The Pulse | Diplomacy | Central Asia

Afghanistan: Evolving Role of Regional Cooperation and UNAMA

Afghanistan is no longer viewed exclusively as a source of risks, but increasingly as a space of opportunities, especially from Central Asia’s perspective.

Following the events of 2021, Afghanistan entered a unique political reality in which power is held by the Taliban as a de facto governing authority, yet without full international recognition. In this context, a key role in maintaining dialogue and preventing further destabilization is played by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), operating under the mandate of the United Nations Security Council.

Today, UNAMA performs a comprehensive set of critical functions aimed at preserving a minimum level of stability in the country and facilitating its gradual reintegration into the international community. UNAMA’s activities in Afghanistan are structured around three key areas.

The first is political engagement. The mission performs a “good offices” function, acting as an intermediary between the de facto authorities and the international community. Within this framework, diplomatic engagement is carried out alongside the promotion of international norms, including inclusive governance and public participation.

The second area is human rights monitoring. Particular attention is paid to the situation of women and girls, as well as to the observance of fundamental international obligations.

The third is the coordination of humanitarian and development assistance. In the context of a difficult socio-economic environment, the mission plays a central role in ensuring access for humanitarian actors and facilitating engagement with donors.

Thus, UNAMA simultaneously acts as a diplomatic intermediary, a monitoring body, and a coordinator of international assistance.

Despite the absence of formal recognition beyond Russia, the Taliban are treated as a de facto authority with which international actors are compelled to engage. The U.N. approach is based on pragmatic logic: the complete isolation of Afghanistan carries greater risks than managed engagement.

“The approach of the international community today is based on the understanding that engagement is the only practical way to deal with the current reality in Afghanistan,” a senior UNAMA official noted in a conversation with The Diplomat.

At the same time, decisions regarding recognition, sanctions, or diplomatic formats remain the prerogative of member states, while the U.N. performs monitoring and coordination functions.

The current sanctions regime is targeted and applies to specific individuals rather than Afghanistan as a whole. This leaves some space for economic activity. Nevertheless, the absence of recognition creates significant uncertainty for investors and infrastructure projects, constraining economic development.

One of the most promising directions is the development of regional cooperation with Central Asia specifically. The Central Asian states have pragmatic interests in stability – including security, counter-extremism, and trade development.

Central Asia plays an important role in maintaining stability in thee wider region, from humanitarian logistics to energy, trade, and water resource management. For example, the Uzbek city of Termez has become a key hub for the delivery of humanitarian supplies. Overall, Central Asia is increasingly emerging as a platform for the gradual engagement of Afghanistan through economic and infrastructure projects. 

Achieving a sustainable future for Afghanistan is complicated by the existence of several competing positions – those of the de facto authorities, Western countries, regional actors, and the Afghan diaspora.

“The key task today is to create a multilateral process through which the interests and concerns of all parties, including the various Member States, the de facto authorities, and the Afghan people, can be reflected and addressed. On some issues, the interests are significantly different; on others there is consensus,” a UNAMA mission representative emphasized. Aligning these positions into a unified strategy remains one of the central challenges of international diplomacy.

The main obstacle continues to be a deficit of trust between the parties. However, even under these conditions, space for dialogue remains. 

“Despite all differences, it is possible to have substantive discussions with the de facto authorities on many key issues – and this creates space for the gradual building of trust and enables maintained dialogue on more difficult issues,” a UNAMA representatives noted.

In this context, the U.N. mission serves as a mediator, ensuring communication between the parties.

At present, Afghanistan is in a state of relative stability, albeit far from ideal. “The alternatives to the current approach are limited: isolation leads to a deepening of the crisis, while attempts to forcibly change the situation carry the risk of renewed conflict,” a UNAMA representatives emphasized.

This makes a strategy of gradual engagement the most realistic option.

The international community’s approach to Afghanistan today is shaped by a pragmatic understanding: in the absence of consensus and with limited instruments of pressure, engagement remains the only viable mechanism for interacting with the current reality.

Within this framework, Kazakhstan is acquiring a special role, gradually transforming into a key platform linking global and regional agendas. On the one hand, UNAMA ensures day-to-day engagement with Afghan realities – from political dialogue to humanitarian coordination. On the other hand, a long-term infrastructure of sustainable development is being formed through regional mechanisms.

The opening in 2025 of the U.N. Regional Center for the Sustainable Development Goals in Almaty represents an important element of this architecture. The initiative, implemented with the participation of the United Nations’ Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, reflects a shift from abstract global approaches to practical regional implementation.

A functional division is emerging: while UNAMA addresses immediate political, economic, social, and humanitarian challenges in Afghanistan, the Almaty center lays the foundation for long-term sustainability – from water resource management to human capital development and digital inclusion across the broader Central Asian region.

In a context where global mechanisms often stall, regional formats are increasingly shaping Afghanistan’s future – and Kazakhstan is seeking to play a key role in this process.

The Afghan case serves as a clear example of Kazakhstan’s strategy, where “soft power” is exercised through integration rather than isolation. The deepening of economic cooperation, humanitarian assistance – including large-scale deliveries of food and medical supplies – and active educational programs together form a comprehensive approach aimed not only at stabilizing the situation but also at gradually integrating Afghanistan into regional processes.

This reflects a key shift: Afghanistan is no longer viewed exclusively as a source of risks, but increasingly as a space of opportunities – provided that the architecture of engagement is properly designed, flexible, pragmatic, and focused not on declarations, but on tangible results.

This article is based on a conversation with senior UNAMA representatives, as well as an analysis of the current international agenda on Afghanistan.

