Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Munir Akram, met with Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, on Thursday, expressing Pakistan’s full support for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
During their meeting, Akram and Otunbayeva also discussed ongoing humanitarian aid efforts in Afghanistan, according to a statement issued by Pakistan’s UN mission.
The meeting comes amid criticism from the Taliban, who recently labelled UNAMA’s mission in Afghanistan a “failure.” Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid accused the UN mission of publishing “negative and inaccurate” reports about Afghanistan, arguing that such reports contribute to a “negative perception” of the country within the United Nations.
The United Nations has announced that Otunbayeva will brief the UN Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan on 10 March.
On 15 March last year, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution extending UNAMA’s mandate for another year. A decision on whether to extend the mission further is expected soon.
Pakistan’s UN mission emphasised that Ambassador Akram reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to supporting UNAMA’s mandate and its role in Afghanistan.
In June 2024, Pakistan was elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Alongside Denmark, Greece, Panama, and Somalia, Pakistan secured a two-year term with overwhelming support from the UN General Assembly. These five countries will serve on the Security Council from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026.
