UN establishes formal relationship with Afghanistan under Taliban rule

On Thursday, the UN Security Council approved a resolution establishing a formal presence of the agency in Afghanistan, although the text does not amount to international recognition of the Taliban government.

The resolution, which does not use the word “taliban”, details the new mandate of the UN political mission in Afghanistan (Manua) for one year. It was approved by 14 votes, including that of China, with the only abstention of Russia.

Following the vote, Norway's Ambassador to the United Nations, Mona Juul, welcomed the resolution, “crucial” not only to “respond to the immediate humanitarian and economic crisis” but also to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan.

“The Council gives a clear message with this new mandate: Manua has a key role to play in promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan and supporting the Afghan people, who face unprecedented challenges and uncertainties,” added Juul, whose country drafted the text.

The resolution, which is not equivalent to admitting diplomatic representation of the new Taliban power to the UN with the acceptance of its ambassadors, reviews the UN's relations with Afghanistan to take account of the fundamentalists' seizure of power in August.

Manua will have to ensure that it will be “the eyes and ears of the international community in Afghanistan” over the next year, Human Rights Watch reacted.

Negotiations for the resolution were difficult, especially with Russia, which is very isolated but failed to use its veto this Thursday.

On Wednesday, Moscow was the only one to block the text, which had been under discussion for weeks, claiming that “the consent of the de facto authorities”, that is, the Taliban, was lacking.

For a UN mission, “the consent of the authorities is imperative” and the mandate jeopardizes its own fulfillment, Russian Ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, stressed Thursday before the Security Council, explaining his country's abstention from voting.

One Western diplomat considered that Russia “simply obstructed” the negotiations, although he did not venture to say whether this was related to the war that Moscow launched in Ukraine since February 24.

“Fragmentation existed before, it was further revived by the war in Ukraine” and is present in all the issues discussed at the UN, the ambassador of a country member of the Security Council told AFP, anonymously.

- Women and children -

“When one says yes, the other says no,” he added, pointing to the West and Russia. “The tear is such that it is difficult to reach any consensus” among the 15 members of the Council.

The Norwegian resolution extends the Manua for one year, until 17 March 2023.

It begins with an approach to humanitarian aid to be provided to the Afghan population in a context of dramatic economic and social situation and a security environment that seems to be stabilizing.

The Manua “shall coordinate and facilitate, in accordance with international law, including international humanitarian law (...) the provision of humanitarian assistance and financial resources to support humanitarian activities”, the text states.

The resolution continues with a political component. The United Nations should “provide awareness-raising services and good offices, in particular to facilitate dialogue among all Afghan political actors involved”, “with an emphasis on promoting inclusive and representative governance” which shall be “without any discrimination based on sex, religion or ethnicity”.

The text insists on the “full, equal and meaningful participation of women”, who have so far been excluded from the Taliban-controlled government. In addition, women and girls are mentioned again in order to ensure “full protection of their human rights”, in particular that of education, which they access under strict conditions since the return to power of fundamentalists.

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