US Advocates For Appointment Of UN Special Representative For Afghanistan

Japan, tasked with overseeing the Afghanistan portfolio at the Security Council, was the architect behind the resolution.

During the UN Security Council meeting, Japan's delegate reaffirmed the country's ongoing commitment to the Afghan populace and its support for UNAMA's pivotal role.

Highlighting the acute human rights challenges, particularly concerning women and girls, along with the dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, the Japanese envoy underscored the indispensability of UNAMA at this critical juncture.

The extension of UNAMA's mission, according to the Japanese representative, signals a robust commitment from the United Nations, endorsed by the Security Council, to persistently support the Afghan people, especially those facing adversity.

UNAMA's Role

Established on March 28, 2002, by UN Security Council Resolution 1401, UNAMA aims to assist Afghanistan's development and humanitarian needs.

The Security Council annually reviews and, as needed, extends UNAMA's mandate to align with Afghanistan's evolving requirements.

The UN's involvement in Afghanistan dates back to 1946 when Afghanistan joined the UN General Assembly, with UN agencies such as UNICEF operating in the country since 1949.

UNAMA's main office is located in Kabul, with additional operations spread across Afghanistan and in neighbouring countries, Iran and Pakistan.

The mission employs approximately 1,187 staff members, including 799 Afghan nationals and 293 individuals from other countries.

Following the Taliban's ascent to power and the subsequent imposition of strict constraints on women's participation, female UNAMA employees have been barred from their duties.

Roza Otunbayeva, former Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan, currently serves as the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan and leads UNAMA.

Omari raised this request during a meeting with Harald Mannhardt, World Food Programme (WFP) Deputy Country Director, on Thursday.

According to the statement of the Taliban's Food and Drug Authority, he emphasised that it has "principles and regulations" that should be considered in the purchase and distribution of UN food aid.

This Taliban authority did not provide specific details about these regulations and principles. However, the statement mentioned that Omari attributed the reason for the shortage of food to its "poor quality”.

The response of Mannhardt to this request from the Taliban official remains unclear. However, according to the statement from the Taliban-controlled authority, the UN official has pledged to send more aid to Afghanistan.

WFP had previously cautioned about insufficient financial resources to aid Afghanistan.

In a recent development, on Wednesday, WFP expressed concern about aid cut to Afghanistan, particularly for women in the country.

According to officials from this UN-affiliated organisation, women in Afghanistan face significant challenges in accessing food, and the situation has remained unchanged during the month of Ramadan.

The organisation’s assessment indicates that women in Afghanistan are in dire circumstances.

Despite widespread domestic and international protests, the Taliban has prohibited women from employment, education, leaving home without a male guardian, and participating in recreational and sports activities.

He said that Afghanistan is the only country where women do not have the right to work, and its economy suffers significant financial losses due to this.

On Thursday, in response to questions from Aref Yaqubi, Afghanistan International’s reporter in Washington, regarding the recent remarks of the UN Secretary-General, Miller said that the suppression of Afghan women and the imposition of restrictions against them are horrific and intolerable.

He stated that the US condemns the Taliban's systematic discrimination and mistreatment of Afghan women.

Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, on Tuesday, at a meeting of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, said that Taliban issued over 50 edicts to suppress Afghan women and girls.

The spokesperson of the US State Department stated that any steps towards normalising relations with the Taliban are conditional on respect for the rights of all Afghans.

He emphasised that there is no other country in the world where women are deprived of attending school and lack the right to work to support their families.

Miller said that Taliban’s policies significantly damage Afghanistan's economy, which is suffering from poverty and crises.

He added that education is vital for the economic, political, and social development of Afghanistan and the country’s economy has endured substantial losses as a result of women's exclusion from the workforce.

This week, during a meeting with the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan in Kabul, Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Taliban, said that the Taliban's foreign policy focuses on the economy and urged Uzbekistan to sign bilateral and trilateral trade agreements with the Taliban.

However, the Taliban have predominantly restricted Afghanistan's workforce to their homes and assumed control over their education.

The UN Development Programme estimates that constraining women's workspace could incur an annual cost of approximately USD one billion for Afghanistan.

This increase has been quantified by the discovery of drugs and the influx of methamphetamine from Afghanistan into Iran.

The ISNA news agency, on Friday, reported that Momeni was visiting Vienna, Austria, to attend the 67th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. During his visit, he mentioned, "There has been no significant change in the volume of drugs entering the country from Afghanistan."

Following their rise to power in 2021, the Taliban prohibited the cultivation, purchase, and sale of narcotics. Despite this, the group periodically announces the seizure of narcotics within Afghan provinces.

The head of Iran's Drug Control Headquarters had previously relayed statements from the Taliban indicating that narcotics production in Afghanistan has facilitated an increase in smuggling into Iran. He cited Taliban officials as stating, "The narcotics that are currently being smuggled are the ones which had been stored, and we anticipate a decrease of up to 90% in drug trafficking once these stores are depleted."

Hassanzai stated he could not endure such treatment and might leave Afghanistan again.

This former member of the Lower House of the Afghan Parliament fled to Pakistan as the Taliban entered Kabul in August 2021. He later returned to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, a decision he now regrets.

Recently, Hassanzai released a video clip on social media, explaining that he had complained to the Taliban about individuals indebted to him. However, the Taliban released the debtors and instead imprisoned him.

Hassanzai was a controversial figure in the former parliament and criticised the functioning of the previous Afghan government.

He was also accused of land grabbing during the Republic's era, charges he has denied.

Since returning to Afghanistan in recent months, Hassanzai participated in various television programmes, commenting on the Taliban's actions.

The Taliban is yet to respond to the video recently released by Hassanzai.

However, over the past two and a half years, the Taliban has arrested former Afghan parliament members and seized their properties.

Previously, Haider Jan Naimzoi, a representative of the Kochis in the former House of Representatives, was arrested by the Taliban's Minister of Justice, allegedly on charges of land usurpation.

Afghanistan International reported on the personal prison of the Taliban's Minister of Justice in recent days. The Ministry of Justice of the Taliban reacted to this report, stating that, according to a decree from the group's leader, the Taliban's Minister of Justice has the authority to detain suspects of land usurpation for ten days.