Overview

      
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MANDATE Dari - Pashto

On 20 March 2008, the United Nations Security Council, in its resolution 1806 (2008) extended the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for one year, until 23 March 2009. UNAMA’s overall function is to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan by leading efforts of the international community in conjunction with the Government of Afghanistan in rebuilding the country and strengthening the foundations of peace and constitutional democracy.

While the Security Council decided that the UNAMA mandate remains as defined by previous resolutions, 1662 (2006) and 1746 (2007), the resolution spelled out that UNAMA and its new Special Representative of the Secretary-General (Kai Eide of Norway), will lead civilian efforts to:

:: Promote more coherent support by the international community to the Afghan Government;
:: Strengthen cooperation with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF);
:: Provide political outreach through a strengthened and expanded presence throughout the country;
:: Provide good offices in support of Afghan-led reconciliation programmes;
:: Support efforts to improve governance and the rule of law and to combat corruption;
:: Play a central coordinating role to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid;
:: Monitor the human rights situation of civilians and coordinate human rights protection;
:: Support the electoral process through the Afghan Independent Electoral Commission;
:: Support regional cooperation in working for a more stable and prosperous Afghanistan.

Afghanistan was admitted as a member of the United Nations on 19th November 1946 and its relationship with the UN thus goes back some 60 years. Many of the major UN agencies work in Afghanistan with Afghan counterparts and with national and international NGO partners. All UN programmes recognize the lead role played by the Afghan Government.

UNAMA structure

UNAMA is a political mission, directed and supported by the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations. As an ‘integrated’ mission, UNAMA has two main pillars, one dealing with development and humanitarian issues, and the other handling political matters. The mission has some 1,300 staff, the vast majority of whom (around 80 percent) are Afghan nationals.

UNAMA coordinates all activities of the UN system in the country and works for the establishment of strong and sustainable Afghan institutions. The framework for cooperation between the Government of Afghanistan, the United Nations and the international community is outlined by the Afghanistan Compact, a blueprint for working towards peace and security, rule of law, good governance, human rights protection and sustainable economic and social development over a five-year period. The Compact was launched on 31 January 2006.

There are a number of guidelines that characterize the work of UNAMA: all activities of the UN system are coordinated and the programme of work is determined by Afghan needs and priorities; the Mission aims at having as many nationals as possible in posts that traditionally have been occupied by expatriates; capacity-building is a cardinal principle and UNAMA works towards the establishment of strong and sustainable Afghan institutions - in that context its ultimate goal is to work itself out of a job.

UNAMA’s priorities include strengthening Afghan institutions and building the capacity of the Afghan Administration at all levels, including the development of institutions of good governance, of law and order, and of security. Emphasis is also given to increasing employment and cash for work schemes, which provide income to families.