UNITED NATIONS (AP) – More than two-thirds of U.N. Security Council members on Monday condemned the Taliban for its repression of women and girls, including a ban on girls’ education beyond the sixth grade and women’s right to work and movement. and called for the revocation of all discriminatory policies and laws. freely.
The statement by 11 of the 15 council members condemned the oppression of women and girls by the Taliban since they came to power in August 2021, and has changed public, political, economic, cultural and social life. Reiterated the equal participation of women and girls, especially in all decisions. It is creating a level that aims to foster international engagement with Afghanistan’s de facto rulers.
‘Unacceptable’: Taliban demands treatment ‘equivalent to recognition’ for attending UN conference
Guyana’s Ambassador to the United Nations Carolyn Rodrigues Burkett spoke before a closed board meeting of more than 25 special envoys to Afghanistan and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the Qatari capital on February 18 and 19. He read out the statement surrounded by ambassadors from 10 other countries. , Doha.
Representatives of Afghanistan’s civil society, including women, participated in the Doha meeting, which council members welcomed. The Taliban refused to attend, and the Foreign Ministry said in a statement that participation would only be “beneficial” if the Taliban were the only official representatives at the talks.
The Taliban did not attend the meeting, but U.N. political chief Rosemary DiCarlo met with Doha-based Taliban officials, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. DiCarlo also briefed City Council members during a closed session Monday.
Afghan women wait for food rations to be distributed by humanitarian organizations in Kabul, Afghanistan, May 23, 2023. Afghan women say they feel afraid and unsafe to leave their homes alone because of the Taliban’s enforcement of laws, clothing and male guardians. Report from the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan.
The Taliban are not recognized by any country, and the UN special envoy to Afghanistan said last year that unless restrictions on women are lifted, it remains “nearly impossible” for the Taliban to be internationally recognized as the country’s legitimate government. warned the de facto rulers.
The 11 Council members supporting this statement (Ecuador, France, Guyana, Japan, Malta, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, South Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States) believe that sustainable peace can only be achieved if the political process in Afghanistan is fair. He emphasized that it is possible. It is inclusive and the human rights of all Afghans, including women and girls, are respected.
Four members of the Security Council did not sign the statement: Russia, China, Mozambique, and Algeria.
The Taliban refused to attend the Doha meeting. A foreign ministry statement said participation would only be beneficial if the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which the Taliban refer to as its own government, was the country’s only official representative in the talks.
Guterres told reporters in Doha that there was “full agreement” among participants, who also included representatives from the European Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, on the requirements for Afghanistan’s integration into the international community. said.
To reach this “end stage,” Afghanistan must not become a “hotbed of terrorist activities that affect other countries,” and that its institutions must include a diverse group of ethnic groups, including Uzbeks, Tajiks, Pashtuns, and Hazaras. All groups must be included and human rights, especially human rights, must be respected, he said. of women and girls.
Guterres said it was now a “chicken and egg situation”.
“On the other hand, Afghanistan maintains a government that is not internationally recognized and in many ways not integrated into world institutions or the world economy,” he said. “Meanwhile, there is a recognition in the international community that inclusion has not improved and that the situation for women and girls, and human rights in general, has actually worsened in recent years.”
The secretary-general said one of the aims of his talks with the envoys was to “break the impasse” and develop a roadmap that “simultaneously considers” the concerns of the international community and those of the Taliban.
The Security Council resolution called on Guterres to appoint a UN special envoy in consultation with all parties, member states, the Taliban and others.
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Mr. Guterres said the participants would “consult to see if there are conditions for the creation of a special envoy to the United Nations, who can not only play a coordinating role on the ongoing activities, but also work effectively with the United Nations.” “We should start,” he said. Afghanistan’s de facto authority. ”
The UN Secretary-General said, “We will begin consultations immediately.”
