The United Nations Security Council is set to vote Monday on a draft resolution to extend the mandate of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for another year, without changes to its priorities or functions, according to a Security Council report.
The report highlights deep divisions among the Council’s permanent members—China, Russia, the United States, and France—over the resolution’s wording. Due to strong opposition from the U.S. and France, references to engagement with the Taliban were removed from the draft. Meanwhile, Russia opposed language holding the Taliban accountable for human rights violations, leading to its exclusion.
The draft, however, includes provisions on counterterrorism efforts, a demand pushed by Pakistan, which has been locked in tensions with the Taliban over the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) presence in Afghanistan.
Negotiations over the resolution have been contentious. Disputes first emerged over which country would lead the drafting process, with Pakistan, China, South Korea, and the U.S. at odds. Subsequent disagreements between the Security Council’s permanent members led to the draft being rewritten four times.
A Security Council report stated that Russia wanted the resolution to focus more on Afghanistan’s economic challenges, frozen assets, and humanitarian aid, while also advocating for “pragmatic and patient engagement” with the Taliban. However, these suggestions were largely removed following strong pushback from other Council members.
“The issue of ‘engagement’ was contentious. Russia proposed language emphasizing ‘pragmatic, patient, and constructive’ engagement, but some members opposed this. Ultimately, after strong objections from the U.S. and France, all references to engagement were removed,” the report says.
Several Council members pushed for a stronger focus on human rights, particularly regarding Afghan women and girls. While references to Taliban-imposed restrictions on women working for the U.N. and NGOs were retained, provisions on Taliban accountability were removed.
“During negotiations, some members sought to strengthen language on human rights and the ‘Women, Peace, and Security’ agenda. Some proposals were retained in the final text, including references to the Taliban’s ban on Afghan women working for the U.N. and NGOs. However, language on ‘accountability’ was removed,” the Security Council report says.
“Since the Taliban came, we can’t work, we can’t go to university, we can’t even go outside freely. We are completely exhausted,” a Kabul resident said.
Pakistan, which has accused the Taliban of harboring TTP fighters, successfully lobbied for the resolution to include counterterrorism efforts and refugee concerns.
The resolution’s passage comes as the Taliban continue to dismiss UNAMA’s role. Taliban spokespersons have previously criticized the mission, accusing it of producing “negative reports” and asserting that it has little impact on Afghanistan.
