United Nations Security Council Resolution 2626 – The situation in Afghanistan

Resolution 2626 (2022)

The Security Council,

Recalling its previous resolutions on Afghanistan, in particular its resolution 2596 (2021) extending through 17 March 2022 the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA),

Stressing the important role that the United Nations will continue to play in promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan,

Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Afghanistan, as well as its continued support for the people of Afghanistan,

Recognizing that an integrated and coherent approach among relevant political, humanitarian and development actors, within and outside of the United Nations system, consistent with their respective mandates, is critical to building and sustaining peace in Afghanistan,

Emphasizing the importance of the establishment of an inclusive and representative government, further emphasizing the importance of the full, equal and meaningful participation of women, and upholding human rights, including for women, children and minorities,

Expressing its deep concern regarding the dire economic and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, including food insecurity, and recalling that women, children, and minorities have been disproportionately affected, recognizing the need to help address the substantial challenges facing Afghanistan’s economy, including through efforts to restore the banking and financial systems and efforts to enable the use of assets belonging to Afghanistan’s Central Bank for the benefit of the Afghan people, and for strengthened efforts to provide humanitarian assistance and other activities that support basic human needs in Afghanistan, in accordance with resolution 2615 (2021), and the important coordination role of the United Nations in this regard, and emphasizing that the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance requires all actors to allow full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access for all humanitarian personnel, including women, for United Nations agencies, international and national non-governmental organizations, and other humanitarian actors,

Expressing its serious concern about the situation of women and girls, the imposition of restrictions on their participation in public life, and the erosion of respect for their rights, in particular through their lack of equal access to education, economic opportunities, justice and other services,

Acknowledging that enhancing respect for the civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights of all Afghans is of critical importance as well as contributes to the conditions essential to creating sustainable development in Afghanistan,

Further expressing its deep concern about the security situation in Afghanistan, particularly the situation for civilians, including women, children, displaced persons, minorities, and humanitarian workers, as well as the presence of landmines, improvised explosive devices and explosive remnants of war, and the number of reported serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses across the country, and stressing the importance of sustained efforts to reduce violence and that perpetrators of such violence must be held accountable,

Reaffirming the importance of combating terrorism in Afghanistan, including those individuals and groups designated by the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015), and ensuring the territory of Afghanistan should not be used to threaten or attack any country, to plan or finance terrorist acts, or to shelter and train terrorists, and that no Afghan group or individual should support terrorists operating on the territory of any country,

Expressing concern over the cultivation, production, trade and trafficking of illicit drugs in Afghanistan which continue to pose a threat to peace and stability in the region and beyond, calling upon states to strengthen international and regional cooperation to counter this threat and recognizing the important role of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in this context,

1. Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General of 28 January 2022 (S/2022/64);

2. Expresses its appreciation for the United Nations’ long-term commitment to support the people of Afghanistan and reiterates its full support to the work of UNAMA and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, and stresses the need for its continued field presence;

3. Welcomes UNAMA’s ongoing efforts in the implementation of its mandated tasks and priorities;

4. Decides to extend until 17 March 2023 the mandate of UNAMA, as previously defined in its resolutions 1662 (2006), 1746 (2007), 1806 (2008), 1868 (2009), 1917 (2010), 1974 (2011), 2041 (2012), 2096 (2013), 2145 (2014), 2210 (2015), 2274 (2016), 2344 (2017), 2405 (2018), 2460 (2019), 2489 (2019), 2543 (2020), 2596 (2021) and paragraph 5 below;

5. Decides further that UNAMA and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General will continue to carry out their mandate in close consultations with all relevant Afghan political actors and stakeholders, including relevant authorities as needed, in support of the people of Afghanistan in a manner consistent with Afghan sovereignty, leadership and ownership, with a particular focus on the priorities laid out below:

(a) coordinate and facilitate, in accordance with international law, including international humanitarian law, and consistent with humanitarian principles, the provision of humanitarian assistance and financial resources to support humanitarian activities, taking into account resolution 2615 (2021), and strengthen the cooperation and coherence of activities across Afghanistan, work towards improving the accessibility of the full spectrum of activities by humanitarian and development agencies and personnel, both women and men, across all ethnic groups, in all areas of the country, in support of all people in need, including women, children, displaced persons, minorities and persons with disabilities, as well as support efforts to create conditions conducive to a voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable re turn and reintegration of internally displaced persons and refugee populations, while taking steps to avoid unnecessary duplication of other relevant entities’ efforts in this regard;

