Naeem-ul Haq Haqqani, the director of the Taliban’s Media and Information Center, said that media outlets are "obligated to present a positive image" of the group to the international community.
The Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency reported on Thursday that Haqqani discussed the directive with media professionals during a meeting in Baghlan province and stated that Afghanistan has progressed and the media should reflect this development.
Earlier in Kabul, Zia ul Haq Haqmal, Deputy Minister of Information and Culture for the Taliban, emphasised on the need for media compliance with the group's policies, stressing on "national unity and Islamic Sharia laws" in their reports.
The Taliban have implemented several restrictive measures affecting media operations in Afghanistan over the last two years.
Instances have been reported where Taliban officials pre-screen the content of media publications prior to their dissemination.
Despite these restrictions, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban's spokesperson, maintains that Afghan media outlets continue to operate with freedom.
He asserts that the Taliban have treated journalists fairly in Afghanistan, noting that only those under suspicion have been detained for further enquiry.
José Javier De La Gasca (Ecuador), the chair of the 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee, said that since the Taliban's rise to power, terrorist groups have gained more freedom of action in Afghanistan.
Gasca, speaking at the UN Security Council, mentioned that several countries are concerned that these groups have found sanctuary among the Taliban.
He stated, on Wednesday, to the council that the measures the Taliban have taken against terrorist groups are still unclear.
Gasca added that the fighters of these terrorist groups pose a threat beyond Afghanistan's borders, and several member countries are worried that these terrorists have found refuge among the Taliban.
He mentioned that although the Taliban are fighting against ISIS-Khorasan, this group still has the capability to target Afghanistan and its neighbours.
He also named the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Al-Qaeda as threats to the region.
The chair of the 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee further stated in his speech at the Security Council meeting that although opium cultivation in Afghanistan has decreased, the price of opium has significantly increased.
Gasca, who was discussing the UN sanctions regime, said that the primary goal of the sanctions is to prevent threats to peace and stability by blocking assets, travel bans, and arms embargoes.
He noted that the sanctions regime against the Taliban remains a useful tool, although the Taliban have repeatedly called for the lifting of these sanctions.
However, this UN official said that his group still lacks sufficient information to determine the extent to which these sanctions have influenced the Taliban's decisions.
He also spoke about the exemption of Taliban officials from sanctions during travel requests, noting that in 2023 they have recorded eight instances of such travel.
Gasca expressed concern about the "last-minute requests" for travel by Taliban officials, as some countries do not know how to properly handle these requests in a timely manner.
He said that the Monitoring Committee has called for a review of how these travel exemption requests for sanctioned Taliban officials are handled. The chair of the committee mentioned that they have not been able to reach an agreement on this matter, and the Security Council will discuss it later.
Roza Otunbayeva, the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, called for greater international community engagement with the Taliban at the UN Security Council meeting.
However, she noted that the Taliban's approach to women's and girls' rights might prolong the existing impasse over the international community's engagement with the group.
At a meeting held on Wednesday to review the reports of the UN special representatives for Afghanistan, Otunbayeva stated that dialogue does not legitimise the Taliban, but can be used to express opposition and, at the same time, encourage the Taliban to change.
The UN Secretary-General's representative stressed on the need for a lasting international understanding on Afghanistan. She expressed hope that this understanding would emerge at the next meeting of special representatives for Afghanistan. She said that the Taliban's willingness to engage with countries around the world should be more effectively utilised.
Welcoming the report by Feridun Sinirlioglu, the Special Coordinator of the UN Secretary-General, praised it for providing necessary clarity on several issues. She added that the report presents a way for Afghanistan to integrate into the international system "without another cycle of violence and in accordance with international laws”.
She said, "Although there is something in this report that not everyone likes, I have asked everyone to focus on the larger goal."
Otunbayeva did not specify what these issues are.
Widespread Human Rights Violations
Otunbayeva identified the Taliban's lack of progress in addressing human rights issues as a major factor in the current deadlock in relations between the international community and the group.
Otunbayeva emphasised that adherence to and striving to maintain international standards and norms are non-negotiable conditions for Afghanistan's representation in the United Nations.
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General said, "Key characteristics of the current human rights situation in Afghanistan are indicative of systematic discrimination against women and girls, suppression of political opponents and freedom of speech, lack of meaningful representation of minorities (in government bodies), and extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, and maltreatment."
She added that despite the recent release of two female activists, several human rights defenders and media workers remain detained by the Taliban.
Ban on Girls' Education
The UN Special Envoy stated that the ban on girls' education and the worsening quality and access to education also affect boys' education in Afghanistan.
In the Security Council meeting on alternative education proposed by the Taliban for girls, Otunbayeva said that she had obtained ample evidence that "girls of all ages" can study in religious schools.
However, she stated it is unclear what is being taught in these schools. Otunbayeva raised questions about the existence of a "standard curriculum" in these schools that would allow modern subjects to be taught and how many girls can study in these schools.
