KABUL - Five years after the Taliban took power, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) notes that Afghanistan has experienced a period of improved security, while calling on the de facto authorities to take significant steps that could contribute to lasting stability for the Afghan people.
A reduction in conflict has brought tangible benefits for many Afghans and created opportunities to focus on recovery, development and regional economic cooperation, with positive steps taken including a ban on opium poppy cultivation.
At the same time, significant challenges – particularly the increasingly damaging restrictions on women and girls and ongoing terrorism concerns -- continue to impede Afghanistan’s path toward post-conflict recovery and progress towards the internationally-affirmed goal of an Afghanistan at peace with itself and its neighbours, fully reintegrated into the international community, and meeting its international obligations.
Since 2021, the United Nations has continued to engage with the de facto authorities and support the Afghan people through humanitarian assistance, basic services and on political and human rights issues. This has helped contribute to a measure of stability and set out a clear pathway for reintegration based on respect for the human rights and inclusion of all Afghans.
“The last five years have shown that Afghans deeply value peace and stability after decades of war,” said Georgette Gagnon, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Officer-in-Charge of UNAMA.
“But sustainable peace and prosperity require more than just an absence of conflict. Afghanistan’s future depends on building a society in which the rights and potential of all Afghans are realised and institutions are responsive and accountable,” Ms. Gagnon said.
“The goal shared by Afghans, the region and the international community is clear. To move closer to that goal, the de facto authorities must remove restrictions on women and girls, enabling their full participation in education, employment and public life, protect fundamental rights and freedoms, and address international concerns related to security and terrorism. These are international expectations and essential investments in Afghanistan’s long-term stability and prosperity.”
The de facto authorities’ severe restrictions on the rights of women and girls continue to carry profound social and economic costs and inflict both immediate and long-term harm on the Afghan people. These restrictions also remain a central obstacle to broader international engagement and investment, while constraints affecting civic space, freedom of expression and the work of women humanitarian and United Nations personnel also limit opportunities for Afghanistan to fully benefit from international support and cooperation.
Concerns related to terrorism complicate Afghanistan’s relationships with its neighbours and the wider international community. While important engagement between Afghanistan and countries in the region has generated some economic opportunities, lasting stability requires broader international engagement on multiple underlying risks that threaten Afghanistan’s long-term stability and stability in the region and beyond.
UNAMA calls on the international community to sustain principled and pragmatic engagement that supports the aspirations of the Afghan people and advances a comprehensive approach to Afghanistan’s long-term recovery and reintegration.