United States Raises 'Hard Questions' about UN Mission's Mandate, Value ahead of Renewal
Despite surface stability in Afghanistan, the lives of its people are increasingly restricted, a senior UN official in that country said, as she urged the international community to stay engaged over the long term, even if progress is slow, frustrating or uneven.
In August 2021, after the United States and partners withdrew from Afghanistan following almost two decades of military deployment, the Taliban seized control again and enacted a series of repressive laws. The Doha Process, which brings together international and regional actors, is the current platform for dialogue between the international community and the Taliban. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) - in place since 2002 - was most recently renewed in March for three months.
Georgette Gagnon, Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Officer-in-Charge of that Mission, reported that the country is seeing some economic growth, long term-investments in infrastructure and revenue mobilization, despite sanctions and wider regional tensions. Nearly 5.9 million people have returned since 2023, but "Afghans are returning to communities and an economy that cannot fully reintegrate them", she said. More than half the population is under the age of 25, and young Afghans are coming of age with limited employment prospects, declining household incomes and environmental problems undermining livelihoods.
An estimated 3.8 million girls between 7 and 18 years of age are not in school. Such "imposition of systemic and institutionalized harm" is creating a lost generation of talent and potential, which is already costing the economy and undermining Afghanistan's economic development. She also highlighted "the continued exclusion of UN female national staff from UN premises".
Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan remain strained, with continued border closures and security incidents, she added. The Doha Process participants must sustain engagement that supports Afghanistan's eventual reintegration, and the de facto authorities must establish a structured mechanism for further engagement with UNAMA. With "principled and pragmatic" engagement, the international community can make incremental progress that supports the Afghan people, she added.
'Gender Apartheid'
However, "prioritize principles over pragmatism" was the appeal from civil society representative Metra Mehran, who described the "gender apartheid" documented by her organization, the Afghanistan Justice Archive. Since August 2021, the Taliban have enacted over 230 decrees, criminalizing even "women's faces and voices", she added, highlighting the Criminal Procedure Code of January 2026, which legalizes violence against women. That Code divides society into "free" and "enslaved", criminalizes same-sex sexual conduct and treats men as the primary legal authority.
"Men effectively own their wives and are explicitly permitted to discipline women using physical punishment, as long as their bones are not broken", she said. Women aid workers face restrictions, including bans on entering UN premises. The Doha process has lost much of its legitimacy by excluding women and diverse stakeholders, she said, adding that political or diplomatic engagement with the Taliban must not come at the expense of women's dignity.
Half of Population Need Humanitarian Assistance
Nearly half of Afghanistan's population needs help, said Edem Wosornu, Director of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs' Crisis Response Division, outlining insecurity, economic fragility, climate shocks and gendered restrictions. "Hunger is growing across Afghanistan," she continued - some 4.7 million people are at risk of severe food insecurity. In late February, fighting between Afghanistan and Pakistan displaced over 100,000 people and caused several hundred civilian casualties.
Nevertheless, humanitarians reached 4.7 million people in need between January and March 2026, she said, noting improvements seen since a humanitarian exception was added to the Council's sanctions regime. However, the humanitarian response in Afghanistan remains severely underfunded, with just 15 per cent of the $1.71 billion needed in 2026 provided so far.
"Nearly five years after the Taliban's military takeover, Afghanistan remains trapped in a deep social, economic and humanitarian crisis," said a diplomat from the pre-Taliban Government who continues to hold that country's seat at the United Nations. He condemned the Taliban's corruption and plundering of national resources and its harsh regulations on women and civil society, which have isolated the country further. Islamic States around the world must pressure it to adopt inclusive policies in line with Islam's true nature.
Taliban-Pakistan Tension Makes Situation More Complex
"The recent escalation of hostilities between Pakistan and the Taliban has added a dangerous new dimension" to the crisis, he said, highlighting a recent strike on a civilian hospital in Kabul, which UNAMA reported killed at least 269 people. "No security concern, however legitimate, can justify acts that place civilians at risk or undermine the principles of the [UN] Charter," he said.
