UN Security Council to Vote on Extending Mandate of Afghanistan Sanctions Monitoring Team

The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to vote on Thursday on a draft resolution to extend the mandate of its Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning Afghanistan.

The team oversees sanctions imposed by the Security Council on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Its current mandate is set to expire on February 17, and the Council has described the decision on the extension as an important issue.

Wais Naseri, a political analyst, said: “This committee prepares annual reports for the UN Security Council, and based on these reports, the Security Council decides each year not to hand over Afghanistan’s seat at the United Nations to the Taliban.”

According to the Security Council, the United States is responsible for drafting issues related to sanctions on Afghanistan. These sanctions include asset freezes, travel bans, and arms embargoes against individuals, groups, and entities associated with the Islamic Emirate.

Aziz Ma’arej, a former diplomat, said: “The experience of at least the past four years has shown that sanctions against officials of the Islamic Emirate have not benefited the people of Afghanistan, the Islamic Emirate, or even the world. Instead of sanctions, a path of dialogue and understanding should be pursued.”

The Islamic Emirate has not yet commented on the matter but has previously called for the lifting of sanctions on its officials.

This comes as the UN sanctions monitoring team previously published a report listing 61 senior members of the Islamic Emirate, 35 of whom were cabinet members and high-ranking officials.