Afghanistan Peace CampaignThe U.S. representative also stressed the need for the prompt appointment of a new UNAMA chief.
With just one week remaining before the expiration of UNAMA’s mandate in Afghanistan, Russia’s representative at a UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan said that what she described as the West’s instrumental use of UNAMA has put the mission’s future at risk.
The Russian diplomat also called for the swift appointment of a new head of UNAMA, stressing that the views of Afghanistan’s current authorities should be taken into account in the process.
Anna Evstigneeva, Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations, said: “The time has come for these countries to understand that such actions only aggravate existing challenges and jeopardize the future of UNAMA’s mission—a future that, unfortunately, remains uncertain due to the positions of some Security Council members. It is unlikely that the Afghan authorities would be interested in a UN presence and monitoring mechanism that serves only the interests of the forces that left Afghanistan in August 2021.”
China’s representative also highlighted UNAMA’s role in fostering coordination between Afghanistan and the international community and emphasized Beijing’s support for extending the mission’s mandate.
Fu Cong, China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said: “As the penholder on Afghanistan at the Security Council, China will make every effort to build consensus among Council members and ensure the successful extension of UNAMA’s mandate, in order to support Afghanistan’s development, stability, and its early integration into the international community.”
In contrast, the United States described UNAMA as the United Nations’ most expensive political mission and called for an assessment and review of its operations and effectiveness.
The U.S. representative also stressed the need for the prompt appointment of a new UNAMA chief.
Jeffrey Bartos, U.S. Representative for UN Management and Reform, said: “The United States appreciates council members using the upcoming mandate renewal to improve UNAMA’s effectiveness, and we look forward to the adoption of a streamlined resolution.On the diplomatic front, the UN-led comprehensive approach provides a potential path forward and the Taliban must engage seriously.”
The Islamic Emirate has not yet issued any new comments regarding the extension of UNAMA’s mandate or the mission’s operations. However, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, had previously stated that UNAMA has not been able to provide effective political representation in Afghanistan.
Mujahid had also expressed hope that the next head of UNAMA would help facilitate closer relations between Afghanistan and the international community.
These differing views on UNAMA’s performance come as the UN Security Council is expected to decide on the extension of the mission’s mandate in Afghanistan during a special session scheduled for next week.