Mandate of UN mission in Afghanistan extended for 6 months

The Security Council has adopted a resolution extending the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for six months until March 17, 2022.

Resolution 2596, which won the unanimous support of the 15-member Council on Friday, stressed the critical importance of a continued presence of UNAMA and other agencies, funds and programs across the war-torn country, reports Xinhua news agency.

It also called on all Afghan and international parties to coordinate with UNAMA in the implementation of its mandate and to ensure the safety, security and freedom of movement of UN and associated personnel throughout the nation.

The resolution requested the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to submit a written report to the Security Council by January 31, 2022 on strategic and operational recommendations for the UNAMA mandate in light of the recent political, security and social developments following the country's takeover by the Taliban.

It further asked Guterres to brief the Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan and the work of UNAMA every other month before the current resolution expires.