UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Safety Council informed Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers Monday that peace and prosperity are “unattainable” till they reverse their bans on girls and ladies getting an schooling, being employed and talking in public.
The U.N.’s strongest physique additionally condemned ongoing terrorist exercise in Afghanistan “within the strongest phrases” and known as for strengthened efforts to deal with the nation’s dire financial and humanitarian scenario.
The council decision, adopted unanimously by its 15 members, prolonged the U.N.’s political mission in Afghanistan, referred to as UNAMA, till March 17, 2026.
The Taliban seized energy in 2021 as U.S. and NATO forces withdrew following 20 years of struggle. No nation formally acknowledges them as Afghanistan’s authorities due to their crackdown on girls.
Not solely are girls barred from working, from many public areas, and being educated past the sixth grade, however they should be absolutely veiled and their voices can’t be heard in public.
The Safety Council known as for the Taliban “to swiftly reverse these insurance policies and practices.”
U.N. particular envoy Roza Otunbayeva, the top of UNAMA, informed the Safety Council final week that it’s as much as the Taliban to point whether or not they need Afghanistan to be reintegrated into the worldwide system — “and, in that case, whether or not they’re keen to take the mandatory steps.”
The Taliban’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, posted an announcement on his official X account this month saying the dignity, honor and authorized rights of ladies had been a precedence for the nation, in accordance with Islamic regulation and Afghan tradition and traditions. Islamic nations and non secular students have stated that denying girls schooling and work just isn’t a part of Islamic regulation.
Otunbayeva stated Afghans “more and more resent the intrusions on their personal lives” by Taliban officers and concern the nation’s additional isolation from the remainder of the world.
“They’ve certainly welcomed an absence of battle, and higher stability and freedom of motion, at the least for the male inhabitants,” she stated. “However this isn’t a peace wherein they will dwell in dignity with their human rights revered and with confidence in a secure future.”
Greater than half of Afghanistan’s inhabitants — some 23 million individuals — want humanitarian help, a humanitarian disaster attributable to many years of battle, entrenched poverty, local weather shocks and huge inhabitants development, Otunbayeva stated. She stated a downturn in funding is having a major influence.
Up to now month, the U.N. envoy stated, greater than 200 well being services have been compelled to shut, affecting some 1.8 million individuals, together with malnourished youngsters.
On one other main challenge, the Safety Council known as on the Taliban to strengthen efforts to fight terrorism, condemning all terrorist exercise in Afghanistan and demanding that the nation not be used to threaten or assault some other nation.
Relations between Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan have develop into strained for the reason that Pakistani Taliban, referred to as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, which is allied with the Afghan Taliban, have elevated assaults on safety forces in Pakistan. On the identical time, militants from the Afghan chapter of the Islamic State group, which opposes the Taliban, have carried out bombings throughout Afghanistan.
