What's In Blue

Posted Mon 21 Mar 2011

Insights on Afghanistan

Following a week of intense discussions the UNAMA resolution went into blue today and the Council is expected adopt it tomorrow morning.

Council members appear to be of one mind that the UNAMA mandate needs only minor adjusting rather than a major overhaul. The main issue has been how to incorporate the views of the Afghan government. The Afghanistan permanent representative in New York had written to the Council on 4 March asking for UNAMA’s mandate to be renewed with “incorporation of the Kabul process”. The letter specifically asked for UNAMA’s mandate not to make reference to electoral reform, to limit UNAMA’s offices to six recognised zones, and not to refer to UNAMA’s governance and rule of law activities at the subnational level. The Afghan government also indicated that it would like to see a comprehensive review of UNAMA’s mandate in six months.

Since sending the letter members of the Afghan mission in New York have had a number of informal meetings with Council members as well as with the Core Group on Afghanistan.

It appears that the final version of the resolution will not fundamentally change UNAMA’s mandate but does provide a comprehensive review at the end of 2011.

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