She said that according to reports she has obtained, the Taliban's Ministry of Education is assessing these schools and also reviewing the curriculum of public schools.
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General mentioned that Taliban education officials also told her that they are working on creating conditions for girls to return to school. However, Otunbayeva noted that time is passing while a generation of girls falls behind in education.
She said, "Failure to develop a modern curriculum with equal access for girls and boys makes it impossible for the Taliban to achieve economic self-sufficiency."
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General stated that many Afghans have told her they fear being forgotten, as has happened in the past. Otunbayeva said that her role and that of UNAMA is to prevent this from happening.
Terrorist Group Threats
The Secretary-General's representative at the Security Council meeting said that the Taliban have generally been successful in providing security. However, she pointed to the increase in attacks against Hazaras and Shias, who, she said, continue to be targeted.
In her speech, she referred to the killing of 39 Hazara and Shia people in three recent attacks documented in the latest report of the UN Secretary-General. She said that the ISIS has claimed responsibility for all these attacks.
Otunbayeva also said that countries in the region are deeply concerned about further potential threats originating from within Afghanistan.
She mentioned that Pakistan has concluded that the Taliban have been lax in curbing the Pakistani Taliban, which has claimed responsibility for recent terrorist attacks within Pakistan.
Concerns About Humanitarian Situation
Otunbayeva described the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan as worrying. She said that more than 20 million people will be reliant on international community aid in the upcoming winter.
Otunbayeva added that with a reduced budget this year and expanded aid distribution, many needy Afghans will be more vulnerable than last year.
Rejection of UN Special Peace Envoy
The UN Secretary-General's representative also said that the Taliban considers the appointment of a Special Peace Envoy unacceptable. She stated that the Taliban's Foreign Minister justified this stance by saying that the long history of UN special representatives in Afghanistan has not been positive.
Zia ul Haq Haqmal, Deputy Minister of Information and Culture for the Taliban, emphasised the need for media compliance with the group's policies, emphasising "national unity and Islamic Sharia laws" in their reports.
Khairullah Khairkhwa, Minister of Information and Culture for the Taliban also highlighted the importance of maintaining respect for individual "privacy" and refraining from insulting anyone in media content.
In a recent meeting in Kabul titled "Newspapers and National Languages - History, Development, Challenges, and Solutions," the Taliban addressed various media-related topics.
Khairkhwa underscored the necessity for media outlets to align with the "Islamic principles" upheld by the Taliban government, particularly regarding the respect for individual privacy.
The Taliban have implemented several restrictive measures affecting media operations in Afghanistan over the last two years.
Instances have been reported where Taliban officials pre-screen the content of media publications prior to their dissemination.
Despite these restrictions, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban's spokesperson, maintains that Afghan media continue to operate with freedom.
He asserts that the Taliban have treated journalists fairly in Afghanistan, noting that only those under suspicion have been detained for further enquiry.
Shahrazad Akbar, former Chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), addressed the UN Security Council on the deteriorating human rights situation in Afghanistan following the Taliban's return to power.
She highlighted a surge in gender apartheid, an increase in corporal punishment, and the suppression of women's and girls' rights and freedoms.
Akbar, a vocal advocate for women's rights, denounced the Taliban's assurances of respecting minority, women, and girls' rights as mere fabrications, evident to all observers. She underscored that her organisation, Rawadari, along with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), has documented numerous human rights infringements by the Taliban, including against journalists.
Among these violations, Akbar cited the detention of women's rights activists Manizha Sediqi and Parisa Azada by the Taliban. She raised concerns over the lack of accountability, noting that the Taliban have neither prosecuted nor investigated the perpetrators of crimes such as arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial killings of former government force members, and other serious human rights abuses.
Furthermore, Akbar revealed that the Taliban have systematically removed Shiite members from provincial and district Ulama Councils in Afghanistan.
The Taliban's ban on higher education for Afghan girls has now lasted over a year, with no signs of universities reopening for female students across Afghanistan.
This enduring prohibition, despite domestic protests and international calls for change, marks a significant setback in women's rights in the country.
Afghanistan International reported that a number of female students feel they have lost their future and hope due to this ban. One of them, Bano, a journalism student, had her studies halted with the Taliban's ascent to power and the closure of university doors. She expressed despair over her restricted life, confined to her home, and the detrimental impact this has had on her mental health.
On 20 December 2022, the Taliban's Ministry of Higher Education announced the suspension of girls' university education until further notice. Since then, the regime has not only refrained from reopening educational institutions for women but has also imposed additional limitations on their social life.
Other female students have voiced strong opposition to any recognition of the Taliban administration, arguing that such engagement would further undermine the plight of Afghan girls.
Moreover, just days after shutting down universities for female students, the Taliban also prohibited women from working in non-governmental organisations in Afghanistan. This move further illustrates the group's restrictive stance on women's rights and freedoms.
Despite ongoing internal resistance and external pressures, the Taliban remains unmoved in their stance, continuing to deny Afghan women and girls access to education and professional opportunities.