A/RES/52/211 Page 6 8. Also supports the Secretary-General in his continuing efforts, undertaken in cooperation with the Afghan parties and with interested States and international organizations, in particular the Organization of the Islamic Conference, to promote the political process aimed at achieving a lasting political settlement of the conflict, with the participation of all Afghan parties and all segments of Afghan society, and reaffirms its full support for the efforts of the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan and the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan in this regard; 9. Requests the Secretary-General to authorize the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan, established under resolution 48/208, to continue its efforts to facilitate national reconciliation and reconstruction in Afghanistan, specifically to bring about an immediate and durable ceasefire among the Afghan parties and to institute a negotiating process leading to the formation of a fully representative, broadbased transitional government of national unity; 10. Calls upon all Afghan parties to cooperate fully with the Special Mission, and demands that all Afghan parties fulfil their obligations and honour their commitments regarding the safety and full freedom of movement of United Nations personnel, in particular the personnel of the Special Mission, as well as the security of their premises in Afghanistan; 11. Welcomes recent exchanges of prisoners between the Afghan parties, and urges them to take further confidence-building measures; 12. Deplores the civilian casualties inflicted by the indiscriminate use of landmines, and calls upon all Afghan parties to desist from such use; 13. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to investigate fully reports about mass killings of prisoners of war and civilians and incidents of rape in Afghanistan and to include his findings in his next report to be submitted pursuant to paragraph 19 below; 14. Denounces the continuing discrimination against girls and women and other violations of human rights in Afghanistan, and calls upon all Afghan parties to respect the human rights of every individual, regardless of gender, ethnicity or religion; 15. Denounces also violations of international humanitarian law in Afghanistan, and urgently calls upon all parties strictly to respect all its provisions; 16. Calls upon all Afghan parties to take appropriate steps to prohibit, prevent and, if necessary, put a stop to any form of theft, pillage or misappropriation of and any acts of vandalism directed against cultural property of the Afghan nation and humankind; 17. Reiterates that the continuation of the conflict in Afghanistan provides a fertile ground for terrorism and drug-trafficking which destabilize the region and beyond, and calls upon the leaders of the Afghan parties to halt such activities; 18. Commends the efforts of the Executive Director of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, and takes note of communications received by the Programme with regard to the banning of the cultivation, use of and trade in opium in Afghanistan, and calls for full compliance with these commitments; 19. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly every three months during its fifty-second session on the progress of the Special Mission and to report to the Assembly at its fifty-third session on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution; /...