UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Deborah Lyons said she expects “violence will be a top priority when talks resume in early January next year,” TOLOnews reported. Lyons was briefing the Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan on Thursday. 

She also asked all countries to continue pressure the parties involved in the Afghan conflict to reduce violence in the country. 

"If security anxieties are addressed and the process is inclusive from the outset, with meaningful participation by women, youth, minorities, victims of conflict and religious leaders," Lyons said on achieving sustainable peace in Afghanistan. 

The ongoing withdrawal of foreign forces, coupled with the increased level of violence, has compounded the anxieties of the Afghan people, she said. “In the coming months, I anticipate that this larger security transition will become a central topic in the dialogue amongst Afghan officials, regional countries, and the larger international community,” she added. 

Lyons also said regional cooperation in Afghanistan isn’t just required for peace in the country but it is also needed to combat the drug menace and transnational organized crime networks in the Central and South Asia region

The UN special representative also emphasized the need for continuing international support to the Afghan authorities as they take greater responsibilities for national securities as well as fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.