Revised Role for the UN in Afghanistan: Pragmatic Presence Today; Preparing for Opportunities Tomorrow

Authors: Professor Michael Semple and Atta Ur Rahman Saleem

The Taliban leadership is uncompromisingly pursuing an ideological project irrespective of the wishes of Afghanistan’s people. This means that there is little immediate prospect of progress towards either an internal Afghan political settlement or the normalisation of Afghanistan’s international relations. Nevertheless, despite the current Afghan impasse and crowded international agenda, it is important to recommit to the United Nations’ political mission. The renewal in March 2026 of the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is an opportunity to reposition it for what might be considered Afghanistan’s ‘lean years’ – when strategic progress through engagement with Taliban senior leadership is impossible.

The extremist nature of the Taliban’s ideological project suggests that, sooner or later, Afghanistan may again disturb regional peace and stability. The Taliban’s adventurism both makes it important for the international community to maintain a UN presence in the country, and also constrains what the UN can realistically do there. Avowedly modest objectives would enable the mission to maintain valuable engagement without unrealistically promising to transform the Taliban. This will ensure that the mission is credible and valuable, and also available to help Afghans attain a just and sustainable peace when new opportunities for progress open up.