Doha Meeting on Afghanistan Provides Critical Opportunity to Discuss Women’s Rights, Speaker Tells Security Council
With preparations under way for a United Nations-hosted meeting between the Taliban, Member State envoys and other stakeholders, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, briefing the Security Council today, called for greater flexibility while stressing that engagement is not normalization.
Roza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), noted that the upcoming meeting in Doha, the third one in this format, is scheduled to take place in nine days and the de facto authorities have stated that they are preparing to attend. “We hope that in Doha, key stakeholders will convene around the table, speak to each other face to face, reinforce the principles underlining the consensus to engage, and agree on next steps to alleviate the uncertainties that face the Afghan people,” she said.
But, she warned, Doha “has generated significant expectations that cannot realistically be met in a single meeting”. While there is no substitute for engagement with Afghanistan, “it cannot be repeated enough that this sort of engagement is not legitimization or normalization”, she added. While the Taliban have maintained political stability, they continue to place severe restrictions on women, and there is little space for internal dissent. Stressing the need for internal political legitimacy, she added that although more than $7 billion have been provided for humanitarian assistance, “Afghanistan remains beset by massive poverty.”
The Council also heard from Lisa Doughten, Director of Financing and Partnerships Division, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, who outlined the bleak situation in the country with over 50 per cent of the population — some 23.7 million people — requiring humanitarian assistance in 2024. Nearly 3 million children are experiencing acute levels of hunger, she said, expressing concern that her Office has received just $649 million — 21 per cent of the $3 billion required to meet the enormous levels of humanitarian need. Extreme weather events are deepening the humanitarian crisis. It has also been more than 1,000 days since girls over the age of 11 were banned from attending secondary school, she said, warning that this could lead to a future without Afghan women doctors, teachers or engineers.
Manizha Wafeq, Co-founder of the Afghanistan Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said it was working to support women’s entrepreneurship by facilitating the transition of informal businesses to the formal economy. “Now, that is not the case,” she reported, noting that the organization has lost its autonomy — 42 per cent of businesses owned by women have closed. Almost three years under Taliban rule has all but destroyed the economy because of lack of inclusive governance, while excluding women from certain employment sectors has resulted in an annual national economic loss of $1 billion, she said. “There is no future for this country without us,” she stressed, adding that the upcoming meeting in Doha will be a critical opportunity to prioritize human and women’s rights.
The representative of Afghanistan also expressed disappointment that the agenda of the third Doha conference does not include crucial issues such as the political process and human rights. This will be viewed as “signaling a normalization without any tangible changes on the ground”, he said. “The Taliban are only one internal stakeholder and do not and cannot represent the people of Afghanistan as a sole entity,” he underscored, adding that its repression has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in the country.
Noting that “the representatives of civil society and women will not be present at the table”, he cautioned that this will be perceived as a shift away from the issues deemed essential to the people of Afghanistan. “Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls are barred from attending secondary and higher education,” he said, calling on the international community to not normalize a gender apartheid regime.
The ensuing discussion among Council members and regional countries demonstrated the divisions concerning how the international community should engage with Afghanistan. While some speakers set out expectations for the Doha meeting and stressed the need to prioritize human rights, others pointed to the need for engaging without undue pressure.
“The Doha format is the only platform we have for moving this process forward,” Japan’s delegate acknowledged, calling on the Taliban to acknowledge that education and employment of women are crucial for the development of the country. His country will not compromise on the human rights of women and girls, he pledged.
The representative of the United States said “the harm caused by the Taliban’s restrictions on women and girls cannot be overstated”. The Secretary-General should appoint a UN focal point to begin producing a road map, as called for in resolution 2721 (2023), he said, emphasizing the UN’s role in Afghanistan’s reintegration into an international system.
Legitimacy comes from the well-being of people, said the Council President, the representative of the Republic of Korea, speaking in his national capacity, and the well-being and human rights of women and girls “cannot be sidelined or avoided” at the upcoming Doha meeting. While engagement is an important tool for pursuing a peaceful Afghanistan that meets its international obligations — “engagement is not, and should not, be the goal in itself”, he stressed.
