Security Council condemns Taliban ban on Afghan women working for UN

The resolution, drafted by the UAE and Japan, described the ban as "unprecedented in the history of the United Nations", affirming "the indispensable role of women in Afghan society and saying the ban on Afghan women working for the United Nations undermines human rights and humanitarian principles".

The United Nations Security Council congratulated the Taliban on the Afghan women working for the United Nations, photo 1. — A group of women walk past a Taliban gunman in Kabul, Afghanistan. Photo: Reuters

The UAE ambassador to the United Nations, Lana Nusseibeh, said more than 90 countries had endorsed the resolution "from Afghanistan's neighbourhood, from the Muslim world and from every corner of the globe. This further reaffirms the message that the world will not be silent when women in Afghanistan are marginalised from society".

The Security Council vote comes days before an international meeting in Doha on May 1-2 on Afghanistan. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will convene behind closed doors special envoys to Afghanistan from various countries to discuss a unified approach to dealing with the Taliban.

Earlier this month, the Taliban began enforcing a ban on Afghan women working for the UN after blocking most women from working for humanitarian aid groups in December. Since overthrowing the Western-backed government in 2021, they have also tightened their control over women, including banning them from university and closing all-girls secondary schools.

The Taliban say they respect women's rights under their strict interpretation of Islamic law. Taliban officials say their decisions are "internal matters".

The Security Council resolution also recognized the need to address the significant challenges facing the Afghan economy, including using the assets of the Central Bank of Afghanistan for the benefit of the Afghan people.

The US froze billions of dollars in the bank’s reserves and then transferred half of the money to a Swiss trust fund overseen by US, Swiss and Afghan trustees. The Russian and Chinese ambassadors to the UN have also called for the assets to be returned to the Central Bank of Afghanistan.

Quoc Thien (according to Reuters)

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