UN chief: All countries should unite to prevent Afghanistan from “becoming a hotbed of terrorism”

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, addressing the 24th meeting of the heads of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), on Thursday said that, all countries should unite to prevent Afghanistan from ever again becoming a hotbed of terrorism.

Guterres also emphasized necessity of peace in Afghanistan and the establishment of an inclusive government that upholds human rights.

“We need peace in Afghanistan, and an inclusive government that respects human rights and is integrated into the international community,” said Guterres.

Guterres affirmed the U.N.’s readiness to collaborate with the Shanghai Cooperation Council in combating terrorism globally.

He told the Council of the SCO that, the world’s largest regional security body that includes Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

“The Shanghai Cooperation Council – the largest regional organization in the world – has the power and the responsibility to push for peace,” added Guterres.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif raised the issue of terrorism as a major concern for member states at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and called for “meaningful” engagement with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).

Sharif also said that, the Islamic Emirate must also “take concrete measures” to ensure its soil is not used for terrorism against any other state.

The Islamic Emirate, however, has denied the claims and stressed that it will not allow Afghanistan’s territory to be used against other countries.

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