New York (TDI): In a unanimous vote, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has extended the mandate of the UN’s Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for another year.
All fifteen members of the UNSC voted in favor of Resolution 2777, which was circulated by Pakistan and China.
In his ‘explanation of the vote,’ Ambassador Munir Akram – the outgoing Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, repeatedly referred to terrorism originating from Afghanistan.
He appreciated the joint condemnation of the Jaffar Express attack by the members of the UNSC and brought to attention that the Taliban have not been able to root out ISIS and TTP from their land.
#BREAKING
UN Security Council UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTS resolution extending the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in #Afghanistan (#UNAMA) for one yearAll 15 members voted in favor pic.twitter.com/oHMT8NrYQK
— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) March 17, 2025
He highlighted that the Taliban Government “has not been effective” in eliminating Da’esh, “and is complicit in the cross-border attacks against Pakistan by the TTP, together with the BLA and the Majeed Brigade”
Referring to the Jaffar Express tragedy, Ambassador Munir told the meeting that throughout the hijacking of the train, the attackers were in contact with their handlers in Afghanistan.
“Pakistan has, therefore, legitimately demanded that the international community—and the Security Council – address terrorism within and from Afghanistan as a matter of priority,” he added.
Ambassador Munir further said that Pakistan is fully ready to assist UNAMA’s work in Afghanistan and that Afghanistan’s biggest challenges, “development, drugs, and terrorism,” are still a long way from bringing peace to the country.
In the recent past, Pakistan has repeatedly drawn the attention of the UNSC towards the use of Afghan soil by the terrorists and the patronage they enjoy from the Taliban.
“Pakistan has, therefore, legitimately demanded that the international community – and the Security Council – address terrorism within and from Afghanistan as a matter of priority. We appreciate the Press Statement issued by the Council on 14 March which “condemned in the… pic.twitter.com/XhnTB2cCia
— Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN (@PakistanUN_NY) March 17, 2025
UNSC, in its monitoring reports, has also pinned TTP, Al-Qaeda, and Daesh for their continued presence in Afghanistan.
United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has around 1200 personnel stationed in Kabul since 2022. With the renewal of the mandate, UNAMA will stay in Afghanistan till 17 March 2026.
Among other things, a major consideration for extending UNAMA’s mandate is the health warning issued by World Health Organization (WHO), cautioning of a looming health catastrophe in Afghanistan.
