In response to progressive restrictive measures against women in Afghanistan, the UN Security Council has called on the Taliban to “quickly reverse” their restrictions on fundamental freedoms.
The UN Security Council on Thursday called on the Taliban to “quickly reverse” all restrictions on women, condemning in particular the ban on Afghan women working for the United Nations.
The resolution, adopted unanimously by the 15 members and co-sponsored by some 90 UN member states, “condemns the decision taken by the Taliban to ban Afghan women from working for the United Nations in Afghanistan”, decision announced in early April which “compromises human rights and humanitarian principles”.
More broadly, the Council “calls on the Taliban to quickly reverse policies and practices that restrict the full exercise by women and girls of their human rights and fundamental freedoms, including their access to education and employment, their freedom of movement and the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in public life”.
A call to the rest of the world
It also “urges” “all states and organizations to use their influence (…) to promote the urgent reversal of these policies and practices”.
“The world will not remain silent as women in Afghanistan are erased from society,” said UAE Ambassador Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, who co-authored the text with Japan.
Highlighting the “disastrous” economic and humanitarian situation, the resolution “stresses the utmost importance of being able to count on the constant presence of Manua (the United Nations mission in Afghanistan) and the other agencies, funds and programs of the United Nations throughout Afghanistan”.
The Council is also “aware of the need to help address the significant challenges facing the Afghan economy, including by working to enable the use of assets belonging to the Central Bank of Afghanistan for the benefit of the Afghan people”. .
Progressive penalties
After the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, Washington froze $7 billion in Afghan Central Bank assets deposited in the United States. In September, the Americans announced the creation of a fund in Switzerland to manage half of these assets.
The Russian ambassador Vassili Nebenzia, despite his favorable vote, regretted that the West had “blocked” a more “ambitious” approach, particularly on this question. “If you are sincere, why not return the stolen assets, without preconditions,” he said.
The United Nations announced on April 4 that the Taliban was now banning its Afghan employees, hitherto spared from such measures applied to NGOs, from working with the organization throughout the country.
Since this announcement, Manua has launched a review of the functioning of UN operations in the country, which is to last until May 5.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is organizing a meeting in Doha on 1 and 2 May with envoys from various countries in charge of Afghanistan to “revitalize international commitment around common objectives towards a sustainable path. regarding the situation in Afghanistan”.
Since their return to power in August 2021, the Taliban have returned to the austere interpretation of Islam which marked their first passage to power (1996-2001) and have multiplied the draconian measures against women.
