Taliban Issues Stern Warning To Islamabad Over Air Strikes In Afghanistan

This document underscores the critical situation of women in Afghanistan and calls for the Taliban's "full accountability”. The statement advocates for the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women and girls in all aspects of public life.

The majority of the endorsements come from Western nations, with Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Latvia, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, and Hungary among the signatories.

Notably, Tajikistan is the only neighbouring country of Afghanistan to sign the letter, with Yemen and Guatemala also showing their support.

The statement highlights the extraordinary bravery of Afghan women and girls in the face of the Taliban's oppressive measures, emphasising that "their grave situation demands a coordinated international response”.

The statement invokes the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women suggesting that the Taliban's treatment of women could lead to gender-based violence due to its extensive and systematic nature.

Signatories called upon members of the Rome Statute to collaborate with the International Criminal Court in investigating Afghanistan's circumstances. They further encouraged countries to stress on Afghanistan's obligations to human rights and the significant involvement of women in forthcoming discussions whenever engaging with the Taliban.

Despite having placed broad restrictions on women and girls for over two and a half years, the Taliban have consistently dismissed international critiques as meddling in their internal affairs, maintaining that their actions are in alignment with their laws.

She also noted that renewing the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) would empower the mission to facilitate essential dialogues between Afghanistan's relevant actors.

In December of the previous year, the United Nations endorsed a resolution urging for a United Nations Special Representative's appointment to streamline communication and coordination for Afghanistan on the global stage.

This role is envisioned to foster reconciliation through dialogue among key stakeholders.

In the meeting that resulted in the extension of UNAMA's mandate for an additional year, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield emphasised on the United States' call for the complete enactment of the Security Council's resolution concerning the Special Representative's appointment.

The Taliban have consistently opposed this appointment, arguing that UNAMA's existing presence negates the need for such a role. Similarly, countries like Russia and Iran have linked their support for this appointment to the Taliban's approval.

Earlier, a meeting concerning Afghanistan, convened by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in Doha, failed to conclude the discussions on appointing a Special Representative, with the Taliban abstaining from participation.

Moreover, the US Ambassador underscored that the ongoing efforts of UNAMA are crucial for addressing the humanitarian crisis and bolstering the endeavours to revive fundamental rights and freedoms for all Afghans, particularly women.

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.