whereas representation of women and their rights in the Afghan peace talks is not proportional, and a more committed approach on this is required from the negotiating parties;

G.

whereas women, children and ethnic minorities will be the most affected by the failure of the Afghan peace talks and by attempts to pursue a military solution to the conflict; whereas Afghan women have already started limiting their movements to reduce risk, and children’s access to education and play is hampered by the threat of violence;

H.

whereas the security situation in Afghanistan is gradually worsening, and the number of attacks against Afghan forces is growing, as well as targeted assassinations of Afghan activists, media workers, educators, doctors, judges and government officials; whereas the number of Taliban attacks has increased significantly since the beginning of the Afghan peace talks, aiming to take over control of government-controlled territories; whereas Afghanistan was ranked as the most affected country in the 2020 Global Terrorism Index; whereas 4 million out of the country’s population of 36 million are displaced persons; whereas 3 million people are living in internal displacement as a result of violence and another 1 million because of natural disasters; whereas 2,5 million Afghans have already fled the country in search of security, with the majority settling in Iran and Pakistan;

I.

whereas Afghanistan is the largest beneficiary of EU development assistance in the world; whereas over the last 20 years the EU’s contribution to Afghanistan has led to substantial gains in life expectancy, literacy, maternal and child mortality and women’s rights; whereas between 2002 and 2020, the EU has provided more than EUR 4 billion, and has already pledged EUR 1,2 billion in both long-term and emergency assistance for the 2021-2025 period; whereas this pledge was accompanied by the communication by the EU and countries that together represent about 80 % of the total official development assistance to Afghanistan underlining the key elements in order to continue receiving the assistance, including continued commitment to democracy, the rule of law, and human rights;

J.

whereas there is a widespread absence of accountability for attacks and killings in Afghanistan; whereas on 12 March 2021 members of the UN Security Council condemned the alarming number of attacks deliberately targeting civilians in Afghanistan;

K.

whereas the recent spike in violence has taken place against a background of long-term widespread human rights violations in the country perpetrated by terrorists, armed groups and security forces, including extrajudicial killings, torture and sexual violence; whereas it is estimated that around 150 000 people have died in the 20-year war, including 35 000 civilians;

L.

whereas demonstrable progress in the rights of women and girls has been made in Afghanistan since 2001, including access to education, healthcare and participation in civic and political life; whereas these improvements are arguably the most successful achievements in the county’s recent development; whereas this partial progress is now under threat and must urgently be preserved and strengthened;

M.

whereas despite these improvements, women and girls continue to face appalling threats on a daily basis, including barriers to accessing essential services and attacks including domestic, sexual and gender-based violence; whereas the 2019/20 Women, Peace and Security Index ranked Afghanistan the second-worst country for women; whereas at least 85 people were killed and 147 wounded, most of them schoolgirls, when the Sayed al-Shuhada girls’ school in Kabul was bombed on 8 May 2021; whereas on 2 March 2021, three women journalists were killed in Jalalabad;

N.

whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically increased the poverty rate in Afghanistan; whereas COVID-19-related measures and the deteriorating security situation have resulted in restrictions in the access of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people;

O.

whereas in 2021 Afghanistan is expecting to face a drought, increasing the current number of 5,5 million people experiencing emergency level food insecurity, with an additional 17,6 million expected to face acute food insecurity;

P.

whereas the economic cost of terrorism in Afghanistan was equivalent to almost 20 % of its GDP in 2018, and deprives Afghan children of their future, the possibility of obtaining an education, prospects for stable employment and services such as healthcare provided by the state;

Q.

whereas Afghan businesses suffer extortion at the hands of the Taliban, who force farmers into opium cultivation and illegal mining activities;

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