However, the representative of China said the Doha meeting will be an opportunity to communicate with the Afghan Government and unleash a new chapter of international engagement. The international community must respect the political reality in that country and push the Government “to gradually become more trusting to the outside world”, he said. He also rejected the illegal unilateral sanctions on Afghanistan that have seriously disrupted its financial systems. “The Council should support dialogue and engagement with the Afghan interim Government,” he underscored.
The Russian Federation’s delegate emphasized the need to consider the Afghan people’s needs and engage — “without pressure and blackmail” — in dialogue with the de facto authorities. The country has gone through a 20-year-long war, and “the loud promises of the invaders to build long-awaited peace remain empty words”, he said. The de facto authorities have managed to strengthen regional cooperation and restore socioeconomic potential, he said, calling for international cooperation in tackling the terrorism and drug challenges in Afghanistan.
Representatives of neighbouring countries also addressed the Council today, with Pakistan’s delegate reiterating the need for sustained engagement with the Afghan interim authorities. Both they and the international community must “be clear about the overall objectives they seek” at the upcoming meeting in Doha, he said, adding: “Unless we know where we are going, we will never get there.” He also emphasized the need to eliminate terrorism, within and from Afghanistan. The representative of India, too, stressed that Afghanistan’s territory must not be used to encourage extremist ideologies or spread instability in the region, while Iran’s delegate called for increased international support in dealing with drug trafficking, noting that his Government seized more than 1,000 tons of Afghan narcotics in the past year.
THE SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN
Briefings
ROZA OTUNBAYEVA, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), stressed that “we are still in a crisis management mode”, despite the stability that the de facto authorities have continued to maintain in that country. While noting that the business environment has improved, due to better security and reduced corruption, she pointed to the challenges posed by the lack of a clear legal framework, low demand and difficulties in accessing international banking and markets. Although more than $7 billion have been provided for humanitarian assistance since the Taliban took power, “Afghanistan remains beset by massive poverty”, she said, adding that while the country has a near-zero carbon footprint, it is the least prepared to address climate shock.
Also underscoring “the cooperation that actually exists between Afghanistan, the region and the wider international community”, she said many outside Afghanistan tend to underestimate the positive developments that have taken place there, “while the de facto authorities tend to underestimate the contributions of the international community to the successes they claim”. Despite political stability, there is little space for internal dissent, and political parties and civil society organizations have been banned. The media faces constraints on what it is allowed to report, she said, also highlighting several popular protests against the policies of the de facto authorities, including against the ban on opium cultivation. The protests demonstrate the lack of institutions where people can offer feedback to the Government, she said, adding that such institutions are essential for internal political legitimacy.
Expressing concern about the continued application of corporal punishment — often for crimes against rigid definitions of morality — and the public executions of individual sentenced to the death penalty, she also noted the ongoing restrictions on women and girls, “who have now endured more than 1,000 days out of school”. This has resulted in growing levels of depression among women, she said, adding that such restrictions deprive the country of vital human capital that it needs to implement the Taliban’s own policy of self-reliance. They also contribute to brain drain and block diplomatic solutions. While the Mission raises these arguments on every occasion with the de facto authorities, it receives only “vague and increasingly unbelievable promises”, she said.
Turning to the third meeting in the large group Doha format, scheduled to take place in nine days, she said it “has generated significant expectations that cannot realistically be met in a single meeting”. It is essential that the de facto authorities participate at Doha, she said, welcoming recent statements from them that they are preparing to attend. While there is no substitute for engagement with Afghanistan, “it cannot be repeated enough that this sort of engagement is not legitimization or normalization.” “We hope that in Doha key stakeholders will convene around the table, speak to each other face to face, reinforce the principles underlining the consensus to engage, and agree on next steps to alleviate the uncertainties that face the Afghan people,” she said, calling for greater flexibility among all stakeholders and a clearer political willingness on all sides to move beyond crisis management to addressing the larger problems.
