UN Security Council to Vote on Extending Sanctions Monitoring Mission on Taliban in February
The United Nations Security Council is set to vote this month on a draft resolution to extend the mandate of the UN sanctions monitoring team against the Taliban. The Council has stated that this extension will be a key agenda item for February and may continue for another year without major changes.
According to the draft resolution, the monitoring team’s mission, which supports the Afghanistan Sanctions Committee, was initially set to run until February 17 of this year. Established in 1988, the Committee enforces asset freezes, travel bans, and arms embargoes on individuals, groups, companies, and entities associated with the Taliban.
A Security Council report published on February 1, 2026, noted that aside from humanitarian exemptions outlined in Resolution 2615 of December 2021, the Afghanistan sanctions regime has not been substantially updated since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. This indicates that international pressure mechanisms have not kept pace with developments on the ground in Afghanistan.
The report, citing claims by the Taliban administration of improvements in peace and security, emphasizes that women, girls, and minority groups have not benefited from this situation. The Security Council described the conditions of women and girls as “particularly dire,” reflecting serious human rights concerns arising from extensive restrictions on their education, employment, and social participation.
Economically, the report highlights factors exacerbating the crisis including reduced foreign aid, natural disasters, geopolitical tensions, and the forced return of over 4.5 million Afghan citizens from neighboring countries since October 2023. These conditions have placed severe pressure on the livelihoods of the country’s residents.
From a security perspective, the Security Council report identifies terrorism as the most serious challenge facing the Taliban administration. Attacks by Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan from Afghan soil against Pakistan have been described as the “greatest short-term threat” to the Taliban’s stability.
Under Security Council Resolution 2734, adopted on June 10, 2024, the monitoring team’s mandate to support the Sanctions Committee was extended until June 2027. The Security Council noted that the team enjoys broad support among Council members. The United States continues to hold the pen for Afghanistan sanctions issues, although at the time of the report’s publication, the chairmanship of the Afghanistan Sanctions Committee for 2026 had not been finalized; Pakistan chaired the committee in 2025.
