UNAMA is a political mission that provides political good offices in Afghanistan; works with and supports the government; supports the process of peace and reconciliation; monitors and promotes human rights and the protection of civilians in armed conflict; promotes good governance; and encourages regional cooperation.

UNAMA was established by the UN Security Council Resolution 1401 in March 2002 at the request of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Its mandate is reviewed annually with the latest mandate renewal being on 15 March 2019 when the Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2460 

Resolution 2460 (2019) calls for UNAMA and the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, within their mandate and in a manner consistent with Afghan sovereignty, leadership and ownership, to continue to lead and coordinate international civilian efforts in full cooperation with the Government of Afghanistan.

UNAMA maintains a permanent and extensive field presence across Afghanistan, as well as liaison offices in Pakistan and Iran. The Mission has more than 1, 211 staff - comprised of 833 Afghan nationals, 310 international staff and 68 UNVs. (Figures from December 2018.)

UNAMA’s vision is for a stable and prosperous Afghanistan that lives at peace with itself and its neighbours, where the Afghan peoples’ human rights are upheld and basic services are available to all.

UNAMA’s mission is to support the people and government of Afghanistan in achieving peace and stability, in line with the rights and obligations enshrined in the Afghan constitution. Based on UNAMA’s comparative advantage, it pursues its mission by:

Building a culture of peace, including: backing conflict prevention and resolution, as well as peace processes;  promoting inclusion and social cohesion;  strengthening regional cooperation in support of peace and stability; supporting gender-sensitive peacebuilding and recovery; and the adoption of transitional justice;

Strengthening the Afghan state by promoting national ownership and accountable institutions that are built on rule of law, good governance, and respect for human rights, and that deliver basic services to the population throughout the country; and

Achieving greater coherence between Afghan government priorities and international community civilian efforts in the areas of peace, governance and development.