LISA DOUGHTEN, Director of Financing and Partnerships Division, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said that humanitarian needs in Afghanistan remain alarmingly high, with over 50 per cent of the population — some 23.7 million people — requiring humanitarian assistance in 2024, the third highest number of people in need in the world. Half the population lives in poverty and nearly 3 million children are experiencing acute levels of hunger. Since 15 September, more than 618,000 Afghans have returned from Pakistan — almost 80 per cent are women and children — and many of them need humanitarian assistance. Moreover, the acute effects of climate change are deepening the humanitarian crisis, she observed, adding that extreme weather events are more frequent and intense. In April and May, almost 120,000 people were affected by flash flooding and mudslides — entire villages were destroyed, and more than 340 people were killed. “Afghanistan remains wholly unprepared to deal with these increasingly persistent threats and will require significant investments in early warning and early response systems,” she stated.
Afghanistan will soon enter its fourth year under the Taliban de facto authority, she said, stressing that “no one has felt the impact more profoundly than women and girls”. It has been more than 1,000 days since girls over the age of 11 were banned from attending secondary school — “this is equivalent to the amount of time needed to obtain a university degree, a warning of an inconceivable future without Afghan women doctors, teachers or engineers”. The ban on girls' education is fuelling an increase in child marriage and early childbearing, with dire physical, emotional and economic consequences. Reports of attempted suicides among women and girls are also increasing. “Despite restrictions on their ability to work, as well as the risk to their safety, Afghan women continue to participate in the humanitarian response,” she said.
She underscored that resolution 2615 (2021) continues to play a critical role in enabling life-saving humanitarian action, which in 2023 allowed some 28 million people — more than 60 per cent of the population — to receive assistance. The humanitarian exception covers essential eligible expenditures that are necessary to deliver that assistance, including rent on State-owned premises and warehouses; withholding tax on national/international non-governmental organization staff income, rent and suppliers; visas and work permits for national/international non-governmental organization staff; and utilities such as water and electricity. The nature and modality of payments made under the exception have not changed in the last three years, she observed, noting that they are identical to those made under the pre-August 2021 Administration. The resolution has also helped reduce difficulties with processing payments and transferring funds into Afghanistan for these humanitarian purposes.
To strengthen and expand risk management procedures in Afghanistan, a Contractor Information Management System is now up and running, facilitating information sharing on the partners, contractors, and other providers of goods and services used by various UN agencies in Afghanistan, she continued. Steps are taken in the operations’ assessment, planning, distribution and monitoring phases, including direct monitoring and third-party monitoring to correlate reported performance delivery with actual outputs and reported expenditures. Despite the many challenges, 9.9 million people in Afghanistan received at least one form of assistance from January to March 2024. However, six months into 2024, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has received just $649 million — 21 per cent of the $3 billion required to meet the enormous levels of humanitarian need — she cautioned, stressing that life-saving programmes have had to close due to the lack of funds, including 150 mobile health and nutrition teams. A further 40 teams are at imminent risk, potentially depriving 700,000 children under five of vital nutrition treatment services for severe acute malnutrition. “Millions of people depend on humanitarian assistance for their everyday survival,” she stated, urging donors to fully fund the appeal for Afghanistan.
MANIZHA WAFEQ, Co-founder of the Afghanistan Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, cited World Bank reports that Afghanistan’s economy experienced an “unprecedented contraction” of 27 per cent by the end of 2022. “Almost three years under Taliban rule has all but destroyed the economy because of lack of inclusive governance and declining international and development aid due to the Taliban’s egregious human-rights record,” she observed. This has hampered essential public services, exacerbated poverty and unemployment and led to food insecurity for millions of Afghans, and an estimated 27 million people — more than half the population — will require humanitarian assistance to survive 2024. Spotlighting the Taliban’s enforcement of “gender apartheid”, she pointed to UN data showing that excluding women from certain employment sectors has resulted in an annual national economic loss of $1 billion.
