On Thursday, the UN Security Council passed a resolution denouncing the Taliban’s prohibition on Afghan women working for the UN and urging them to “swiftly reverse” any restrictions against women.
The prohibition was issued in early April, and all 15 members of the Council unanimously agreed that it “undermines human rights and humanitarian principles.”
A broader request from the Council was for the Taliban to “swiftly reverse the policies and practices that restrict the enjoyment by women and girls of their human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
It included freedom of travel, work opportunities, and access to education as well as “women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in public life.”
Additionally, the Council called on “all States and organizations to use their influence” to “promote an urgent reversal of these policies and practices.”
The organization emphasized “the dire economic and humanitarian situation” as well as the “critical importance of a continued presence” of the UN mission in Afghanistan and other UN organizations.
The ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the UN, Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, said that “the world will not stand by silently as women in Afghanistan are erased from society.”
Vasily Nebenzia, the Russian envoy, attacked the resolution’s language for not going far enough and pointed the blame at the West even though his nation supported it.
He remarked, “We deeply regret and are disappointed that actions and a more ambitious approach and texts were obstructed by Western colleagues.”
He made reference to the $7 billion in assets from the Afghan central bank that were frozen by the US when the Taliban seized control of the nation in 2021, saying, “If you’re so sincere, why not return the assets you’ve stolen from the country and without any preconditions.”
The United States said in September that a fund with a Swiss headquarters will be established to administer half the funds.
On April 4, the UN reported that the Taliban had nationwide bans on Afghan women working for UN offices, although NGOS had previously been exempt.
The action provoked criticism from the West and a UN assessment of the global organization’s Afghan activities, which will run until May 5.
Next week, representatives from different nations will gather in Doha for a summit called by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to “reinvigorate the international engagement around the common objectives for a durable way forward on the situation in Afghanistan.”
Since taking back control in August 2021, the Taliban has returned to the strict interpretation of Islam that characterized its first reign from 1996 to 2001.
Afghan women have long been subject to a number of limitations, including being excluded from numerous government posts and higher education.
