UN establishes formal ties with Taliban-governed Afghanistan

The UN Security Council voted Thursday to establish formal ties with Taliban-run Afghanistan, which has yet to win widespread international recognition.

It did so in approving a resolution that does not use the word Taliban and spells out the new one-year mandate of the UN political mission in Afghanistan, which it said was "crucial" to peace in the country.

The vote was 14 in favor, with one abstention, by Russia.

The resolution includes several strands of cooperation, on the humanitarian, political and human rights fronts, including those of women, children and journalists.

"This new mandate for UNAMA (the UN mission to Afghanistan) is crucial not only to respond to the immediate humanitarian and economic crisis, but also to reach our overarching goal of peace and stability in Afghanistan," Norwegian UN ambassador Mona Juul, whose country drafted the resolution, told AFP after the vote.

"The Council gives a clear message with this new mandate: UNAMA has a crucial role to play in promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan and to support the Afghan people as they face unprecedented challenges and uncertainty," Juul said.