October 05, 2026

Design a Consultation Process for the People of Afghanistan

By: Annie Pforzheimer

This article was originally published in the International Peace Institute.

A broad-based political process is an essential element of a stable peace for Afghanistan. The Security Council recognized this in its refocused mandate for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in June 2026. This mandate tasks the mission with facilitating dialogue “between the relevant authorities in Afghanistan and other relevant stakeholders, including regional countries and the wider international community as well as civil society” aimed at promoting compliance with the country’s international obligations. It also mandates the mission to promote “inclusive, representative, participatory and responsive governance.” This mandate echoes the 2023 UN Security Council–commissioned Independent Assessment, which called for a “national political dialogue that would establish inclusive governance and ensure sustainable peace.”

There is no regional stability, or end to the need for UNAMA, without a durable political solution—and no durable solution without asking the people what they want.

But while advocates, political movements, and members of civil society that oppose Taliban rule agree on many key principles of governance and human rights, they lack a comprehensive mechanism for creating targeted and prioritized demands for their side of such an agreement. UNAMA, tasked with finding a political end state for Afghanistan’s conflict, is well placed to support structured consultations among non-Taliban Afghans to prepare for future negotiations. As a first step, achievable right now, UNAMA should work with Afghan and international experts to design a framework for these consultations.

Read the full article in the International Peace Institute.

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