New York, July 8 (ANI): India abstained from voting on a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution on Afghanistan on Monday, urging the international community to adopt more targeted and innovative strategies to address the country’s deepening humanitarian and security crisis.
The resolution, titled “The Situation in Afghanistan,” was adopted with 116 votes in favour, two against (United States and Israel), and 12 abstentions, including India. Explaining the decision, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, stated that a “business as usual” approach would not yield the results needed to improve the situation in Afghanistan. He stressed the urgent need for coordinated global action to prevent UN-designated terrorist groups from exploiting Afghan territory.
“India is closely monitoring the security situation in Afghanistan. The international community must coordinate efforts to ensure that UN-designated terrorist entities such as Al-Qaeda, ISIL, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, and Jaish-e-Mohammed, along with their regional sponsors, no longer exploit Afghan soil for terrorism,” Harish said.
He also highlighted recent diplomatic engagements between India and the Taliban-appointed government. India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar recently spoke with the Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, who strongly condemned the April 22, 2025 terrorist attack in Pahalgam. This conversation followed another meeting between India’s Foreign Secretary and the Taliban-appointed Foreign Minister, where bilateral and regional issues were discussed. Harish noted that India’s position on Afghanistan is guided by a longstanding relationship and deep-rooted cultural and historical ties, adding that India has vital stakes in ensuring peace and stability in its neighbouring country.
India also reiterated its ongoing humanitarian support and development efforts in Afghanistan. Since August 2021, India has supplied 50,000 metric tons of wheat, over 330 metric tons of medicines and vaccines, 40,000 litres of Malathion pesticide, and 58.6 metric tons of other essential items to aid millions of Afghans. In partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), India has provided 84 metric tons of medical aid and 32 metric tons of supplies for drug rehabilitation programmes, especially those benefiting Afghan women. India has also awarded 2,000 scholarships to Afghan students since 2023, including nearly 600 to girls and women pursuing higher education.
Harish emphasized that India’s involvement in regional dialogues and UN-led meetings, including recent discussions in Doha, reflect its commitment to constructive engagement. However, he criticized the absence of new policy instruments in the resolution, noting that since 2021, the international community has failed to introduce meaningful changes to address Afghanistan’s deteriorating situation. “Any coherent post-conflict strategy must combine incentives for positive behaviour and disincentives for harmful actions. An approach focused solely on punitive measures is unlikely to succeed,” he said.
Harish further remarked that while the United Nations and the international community have taken more balanced and nuanced approaches in other conflict regions, Afghanistan has not seen similar innovation. Given these concerns, he said India could not support the resolution in its present form. “We reiterate our historic ties with the Afghan people and our enduring commitment to meeting their humanitarian and developmental needs. While we support continued international engagement and efforts for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, India has decided to abstain on this resolution,” Harish concluded.
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