She also emphasized that such exclusion has increased women’s economic dependence on men, leading to detrimental effects on their mental health and human dignity, increased domestic violence and loss of agency. Further, it causes Afghan society to “remain in unending intergenerational poverty” and a continued contraction of national gross domestic product (GDP), she said. “Afghan women have always been the backbone of the economy,” she stressed, detailing her organization’s work to support women’s entrepreneurship by facilitating the transition of informal businesses to the formal economy — thereby contributing to economic growth. “Now, that is not the case,” she reported, as her organization has lost its autonomy and 42 per cent of businesses owned by women have closed. Stressing that enhancing women’s economic participation to revitalize the national economy is “directly tied to restoring their rights”, she said these include access to education, freedom of movement and the ability to work in all sectors and contribute to decision-making at all levels.
“It has been three years since we have had any female high-school graduates who could have pursued higher education and the professions needed in Afghanistan’s social and economic affairs,” she said, while recalling the adoption of resolution 2681 (2023) that called for a swift reversal of all restrictions on women’s rights in that country. The Taliban must respect the human rights of all Afghans, and the international community — including the Council — must hold them accountable. “Afghan women need and deserve the full support and solidarity of the international community in their struggle,” she stressed, adding: “There is no future for this country without us.” In the private sector, where there are currently no restrictions on female employment, efforts should be made to expand opportunities for women. Additionally, women and youth entrepreneurship should be promoted through capacity-development initiatives, business-management training and mentorship programmes.
Spotlighting the upcoming meeting in Doha as a critical opportunity for Member States to prioritize human and women’s rights, she said that women’s participation therein will be crucial for ensuring the legitimacy of decisions made there. As the Council again discusses the situation of Afghanistan’s women, she said that “millions of Afghan women and girls are imprisoned in their homes in a state of despair” and added: “It has been three long years — let’s restore Afghan women’s rights, dignity and freedom.”
Statements
The representative of Japan, noting improvements to the security situation in Afghanistan, expressed concern about its human rights situation as well as the humanitarian scenario. Expressing condolences about the large number of casualties caused by floods in May, he noted the impact of climate change on the people of Afghanistan, in addition to its other problems. The challenges faced by the country cannot be faced by it alone, he said, calling for confidence-building measures between the international community and Afghanistan. “The Doha format is the only platform we have for moving this process forward,” he said, hoping for a candid exchange of views there. The voices of women are especially important, he said, adding that his country will not compromise on the human rights of women and girls. The Taliban must acknowledge that education and employment of women are crucial for the development of the country, he said, reaffirming support for UNAMA.
The representative of Guyana, also speaking for Algeria, Mozambique and Sierra Leone, said that the people of Afghanistan continue to face increasing climate and economic challenges, deepening inequalities and a dire humanitarian situation. To achieve sustainable development and durable peace in the country, an inclusive approach underpinned by respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights for all must be guaranteed, she stressed, voicing concern over the shrinking political and civic spaces and that the Taliban is limiting freedoms of speech and association. Women in Afghanistan continue to be excluded from public life and the right to work, and their freedom of movement remains significantly restricted. Accordingly, she called on the Taliban to swiftly reverse all policies and practices that discriminate against women and girls, infringe on the enjoyment of their human rights and fundamental freedoms and limit their ability to contribute to Afghanistan’s development.
She also expressed concern that the fundamental right of girls in Afghanistan to quality education remains curtailed, resulting in irreversible learning losses. “We call upon the Taliban to swiftly reopen all schools and universities for women and girls to have access to all levels of education,” she stated. Moreover, the security challenges in Afghanistan remain concerning, she cautioned, noting the increase in insecurity incidents compared with 2023, including a 97 per cent increase in narcotics-related incidents. Continued efforts must be made to eradicate the opium poppy cultivation, she added. She also drew attention to the increased armed clashes near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, calling on all to show restraint and respect the protection of all civilian populations and infrastructure. Equally concerning is the high number of children killed and maimed, including by explosive ordnance, she observed, urging all parties to immediately take all preventive and mitigating actions necessary to better protect children. On the climate challenges faced by Afghanistan, she emphasized the critical importance of investment in mitigation and adaptation efforts.
