Afghanistan’s Permanent UN Envoy Calls for Transparent Management of Mining Revenues
Nasir Ahmad Faiq, the acting Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations, has emphasized that the country’s natural resources and mining revenues must be managed transparently and accountably, serving the national interests and the welfare of the people.
On Thursday, July 9, he wrote on X that the fundamental question is where the income derived from Afghanistan’s national wealth is spent, and whether there is independent oversight and clear accountability over mining revenues. According to him, the lack of transparency in this sector can lead to misuse and the promotion of factional interests.
Faiq pointed out that Afghanistan remains dependent on humanitarian aid from the international community, while millions of its residents, especially women, youth, and people with disabilities, struggle with poverty, unemployment, and despair.
He also referenced a rise in criminal activities, including armed robberies, kidnappings, and mysterious killings, noting that many citizens have been forced to migrate due to the difficult economic and social conditions.
While the Taliban administration currently controls natural resources and mining extraction contracts, comprehensive and accessible information about how the revenues from this sector are spent has yet to be released. Critics have repeatedly called for transparency, independent oversight, and guarantees that all Afghan people benefit from the country’s natural wealth.
Faiq stressed that Afghanistan’s natural resources belong collectively to all its people, and their management must be based on transparency, accountability, and serving national interests—not personal or factional gains.
