Taliban Claims Over Hundred Airplanes Cross Afghanistan’s Airspace Daily

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.

Fetrat stated that the international response to the Taliban's actions over the past three years has been inadequate and disappointing.

At the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council, this Women's Rights Researcher at Human Rights Watch welcomed the latest report by Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Afghanistan, regarding the situation of Afghan women and girls.

Referring to the upcoming Doha meeting, Fetrat said that excluding Afghan women from this meeting is a clear violation of the UN Security Council resolution on women, peace, and security.

She called on UN member states to ensure the full, meaningful, and safe participation of Afghan women in all discussions related to Afghanistan.

She emphasised that countries must heed the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur. Fetrat said that the world must seriously consider Bennett's calls to recognise gender apartheid as a crime against humanity.

Fetrat also stressed on the need to establish a comprehensive accountability mechanism, stating that countries should take prompt action regarding past and ongoing abuses by the Taliban, including crimes against girls and women.