The representative of Slovenia welcomed UNAMA’s work on human rights, humanitarian assistance and continued political dialogue with the Taliban. Stressing Afghanistan’s vulnerability to climate change, he observed that pressure around scarce natural resources prompts local competition and elevates risks for already marginalized communities. Therefore, inclusive and effective early warning systems for droughts and floods should be prioritized. “The plight of Afghan women and girls is the starkest example of ongoing repression,” he went on to say, noting that Council members are united in demanding the rescission of restrictive policies. Also expressing support for the centrality and long-term engagement of the United Nations, he said that the upcoming meeting in Doha “can be an opportunity to start making progress” and that the scope of the UN’s approach “could be cautiously widened”. Women should have a voice in these processes, as well as a central place in any intra-Afghan dialogues, he added — “as their fate represents Afghanistan’s future”.
The representative of Switzerland, noting the restrictions that the Taliban continue to impose, particularly on women and girls, said that without respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, “there will be no path to an Afghanistan at peace with itself”. Turning to climate change, she said that frequent droughts, flash floods, melting ice and land degradation are displacing millions of Afghans and weighing heavily on an already fragile economy. Pointing to the growing competition for water in the region, she said it is crucial to strengthen regional and international cooperation and combine this with support for local communities. Stressing that the Afghanistan’s people in all their diversity, particularly Afghan women, must be involved in the processes related to the future of the country, she said human rights discussions must be given adequate space at the Doha meetings.
The representative of the United States echoed the Secretary-General’s call for unimpeded access to aid workers, noting that “assistance must go to the designated beneficiaries”. On the serious deterioration of human rights in Afghanistan, he said that separate and independent UN bodies are now calling out the Taliban’s systemic human rights abuses and their absolute disregard for the Charter of the United Nations. These include institutionalized efforts to erase women from society, sweeping gender persecution and human rights abuses against members of ethnic and religious minorities. “We must insist on reversing these oppressive measures,” he stressed, adding that human rights cannot be “deprioritized”. Also, “the harm caused by the Taliban’s restrictions on women and girls cannot be overstated”, he continued, noting that it has now been over 1,000 days since it banned girls from secondary schools. If these types of restrictions are allowed to continue, their pervasive and harmful effects will affect Afghans across the country “for many years to come”. Spotlighting the UN’s role in Afghanistan’s reintegration into an international system, he emphasized that the Secretary-General should appoint a UN focal point to begin producing a road map, as called for in resolution 2721 (2023).
The representative of Malta stressed that women’s participation in society “would help create a more resilient Afghanistan”. She also expressed support for UNAMA’s work — jointly with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) — to counter narcotics in Afghanistan. Malta remains committed to addressing disorders related to drug use in Afghanistan, especially through evidence-based drug-treatment services to which her country has financially contributed. Noting the upcoming meeting in Doha, she emphasized that a solution for Afghanistan’s present or future “is not possible” without a legitimate and inclusive political process, in which the rights of women and girls are addressed substantively and the diversity of Afghans is represented. “Clear strategies and human-rights-based parameters should also guide our interactions with the Taliban,” she said. Further, she urged that appropriate mechanisms be established to ensure the full, equal, meaningful and safe engagement of Afghan women, human-rights defenders and civil society in all related political processes.
The representative of France, noting the lack of education for women in Afghanistan and other restrictions on their fundamental freedoms, expressed concern that the salaries of women public servants are being cut in half. Such segregation policies will have disastrous consequences, she said, adding that the rights of Afghans are being flouted daily, with the return of corporal punishment. The security situation is also fragile with terrorist groups remaining active, she said, also noting the problem of drug trafficking. Highlighting France’s humanitarian assistance to the country, she said the dialogue process in Doha must be in service of all Afghans, men and women. “The architecture of this process must be inclusive,” she said, commending UNAMA for its work.
