The UN voted Thursday to establish formal ties with Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, despite the government not being recognized on the international level.
The resolution did not mention the word “Taliban” and “renewed the mandate of the UN special political mission in the country,” arguing that “the mission [will] focus on coordinating the provision of humanitarian assistance, providing outreach and good offices for dialogue, and promoting good governance and the rule of law.”
UN political missions are often “civilian missions that are deployed for a limited duration to support Member States in good offices, conflict prevention, peacemaking and peacebuilding.”
The resolution vows to “facilitate dialogue between all relevant Afghan stakeholders” to promote human rights, including the rights of women, aid in stopping mass food insecurity and prevent terrorism.
Fourteen members of the Security Council voted in favor, with Russia abstaining.
No country has recognized the Taliban-led Islamic Emirate as the legitimate successor of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. (RELATED: State Department Won’t Answer If Taliban Should Get Afghan Seat At United Nations)
The Security Council today extended the mandate of the @UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan for 12 months, stressing the important role that the United Nations will continue to play in promoting peace and stability in #Afghanistan. Here’s the resolution: pic.twitter.com/LyFEY9tryr
— UN Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (@UNDPPA) March 17, 2022
“This new mandate for UNAMA (the UN mission to Afghanistan) is crucial not only to respond to the immediate humanitarian and economic crisis, but also to reach our overarching goal of peace and stability in Afghanistan,” Norwegian UN ambassador Mona Juul said after the vote.
A group of Republican Senators introduced a bill in 2021 to stop providing aid to the Taliban, and designate Afghanistan as a “state sponsor of terrorism” and the Taliban as a “terrorist organization.” (REPORT: Taliban Kills More Than 100 Former Afghan Troops Since Biden Withdrawal)
Approximately 95% of Afghans aren’t getting enough to eat as the country faces mass food insecurity due to a drought and a dire financial situation, according to the UN.