The United Nations sanctions framework against the Taliban began with Security Council Resolution 1267 (1999), which imposed an aviation ban and asset freeze on the Taliban regime in Afghanistan for sheltering Osama bin Laden after the 1998 East Africa embassy bombings. Resolution 1267 also created the 1267 Sanctions Committee and a consolidated list of designated persons and entities.
Subsequent resolutions broadened the regime. Resolution 1333 (2000) added an arms embargo and expanded the asset freeze to cover bin Laden and Al-Qaida associates. Resolution 1390 (2002), adopted after the fall of the Taliban government, removed the territorial focus on Afghanistan and turned the list into a global targeted-sanctions tool against Al-Qaida, the Taliban, and associated individuals.
In 2011, the Council split the regime in two. Resolution 1988 created a dedicated Taliban sanctions list and committee (the 1988 Committee), focused on individuals and entities associated with the Taliban that constitute a threat to the peace, stability, and security of Afghanistan. Resolution 1989 kept the Al-Qaida (later ISIL/Da'esh and Al-Qaida) track separate under the 1267/1989/2253 regime.
Measures under the 1988 regime include:
- Asset freeze on funds and economic resources owned or controlled by listed parties.
- Travel ban preventing entry or transit through UN member states.
- Arms embargo prohibiting the supply of weapons and related materiel.
The Monitoring Team established under Resolution 1526 (2004) supports the committee with periodic reports on listed parties, financing, and implementation gaps. The Office of the Ombudsperson, created by Resolution 1904 (2009), handles delisting petitions for the Al-Qaida/ISIL list but not the 1988 Taliban list, which uses a Focal Point mechanism instead.
After the Taliban's August 2021 takeover of Kabul, the Council issued Resolution 2615 (2021), creating a humanitarian carve-out so that aid delivery to Afghanistan would not breach the asset freeze. That exemption was made permanent and extended across UN sanctions regimes by Resolution 2664 (2022).
Example
In December 2021, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2615, creating a humanitarian exemption to the 1988 Taliban sanctions regime to allow aid to flow into Afghanistan after the Taliban's return to power.
Frequently asked questions
Until 2011 both Al-Qaida and the Taliban were on a single 1267 list. Resolution 1988 split them: the 1988 Committee handles Taliban-related listings tied to Afghan stability, while the 1267/1989/2253 Committee covers Al-Qaida and ISIL (Da'esh).
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