UN Security Council Meets to Discuss UNAMA Mandate Extension

The United Nations Security Council gathered to deliberate on the extension of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), with its current mandate set to expire on March 17, 2025, Afghanistan International reported.

UNAMA was established on March 28, 2002, through UN Security Council Resolution 1401, with the primary goal of supporting the Afghan people. The Security Council reviews its mandate annually to evaluate the changing needs of Afghanistan before approving an extension.

Afghanistan has been a UN member since 1946, and various UN agencies, including UNICEF, have been active in the country since 1949. UNAMA is headquartered in Kabul and has regional offices throughout Afghanistan, as well as in Iran and Pakistan. The mission employs around 1,187 personnel, including 799 Afghan nationals and 293 international staff.

Since the Taliban regained power, the group has enforced strict limitations on women’s roles in public life, including a prohibition on female UNAMA staff from participating in the mission, which complicates the UN’s efforts to aid the Afghan population. Roza Otunbayeva currently serves as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and leads UNAMA.