The representative of China expressed support for the third meeting of Special Envoys on Afghanistan, scheduled to take place in Doha from 30 June to 1 July, as it presents an opportunity to exchange communication with the Afghan Government and produce results-oriented outcomes in areas of microfinancing and enterprise development and unleash a new chapter of international engagement. “The Council should support dialogue and engagement with the Afghan interim Government,” he underscored, adding that the international community must respect the political reality in the country and push the Government “to gradually become more trusting to the outside world”. Concurrently, the Council should urge donors to continue their assistance to the country, refrain from cuts in funding and effectively turn their concern for the Afghan people into meaningful action. He underscored that “regional cooperation alone cannot adequately address Afghanistan’s funding gaps” or fully integrate the country into international economic, political and financial systems. He rejected the illegal unilateral sanctions imposed by certain countries on Afghanistan as they have seriously disrupted its financial systems, interfered with international trade and economic exchanges and impeded the country’s development.
The representative of Ecuador, stating that the reality for women and girls in Afghanistan is “ever more bleak”, noted that they are still prevented from enjoying the most basic rights to education, employment and participation. “For over 1,000 days, millions of Afghan girls and young women have been prevented from attending secondary school and university”, he observed, which renders them more vulnerable to sexual and gender-based violence, child marriage and domestic abuse. It is therefore a matter of urgency to reverse the edicts that limit their return to the classroom. The upcoming meeting in Doha will provide an opportunity to promote intra-Afghan dialogue involving the substantive and safe participation of women and ethnic minorities, he went on to say. Further, it will motivate bilateral and regional cooperation to improve the population’s living conditions and explore real possibilities for overcoming the Taliban’s restrictions on human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The representative of the United Kingdom said while it is positive that the Taliban have signalled their willingness to attend the meeting in Doha, “they must also show a willingness to change their behaviour”. The international community must remain clear that the Taliban must reverse all polices restricting human rights and fundamental freedoms, he said, including the Taliban’s decree banning girls from secondary school, now over 1,000 days since its pronouncement. “This is 1,000 days too long since half the Afghan population have been left behind,” he said, adding that his country will deliver over $190 million in aid in 2024 to the country. “In light of continued restrictions by the Taliban, we continue to support delivery of education through bilateral and multilateral contributions to NGOs [non-governmental organizations] and UN partners,” he said, also stressing the need for a Special Envoy to coalesce the international community.
The representative of the Russian Federation, supporting the UN’s efforts in Afghanistan, recalled that the country has gone through a 20-year-long war, which resulted in its collapse. “The loud promises of the invaders to build long-awaited peace remain empty words,” he stated, noting that the Afghani people must tackle all their own challenges under the situation of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Despite the Western prediction of their inevitable collapse, the de facto authorities have managed to assess the situation, strengthen regional cooperation and restore socioeconomic potential. Voicing concern over the security risks in that country, he observed that — despite the efforts undertaken by the de facto authorities — the terrorists are destabilizing the country. The drug problem is closely linked to terrorism, he said, calling for comprehensive international and regional cooperation, including through UNODC. He underscored the need to consider the Afghan people’s needs and engage — “without pressure and blackmail” — in dialogue with the de facto authorities on a broad spectrum of urgent issues.
The representative of the Republic of Korea, Council President for June, spoke in his national capacity to convey to all Afghan political actors — mainly the Taliban —— that “legitimacy comes from the well-being of people”. There is no logic in forcing girls out of school and, noting that his country has provided $74 million in aid over the past three years, he underscored that increasing interference in humanitarian activities is “utterly unacceptable”. On the upcoming meeting in Doha, he stressed the need to “make clear” that the well-being and human rights of women and girls “cannot be sidelined or avoided in this forum”. Addressing those present, he then said that — while engagement is an important tool for pursuing a peaceful Afghanistan that meets its international obligations — “engagement is not, and should not, be the goal in itself”. And, to the people of Afghanistan, he emphasized that the international community’s upcoming discussions “will always put the sufferings and specific needs of the Afghan people in the centre”.
