Permanent Security Council Meeting on Afghanistan called upon by The UN Chief

By – Devanshi Srivastava

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres summoned a meeting of the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council on 26th August 2021 to address the chaotic situation in Afghanistan, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

According to sources, Mr. Guterres has written letters to the leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China, officially inviting them to a meeting on Monday.

In addition, certain members of the so-called P5 had been debating the idea of meeting for many days, according to the statement.

According to one official, Russia was hesitant at first, but now all five countries are likely to join.

The meeting, according to a spokesman for Mr. Guterres, would not include the existing 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council, as previously announced.

The United Nations Security Council’s entire membership last convened in Afghanistan on August 16, a day after the Taliban seized control of the nation.

Mr. Guterres also denounced the explosions at Kabul International Airport on Thursday, which claimed the lives of scores of people, including 12 U.S. troops, and were claimed by the Islamic State group.

According to him, “this event highlights the adversity of the situation on the ground in Afghanistan, but it also reinforces our determination as we continue to provide critical assistance throughout the country to help the Afghan people.”

It is still unclear how the Taliban would be viewed by the United Nations if the terrorist organization were to proclaim itself the legitimate authority in Afghanistan, as has been suggested. Many nations in the 193-member organization have denounced the Taliban’s cruelty, and such a statement would almost certainly be rejected by the international community.

The United Nations employs about 3,000 Afghan workers and approximately 720 foreign staff members in Afghanistan, but almost half of the international workforce has been working outside of the country since the epidemic began last year, according to UN figures.

Officials from the United Nations have said on many occasions that there are no preparations to remove any staff personnel from the country. Last week, however, the UN Secretary-spokesman, General’s Stéphane Dujarric, said that the organization was assessing the security situation “hour by hour.”

The Taliban has promised that they would not interfere with United Nations relief efforts. However, on July 30, the Taliban launched an assault on a United Nations office in the western city of Herat, killing a local security officer who was protecting the facility.

The primary United Nations operation in Afghanistan, which is headquartered in Kabul and known as the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, was created in 2002 to assist in the establishment of a government after the American-led invasion of the country.

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