The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has announced that Turhan Saleh has officially assumed his duties as the agency’s new Resident Representative in Afghanistan, effective July 15, 2026.

Saleh brings nearly three decades of experience within the United Nations system and has held a number of senior leadership positions at UNDP.

Before taking up his new post in Afghanistan, he served as Senior Adviser in UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Arab States, where he focused on transitions from UN peacekeeping and special political missions.

From December 2023 to March 2026, Saleh served as Deputy Director of UNDP’s Crisis Bureau, overseeing issues related to crisis operations, humanitarian-to-development transitions, crisis financing and strategic policy development. Prior to that, he was UNDP Resident Representative in Ethiopia from May 2019 to November 2023.

Since joining UNDP in 1997 as a Policy Adviser in the Office of the Administrator, Saleh has held several senior roles across the organization. These include Director of the Millennium Development Goals Unit, Deputy Director in the Division for UN Affairs, Country Director and Acting Resident Representative in Nigeria, Chief of the Country Support Team in the Regional Bureau for Africa, and Strategic Plan Coordinator in the Executive Office.

According to UNDP, Saleh has worked directly with four UNDP Administrators and contributed to the development of nearly all of the organization’s strategic plans over the course of his career.

Before joining UNDP, Saleh began his UN career with UNICEF in 1989. He worked in Ghana and Eritrea and contributed to UNICEF’s first country programme in post-apartheid South Africa. He also completed internships with UNICEF, the World Bank and the United Nations World Food Council.

Saleh holds a bachelor’s degree with honors in political economy from Cornell University, a master’s degree in public affairs from Princeton University, and also studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at University of Oxford.

His appointment comes as Afghanistan continues to face significant humanitarian and development challenges, with UNDP playing a key role in supporting livelihoods, basic services and community resilience across the country.

Saleh succeeds Stephen Rodriques, who served as UNDP Resident Representative in Afghanistan from May 2023. He has been appointed as UNDP Resident Representative in Bangladesh.

The European Union is adopting a more practical approach to its engagement with Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate as it seeks cooperation on migration while continuing to raise concerns over women’s rights and the country’s long-term development, according to the EU’sThe Parliament Magazine.

The publication said the recent visit of an Islamic Emirate delegation to Brussels sparked criticism from human rights groups and opponents of the Afghan government, who argued that such contacts could contribute to the gradual normalization of relations.

According to the report, European governments have asked the Islamic Emirate to assist with the return of Afghan nationals residing illegally in Europe. In return, Afghan officials have reportedly requested authority over Afghan consulates across Europe to provide consular services to Afghan citizens.

The Parliament Magazine noted that granting such authority would not constitute formal diplomatic recognition but would mark a further step in expanding practical cooperation between the two sides.

The report said engagement between European officials and representatives of the Islamic Emirate has continued since 2021 through meetings in Doha and the United Arab Emirates. It also pointed to the reopening of the EU Delegation in Kabul in early 2022 as part of ongoing diplomatic contacts.

Germany has emerged as one of the European countries taking a more pragmatic approach, the magazine reported. Berlin has resumed the deportation of Afghan nationals convicted of crimes and has reportedly allowed representatives approved by the Islamic Emirate to manage some Afghan diplomatic missions to facilitate consular services.

The publication said the lack of fully functioning Afghan consulates in several European countries has left hundreds of thousands of Afghans with limited access to passports and other official documents, while also complicating immigration-related procedures.

According to The Parliament Magazine, growing migration pressures have strengthened the Islamic Emirate’s negotiating position, prompting the European Union to place greater emphasis on practical cooperation aimed at managing migration, improving consular services and supporting Afghanistan’s long-term stability and development.