(b) coordinate international donors and organizations in relation to basic human needs, taking into account resolution 2615 (2021), including through information-sharing, facilitate development policy dialogue between all relevant Afghan stakeholders, the region and the wider international community, support efforts to increase accountability, transparency and the effective use of aid without discrimination, and support community-based systems for meeting basic human needs and increasing resilience, support the provision of essential services to the Afghan population and contribute to creating economic and social conditions that can lead to self-reliance and stability, and continue to work with all relevant stakeholders and international financial institutions to facilitate commercial and financial activity in Afghanistan and support efforts to facilitate access to assets belonging to Afghanistan’s Central Bank for the benefit of the Afghan people;

(c) provide outreach and good offices, including to facilitate dialogue between all relevant Afghan political actors and stakeholders, the region and the wider international community, with a focus on promoting inclusive, representative, participatory and responsive governance at the national and subnational levels, without any discrimination based on gender, religion or ethnicity, with the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and the meaningful participation of minorities, youth and persons with disabilities, provide advice on inclusive national and local consultative mechanisms, as well as confidence-building measures, capacity-building, conflict management and reconciliation;

(d) promote responsible governance and the rule of law, including transitional justice, monitor and report on political, security, social and economic developments, including the adverse impacts of the drought, provide assistance as appropriate to the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team established pursuant to paragraph 7 of resolution 1526 (2004), monitor and analyse security dynamics across the country, perform analysis relating to political economy, including a better understanding of the illicit economy, provide comprehensive analysis and liaise with all relevant Afghan political actors, civil society representatives and other stakeholders to promote political inclusion and broad participation in the conduct of public affairs, and analyse and report on developments relating to the rule of law;

(e) engage with all stakeholders at the national and subnational levels and civil society and international non-governmental organizations in the protection and promotion of the human rights of all Afghans, monitor, report and advocate with regard to the situation for civilians, the prevention and elimination of violence, including a survivor-centred approach to preventing and responding to sexual and gender-based violence, the prevention of torture, monitoring of places of detention and the promotion of the rights of detainees, as well as monitor and report on civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights to assist with efforts to further reduce poverty and support social cohesion, support the rights of victims and civic engagement, promote, support and advise on Afghanistan’s implementation of the provisions of instruments concerning human rights and fundamental freedoms to which Afghanistan is a State party and by which it is bound, including the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and advocate for the provision of and equal access to essential public services, due process and justice, and as appropriate provide technical advice to duty bearers on international human rights standards;

(f) integrate gender mainstreaming as a cross-cutting issue throughout the implementation of its mandate, support and promote gender equality, women’s and girls’ empowerment and the full protection of their human rights, including education, and the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation, engagement and leadership of women in all levels and stages of decision-making, in line with resolution 1325 (2000)and related resolutions, and engage with diverse Afghan women’s organizations and networks, as well as monitor and report specifically on violations, abuses and reprisals committed against women, including against those who protect and promote human rights, journalists, health-care and humanitarian workers, as well as those previously associated with the government, police, justice and security sector;

(g) monitor and report on violations and abuses against children, and support efforts to strengthen the protection of children, including through en gagement with parties listed in the annexes of the Secretary-General’s report on Children and Armed Conflict (A/75/873-S/2021/437) to undertake specific commitments and measures to end and prevent violations and abuses against children;

(h) support regional cooperation, with a view to promoting stability and peace, as well as assisting Afghanistan in utilizing its role at the heart of Asia to promote regional cooperation and connectivity, based on transparency, openness, and inclusiveness, welcome joint efforts to enhance dialogue and collaboration and to advance shared goals of economic development across the region, and facilitate coordinated approaches by countries and organizations in the region to contribute to a stable and prosperous Afghanistan;

(i) coordinate the overall risk management approach of the United Nations in Afghanistan, including monitoring, analysis and escalation of risks related to the assistance coordinated by the United Nations to Afghanistan in line with paragraphs 5 (a) and 5 (b) of this resolution, including the risk of aid diversion;

(j) support, within its mandate, existing mechanisms to improve the overall security situation in Afghanistan, provide assessments of the explosive ordnance threat and its impact on civilians, including children, advise and coordinate explosive ordnance threat mitigation measures in support of humanitarian and development initiatives, support the coordination of the humanitarian mine action sector, and support regional and international efforts to prevent and address the illicit trade in and destabilizing accumulation of small arms and light weapons and their diversion in Afghanistan and the region;

6. Stresses the critical importance of a continued presence of UNAMA and other United Nations Agencies, Funds and Programmes across Afghanistan, and calls upon all relevant Afghan political actors and stakeholders, including relevant authorities as needed, as well as international actors to coordinate with UNAMA in the implementation of its mandate and to ensure the safety, security and freedom of movement of United Nations and associated personnel throughout the country;

7. Requests that the Secretary-General reports to the Council every three months on the situation in Afghanistan, and the implementation of UNAMA’s mandate, including at the subnational level;

8. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

Adopted by the Security Council at its 8997th meeting, on 17 March 2022.