Afghanistan Peace CampaignFor the past three years, Afghanistan has been deprived of its voting rights due to nonpayment of its annual membership fee, which amounts to $200,000.
However, for the past three years, the country has been deprived of its voting rights due to nonpayment of its annual membership fee, which amounts to $200,000.
Before 2021, the previous government paid this amount. Afghanistan’s arrears have now exceeded $900,000.
Political analyst Dawood Shiraz says, “After the Islamic Emirate took power in Afghanistan, the country’s voting rights were suspended, and the United Nations requested the annual payment of $200,000 in membership fees. From 2021 until now, around $900,000 has not been paid by Afghanistan. As long as countries do not recognize the Emirate, how can it pay this money?”
Following the political changes of 2021 and the return of the Islamic Emirate to power, the issue of Afghanistan’s representation at the United Nations entered a new phase. Although the Islamic Emirate exercises de facto control over the country, Afghanistan’s seat at the United Nations remains with the representative of the former government, a situation that has become one of the more complex cases in multilateral diplomacy.
Political analyst Idris Mohammadi Zazi says, “The rightful holder of Afghanistan’s seat at the United Nations is the people of Afghanistan, someone who represents and defends all ethnic groups of the country.”
Another political analyst, Maiwand Jorat Noori, states, “Afghanistan has the right to vote at the United Nations, and the seat should be given to Afghanistan’s representative. Through this, we can raise our voice on the global stage.”
Meanwhile, officials of the Islamic Emirate have repeatedly insisted that Afghanistan’s UN seat should be transferred to their nominated representative, describing it as part of national sovereignty.
Previously, a spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate stated that if Afghanistan’s seat at the United Nations is handed over to the Islamic Emirate, it is prepared to pay the country’s outstanding membership dues.