New York, United States - December 13, 2024 Storyline: A Chinese envoy on Friday called on the related countries to immediately and unconditionally unfreeze and fully return the overseas assets of Afghanistan so as to support the country's efforts to enhance its people's wellbeing. Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to United Nations, made the call at a UN Security Council meeting where Resolution 2763 (2024) was unanimously adopted, which extends for 14 months the mandate of the team monitoring sanctions against the Taliban and associated individuals and entities that threaten Afghanistan's peace, stability and security. In the resolution, the Security Council decided that the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team will continue to support the Security Council Committee established pursuant to Resolution 1988 (2011), a subsidiary body in charge of overseeing the implementation of sanctions regime on the Taliban. China hopes the monitoring team will actively perform its duties in accordance with its mandate under the resolution and strongly support the Security Council Committee's work, and China supports the monitoring team to increase engagements with the Afghan interim government and looks forward to an early visit by the team to the country, Geng said. "The resolution reaffirms the need to help Afghanistan meet its economic and humanitarian challenges, restore its banking and financial system, and utilize the assets of the Afghan central bank for the benefit of the Afghan people. China urges the countries concerned to immediately and unconditionally unfreeze and return in full Afghanistan's overseas assets, stop imposing illegal unilateral sanctions against Afghanistan, and support Afghanistan's efforts to improve its people's livelihood," he said. The Chinese diplomat stressed that the resolution affirmed the necessity of reviewing the 1988 sanctions regime and the Security Council's sanctions should help promote peace and stability of Afghanistan. Noting that the Afghan Taliban has been in power for more than three years, the situations in Afghanistan is generally stable and the rest of the world is increasing engagements with the authorities, Geng called on timely changes to the sanction regime in accordance with the development of the situation. As a first step, the Security Council should put back into place exemptions to the travel ban for persons associated with the Afghan interim government so as to create conditions for the international community to strengthen engagement and communication with the country, the envoy said. Geng pointed out as the resolution also reiterated that the territory of Afghanistan should not be used for supporting terrorism or for threatening the security of other countries, China urges the Afghan authorities to implement the requests of the resolution and strengthen the counter-terrorism efforts. Shotlist: UN Headquarters, New York City - Dec 13, 2024: 1. Meeting in progress; 2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to UN: "The resolution reaffirms the need to help Afghanistan meet its economic and humanitarian challenges, restore its banking and financial system, and utilize the assets of the Afghan central bank for the benefit of the Afghan people. China urges the countries concerned to immediately and unconditionally unfreeze and return in full Afghanistan's overseas assets, stop imposing illegal unilateral sanctions against Afghanistan, and support Afghanistan's efforts to improve its people's livelihood." FILE: UN Headquarters, New York City - Date Unknown: 3. Various of UN flags; 4. UN emblem; FILE: Afghanistan - August 2024: 5. Cityscape; 6. Vendors, pedestrians at market; FILE: Kabul, Afghanistan - 2024: 7. Various of traffic, pedestrians. [Restrictions: For news purpose only/No archive/Not for other production use]