Taliban Reacts Strongly to UN Special Rapporteur’s Report on Afghanistan

The ministry stated that it charges a transit fee of USD 700 per airplane.

This is in contrast to the last years of the previous government, when around 400 airplanes passed through Afghan airspace daily.

On Wednesday, June 19, Imamuddin Ahmadi, Taliban’s spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport, told Taliban controlled Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA) that international flights are conducted daily from the country's five international airports with "international standards”.

This Taliban official also mentioned that Nangarhar Airport, which was used as a military airport during the previous government, is now open for international flights.

The Taliban claim that there are 27 active airports across Afghanistan, including five international airports.

In August 2023, the group announced that over 25,000 transit flights had been conducted through Afghan airspace in the past year, generating 8 billion Afghanis in revenue.

Qasim Wafaeezada, the head of the Civil Aviation Authority during the previous government, said in 2020 that around 400 airplanes pass through Afghan airspace daily. This office had stated that over 95,000 airplanes passed through Afghan airspace annually.

Following the Taliban’s takeover of power in Afghanistan, most international airlines changed their routes and halted flights to Afghanistan.

Nearly three years later, some regional airlines have resumed their flights from Afghanistan.

Roza Otunbayeva, the head of United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), will explain the situation in Afghanistan at this meeting.

The Security Council is reviewing the situation in Afghanistan following a recent report by Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan, which stated that violence against Afghan women is strong and widespread.

Bennett emphasised that the exclusion of women from public life and the deprivation of Afghan women and girls from work and education, should’ve be classified as crimes against humanity and gender apartheid.

Simultaneously, the third Doha meeting, hosted by the United Nations and attended by special representatives of countries for Afghanistan, is scheduled for June 30 and July 1.

The Taliban have been invited to the Doha meeting and have announced that they will send a delegation to Qatar. However, according to reports, the UN has not invited representatives of Afghan civil society.

Political groups and women have called for the inclusion of diverse Afghan groups, including women, in the Doha meeting and have questioned the "legitimacy" of the Doha meeting in the absence of women.

Viktorov emphasised on the formation of an inclusive government with the participation of ethnic representatives in Afghanistan.

At the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Russian representative said, that Moscow is closely monitoring the economic and human rights situation, including the status of Afghan women and girls in education and employment.

Viktorov reiterated the importance of forming an inclusive government in Afghanistan and said, "A very important issue is the formation of a fully inclusive government in Afghanistan with the participation of representatives from all ethnic groups and minorities in the country."

He attributed the current situation in Afghanistan to the "irresponsible withdrawal" of international forces from the country, stating that the Taliban inherited Afghanistan with a multitude of problems.

Viktorov added that Afghanistan's complete dependency on international aid over the past twenty years has worsened the country's economic situation.

He also said that international sanctions against the Taliban have brought Afghanistan very close to a humanitarian disaster.

Han called on the Taliban to make positive efforts to secure the interests of the Afghan people.

Without naming any countries, the Chinese representative at the meeting blamed some countries for the current poor humanitarian conditions in Afghanistan, stating that the long-term freezing of Afghan assets and the imposition of unilateral sanctions have caused many to suffer and have inflicted "serious damage" on the human rights of Afghans.

He said that China is deeply concerned about the current situation in Afghanistan and supports an Afghan-led approach to addressing the urgent needs of the Afghan people in a "flexible and pragmatic" manner.

Haq told Afghanistan International that the UN does not treat the Taliban as the legal and official government of Afghanistan in the Doha meeting.

Maryam Rahmati, a reporter of Afghanistan International, asked Farhan on Tuesday for his views on the recommendations of Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan, suggesting that gender apartheid should be recognised as a crime against humanity.

In response, Haq said, "We want to ensure that women's rights in Afghan society are respected just as they are necessary everywhere in the world."

He called gender apartheid in Afghanistan a key concern.

The Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, in response to Bennett's recommendation that the Taliban should not be treated as the legal and official government, said, "We treat them [the Taliban] as the de facto authorities, they are not treated as the recognised government of Afghanistan."

Bennett warned at the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council that violence against Afghan women under Taliban control has become strong and widespread.

He described the exclusion of women from public life and the deprivation of Afghan women and girls from work and education as crimes against humanity and gender apartheid.

Bennett called on the international community to stop legitimising and normalising relations with the Taliban and not to treat the Taliban as a legitimate government.

Informed sources reported that the UN has accepted some of the Taliban's demands as a precondition for attending the third Doha meeting.

Heather Barr of Human Rights Watch said that the UN has given many concessions for the Taliban's participation in the Doha meeting and accused the organisation of ignoring the recommendations of Richard Bennett.