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Following the events of 2021, Afghanistan entered a unique political reality in which power is held by the Taliban as a de facto governing authority, yet without full international recognition. In this context, a key role in maintaining dialogue and preventing further destabilization is played by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), operating under the mandate of the United Nations Security Council.

Today, UNAMA performs a comprehensive set of critical functions aimed at preserving a minimum level of stability in the country and facilitating its gradual reintegration into the international community. UNAMA’s activities in Afghanistan are structured around three key areas.

The first is political engagement. The mission performs a “good offices” function, acting as an intermediary between the de facto authorities and the international community. Within this framework, diplomatic engagement is carried out alongside the promotion of international norms, including inclusive governance and public participation.

The second area is human rights monitoring. Particular attention is paid to the situation of women and girls, as well as to the observance of fundamental international obligations.

The third is the coordination of humanitarian and development assistance. In the context of a difficult socio-economic environment, the mission plays a central role in ensuring access for humanitarian actors and facilitating engagement with donors.

Thus, UNAMA simultaneously acts as a diplomatic intermediary, a monitoring body, and a coordinator of international assistance.

Despite the absence of formal recognition beyond Russia, the Taliban are treated as a de facto authority with which international actors are compelled to engage. The U.N. approach is based on pragmatic logic: the complete isolation of Afghanistan carries greater risks than managed engagement.

“The approach of the international community today is based on the understanding that engagement is the only practical way to deal with the current reality in Afghanistan,” a senior UNAMA official noted in a conversation with The Diplomat.

At the same time, decisions regarding recognition, sanctions, or diplomatic formats remain the prerogative of member states, while the U.N. performs monitoring and coordination functions.

The current sanctions regime is targeted and applies to specific individuals rather than Afghanistan as a whole. This leaves some space for economic activity. Nevertheless, the absence of recognition creates significant uncertainty for investors and infrastructure projects, constraining economic development.

One of the most promising directions is the development of regional cooperation with Central Asia specifically. The Central Asian states have pragmatic interests in stability – including security, counter-extremism, and trade development.

Central Asia plays an important role in maintaining stability in thee wider region, from humanitarian logistics to energy, trade, and water resource management. For example, the Uzbek city of Termez has become a key hub for the delivery of humanitarian supplies. Overall, Central Asia is increasingly emerging as a platform for the gradual engagement of Afghanistan through economic and infrastructure projects. 

Achieving a sustainable future for Afghanistan is complicated by the existence of several competing positions – those of the de facto authorities, Western countries, regional actors, and the Afghan diaspora.

“The key task today is to create a multilateral process through which the interests and concerns of all parties, including the various Member States, the de facto authorities, and the Afghan people, can be reflected and addressed. On some issues, the interests are significantly different; on others there is consensus,” a UNAMA mission representative emphasized. Aligning these positions into a unified strategy remains one of the central challenges of international diplomacy.

The main obstacle continues to be a deficit of trust between the parties. However, even under these conditions, space for dialogue remains. 

“Despite all differences, it is possible to have substantive discussions with the de facto authorities on many key issues – and this creates space for the gradual building of trust and enables maintained dialogue on more difficult issues,” a UNAMA representatives noted.

In this context, the U.N. mission serves as a mediator, ensuring communication between the parties.

At present, Afghanistan is in a state of relative stability, albeit far from ideal. “The alternatives to the current approach are limited: isolation leads to a deepening of the crisis, while attempts to forcibly change the situation carry the risk of renewed conflict,” a UNAMA representatives emphasized.

This makes a strategy of gradual engagement the most realistic option.

The international community’s approach to Afghanistan today is shaped by a pragmatic understanding: in the absence of consensus and with limited instruments of pressure, engagement remains the only viable mechanism for interacting with the current reality.

Within this framework, Kazakhstan is acquiring a special role, gradually transforming into a key platform linking global and regional agendas. On the one hand, UNAMA ensures day-to-day engagement with Afghan realities – from political dialogue to humanitarian coordination. On the other hand, a long-term infrastructure of sustainable development is being formed through regional mechanisms.

The opening in 2025 of the U.N. Regional Center for the Sustainable Development Goals in Almaty represents an important element of this architecture. The initiative, implemented with the participation of the United Nations’ Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, reflects a shift from abstract global approaches to practical regional implementation.

A functional division is emerging: while UNAMA addresses immediate political, economic, social, and humanitarian challenges in Afghanistan, the Almaty center lays the foundation for long-term sustainability – from water resource management to human capital development and digital inclusion across the broader Central Asian region.

In a context where global mechanisms often stall, regional formats are increasingly shaping Afghanistan’s future – and Kazakhstan is seeking to play a key role in this process.

The Afghan case serves as a clear example of Kazakhstan’s strategy, where “soft power” is exercised through integration rather than isolation. The deepening of economic cooperation, humanitarian assistance – including large-scale deliveries of food and medical supplies – and active educational programs together form a comprehensive approach aimed not only at stabilizing the situation but also at gradually integrating Afghanistan into regional processes.

This reflects a key shift: Afghanistan is no longer viewed exclusively as a source of risks, but increasingly as a space of opportunities – provided that the architecture of engagement is properly designed, flexible, pragmatic, and focused not on declarations, but on tangible results.

This article is based on a conversation with senior UNAMA representatives, as well as an analysis of the current international agenda on Afghanistan.

Timur Serikuly is a member of the editorial board at the Open World Center for Analysis and Forecasting (Astana) and an expert in international conflict studies and geopolitics. He has diplomatic and peace-building experience in the Middle East.

Afghanistan-Central Asia relations

Afghanistan-Kazakhstan relations

UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)

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