Ottawa – Afghan Ambassador Omar Samad attended the 14 th Canadian International Law Students’ Conference in Toronto Saturday and spoke about developments in Afghanistan and Canada’s role there.

The conference’s panel discussion, sponsored by the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law and Osgoode Hall Law School at York University, also included Prof. Rex Brynen of McGill University and Dr. G. Thomas Johnson, Associate Professor at York University. It was moderated by the Faculty of Law’s Melissa Jones Prus.

Amb. Samad told the packed auditorium that Canada’s five year-long involvement in Afghanistan as part of the international community’s decision to help rebuild the war-shattered nation, is in line with international law and mandated under several post 9/11 United Nations Security Council resolutions, including Res. 1368, 1373, 1378, 1383, 1386 and a NATO decision under Article 5 dealing with collective security.

He also pointed to the importance of UNSC resolutions passed prior to the attacks on 9/11 that also clearly defined the legal parameters for ending threats emanating from Taliban-occupied Afghanistan and the responsibility of other nations vis-à-vis terrorism.