The representative of Afghanistan, expressing concern about a “diversion from the primary objective of the previous two Doha meetings”, recalled that the past two Doha meetings had underscored the need for increasing international engagement in a coherent, coordinated and structured manner. “This objective cannot be realized without addressing the issues of legitimacy, political process, humanitarian crisis and the human rights situation,” he said. Stressing the need for an inclusive and representative political system, he said the political process must include engagement with all Afghan stakeholders. It is disappointing that the agenda of the third Doha conference does not include the political process and human rights as two crucial issues in the thematic discussions, he said, noting that “representatives of civil society and women will not be present at the table”. That will be perceived as a shift away from the issues deemed essential to the people of Afghanistan, he said.
Warning that this will be viewed as “signaling a normalization without any tangible changes on the ground”, he said Afghan woman must be included in all political discussions, including the Doha process. International engagement should be principled and aligned with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, he said, adding that any discussions on the future of the Afghan people will not yield tangible outcomes without addressing core issues, such as national legitimacy, the fundamental human rights of all citizens, including women, girls and minority groups, and security threats such as extremism, terrorism and narcotics. Experience has taught that without ensuring inclusivity, there can be no peace and stability, he said, adding that “the Taliban are only one internal stakeholder and do not and cannot represent the people of Afghanistan as a sole entity.”
The international community must not normalize a gender apartheid regime in Afghanistan, he said, adding that the Doha process should consider the recommendations of the Independent Assessment report and focus on forging consensus among all stakeholders. “The people of Afghanistan are tired of conflict and war,” he said, reiterating the call for the appointment of a Special Envoy to ensure coordinated international engagements with the country. Turning to the humanitarian crisis, he said it is worsened by the Taliban’s oppressive policies, and noted the impact of war, displacement, underdevelopment, natural hazards and climate change. Noting also that millions of Afghan refugees and migrants are in need of support in neighbouring countries, he expressed regret that the Afghanistan Humanitarian Response Plan is severely underfunded. “Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls are barred from attending secondary and higher education,” he said, pointing to various human rights violations, from civil society restrictions to corporal punishment. These policies and practices are against true Islamic tenets, he said, underscoring that they also undermine the potential for Afghanistan to achieve social and economic progress.
The representative of Iran highlighted Tehran’s commitment to supporting Afghanistan, noting that it is keeping its borders open to Afghan displaced and refugees during critical times, hosting more than 6 million Afghans. Additionally, Iran has provided education to 700,000 Afghan students residing in the country. To promote peace and stability and strengthen the Afghan economy, Tehran continues its economic and commercial ties with the country, focusing on projects like the Chabahar port, railways and alternative crop cultivation to curb drug production. However, Iran faces significant challenges with illegal immigration and drug trafficking, he stressed, calling for increased international support. It seized more than 1,000 tons of Afghan narcotics in the past year, with many Iranian law enforcement officers losing their lives. Furthermore, due to the challenging economic conditions caused by Washington, D.C.’s illegal sanctions and the lack of international aid, Tehran cannot manage the influx of Afghan refugees and drugs alone, which impacts the entire region. He also underscored that continuous international engagement with the de facto authorities is crucial for regional peace and stability.
The representative of Pakistan said that his country has consistently advocated for sustained engagement with the Afghan interim authorities to normalize the situation in that country. While welcoming such authorities’ announced decision to participate in the upcoming meeting in Doha, he underlined the need for both the international community and the Afghan interim Government to “be clear about the overall objectives they seek”. He observed: “Unless we know where we are going, we will never get there.” For its part, the international community is obliged to help the 23 million Afghans who need urgent aid and to take adequate measures to bolster Afghanistan’s economy — including reviving the national banking system and restoring commercial activity. The interim Government must also take steps to abide by its international obligations, he said, noting that “the world remains concerned” about restrictions imposed on women and girls in Afghanistan. These conform neither with international law nor the tenets of Islam. He added that the “highest priority” for the international community, Afghanistan’s neighbours and Afghanistan itself “remains the elimination of terrorism within and from Afghanistan” — especially with regards to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan group.