fundamental freedoms of women, girls in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan
United Nations, May 25: The UN Security Council has called on the Taliban to swiftly reverse their policies and practices which are currently restricting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Afghan women and girls.
The top organ of the UN voiced its concern over the volatile situation in the country, particularly continued terrorist attacks.
Earlier this month, Afghanistan’s supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada issued an order for women to cover up fully in public, including their faces, ideally with the traditional burqa. The Taliban have ordered female Afghan TV presenters and other women on screen to cover their faces while on air.
The 15-member Council, in a Press Statement on Afghanistan, issued under the Presidency of the United States, expressed deep concern regarding the increasing erosion of respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls in Afghanistan by the Taliban, including through the imposition of restrictions that limit access to education, employment, freedom of movement, and women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in public life, and emphasised that these restrictions contradict the expectations of the international community and the commitments made by the Taliban to the Afghan people.
The Council members further expressed deep concern regarding the announcements by the Taliban that all women must cover their faces in public spaces and in media broadcasts, only leave home in cases of necessity, and that violations of this directive will lead to the punishment of their male relatives. They also expressed concern regarding the decision by the Taliban to dissolve several key national institutions.
The members of the Security Council further expressed deep concern regarding the volatile situation in Afghanistan, including political, economic, social and security challenges and their impact on the lives of the Afghan people, “in particular continued terrorist attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, including in religious minority communities, across Afghanistan and cultivation, production, trade and trafficking of illicit drugs.”
The Security Council called on the Taliban to swiftly reverse the policies and practices which are currently restricting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Afghan women and girls. They also reiterated their call on the Taliban to adhere to their commitments to reopen schools for all female students without further delay.
The Security Council members further expressed deep concern regarding the dire humanitarian and economic situation in Afghanistan, recognized the need for strengthened efforts to provide humanitarian assistance and other activities that support basic human needs in Afghanistan, and emphasises that the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance requires all actors to allow full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access for all humanitarian personnel, including women, and further recognises the need to help address the substantial challenges facing Afghanistan’s economy, including through efforts to restore the banking and financial systems and efforts to enable the use of assets belonging to Afghanistan’s Central Bank for the benefit of the Afghan people.
The Council members requested the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) to continue to closely monitor and report on the situation. (PTI)
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