The UN Security Council has urged the Taliban to reverse what it considers policies targeting women and girls in Afghanistan, expressing concern about the "growing erosion" of human rights in the country.

The UN Security Council said in a statement that it was "deeply concerned" by the growing restrictions on women's education, calling for "the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and girls in Afghanistan".

He urged the Taliban to "reopen schools and quickly reverse these policies and practices, which represent an increasing erosion of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms," as he put it.

In its statement, the council also condemned the ban imposed on women working in non-governmental organizations, warning of the negative impact on relief operations in a country whose people depend on aid.

"These restrictions contradict the commitments made by the Taliban to the Afghan people, as well as the expectations of the international community," he said.

Last week, the Afghan government led by the Taliban announced the closure of public and private universities for girls and women across Afghanistan, and the United States and other countries were quick to condemn the decision.

The decision came after the Taliban prevented the opening of middle and secondary schools to girls after they came to power in the summer of last year. There are 40 public universities in Afghanistan and about 140 private universities, of which 68 are in the capital, Kabul.


For his part, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the recent restrictions imposed on women and girls as "unjustified violations of human rights and must be abolished," he said.

The former media advisor at the Afghan Ministry of Culture and Information, Mohibullah Zakir, considered that the issue raised regarding the Taliban government's decision to prevent girls from education and work was "an incorrect issue, and it contains a lot of ambiguity."

He explained that the Taliban does not reject girls' education, but it is against mixing.

The international community had made respect for women's rights a focal point in negotiations with the Taliban government for recognition and aid.

On Tuesday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, warned that the Taliban should back down from its policies towards women in Afghanistan, condemning the "terrible" repercussions of these trends.

On Sunday, several foreign relief organizations announced the suspension of their activities in Afghanistan.