However, Pakistan's representative said that his country's strikes were directed solely at terrorist and military support infrastructure used by the Taliban regime to carry out attacks against his country. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other terror factions operate with impunity on Afghan soil and his country has experienced an "exponential rise" in terrorist attacks, many planned in Afghanistan and carried out with munitions left behind by foreign forces. The proxy war against his country is "backed by an outside actor", and Pakistan will defend itself, he stressed.
Further, the Secretary-General's report conflates deaths that occurred during counter-terrorism operations with civilian casualties. It also does not shed much light on Afghanistan's illicit terror financing networks, he said, questioning UNAMA and its relationship with the Taliban.
Disagreeing, India's delegate said that Pakistan's military airstrikes against Afghanistan are causing huge civilian casualties. He rejected that speaker's questions about the veracity of UNAMA's reporting. Talking about international law and Islamic solidarity while carrying out air strikes during the holy month of Ramadan is hypocritical, he added. UNAMA's mandate remains crucial, he said, as he highlighted India's humanitarian and capacity-building assistance in Afghanistan.
Iran's delegate expressed concern over the recent tensions between "our two brotherly neighbors", Afghanistan and Pakistan. The threat posed by terrorist groups continues to endanger Afghanistan and the wider region, he said, stressing the importance of regional cooperation mechanisms and initiatives, such as the Moscow Format and SCO [Shanghai Cooperation Organization] Afghanistan Contact Group. With a long, shared border, Iran has hosted millions of Afghan nationals for decades, he noted, as he expressed support for the extension of UNAMA's mandate.
Views Clash on UNAMA Mandate
However, the representative of the United States said that the Taliban's intransigence "forces us to ask hard questions about the value of continued international engagement and resources". UNAMA remains the most expensive special political mission in the UN system, warranting close scrutiny, he said. "All Missions including UNAMA must provide value for money," he stressed, adding that its upcoming mandate renewal must improve its effectiveness. He also condemned the Taliban's detention of United States citizens and sheltering of terrorist groups.
Other speakers, including the representative of Greece, stressed the crucial role of UNAMA. The representative of Colombia, Council President for June, speaking in her national capacity, noted that its presence facilitates dialogue, supports Afghan people and ensures a coordinated international response. Panama's delegate stressed that the mandate must preserve a robust human rights approach, while Denmark's delegate added that the women, peace and security agenda must remain central to all UN engagement on Afghanistan. The delegates of Bahrain, United Kingdom and Latvia, among others, condemned the draconian restrictions on women's rights.
The representative of France was among those who expressed concern about the presence of terrorist groups operating in that country. Liberia's delegate, who also spoke for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia, said that Afghan territory must not be used as a launchpad for transnational terrorist organizations. "There can be no security without development, and no development without security across Afghanistan," he stressed.
Central Asia Connectivity
Uzbekistan's delegate echoed other speakers in voicing support for UNAMA's critical work. He cited Central Asian countries' growing efforts to drive connectivity across the region, expand trade and improve economic integration, which will help lift up the Afghan people along with populations across the region. Turkmenistan, that country's delegate said, is advancing several major regional infrastructure initiatives involving Afghanistan - including power, railway and connectivity projects and the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline. Such infrastructure and development schemes "have always served the people of a country, rather than any particular regime or individual", he added.
Afghanistan has, in recent years, strengthened its engagement with international and regional partners, China's representative said, adding that dialogue should continue with a focus on building bridges and overcoming differences. Acknowledging the stark drop in international support, he called for Governments to remove sanctions on Afghanistan and urged traditional donors to increase their funding, with "countries bearing historical responsibility" taking the lead.
Echoing the need for constructive engagement, the representative of the Russian Federation said that nearly five years since the irresponsible withdrawal of foreign troops, Afghanistan "has traveled a long road and has endured". She commended UNAMA's "mosaic approach", which includes engagement with the Taliban on all key issues, including diplomatic representation, sanctions relief, combating terrorism and protecting human rights. However, some Western countries failed to learn from their past mistakes and seek to coerce the Afghan Government, she said.
Several speakers called for promptly appointing the head of UNAMA.
