UN Security Council to Vote on Extending Afghanistan Sanctions Monitoring Mandate

The United Nations Security Council will vote later this month on a draft resolution to extend the mandate of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, which assists the 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee. The team's current mandate expires on February 17, according to a UN Security Council report.

The 1988 Afghanistan sanctions regime includes asset freezes, travel bans and arms embargoes targeting individuals, groups and entities associated with the Islamic Emirate. The monitoring team acts as the technical and expert arm of the Security Council, with responsibilities including monitoring sanctions implementation, collecting and analyzing security-related information, examining terrorist financing methods, providing recommendations, reviewing the sanctions list and assisting countries in implementation.

The report notes that in 2025, the United States blocked travel exemptions for Islamic Emirate officials, leading some countries to notify the sanctions committee of such travel instead of requesting exemptions.

University professor Mohammad Aslam Daneshyar commented: “The United States imposes various policies to serve its political objectives and to enforce its policy demands, and it seeks to maintain its presence here. However, we call on the United States and the Security Council to adopt a policy of engagement instead of confrontation.”

The Islamic Emirate has not commented on the upcoming vote, though it has previously called for the lifting of sanctions on its officials. Earlier, the monitoring team published the names of 61 senior Islamic Emirate members, including 35 cabinet members and high-ranking officials.