The UN Security Council on Thursday (April 27th) called on the Taliban to "quickly reverse" all restrictions against women, condemning in particular the ban on Afghan women working for the United Nations.

The resolution, adopted unanimously by the 15-member UN and co-sponsored by some 90 UN member states, "condemns the Taliban's decision to ban Afghan women from working for the United Nations in Afghanistan," a decision announced in early April that "undermines human rights and humanitarian principles."

More broadly, Council "calls on the Taliban to promptly reverse policies and practices that restrict the full enjoyment by women and girls of their human rights and fundamental freedoms, including access to education and employment, freedom of movement and full participation, equal and genuine women in public life". It also "urges" "all states and organizations to use their influence (...) to promote the urgent cancellation of these policies and practices".

"The world will not remain silent while women in Afghanistan are erased from society," said UAE Ambassador Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, who drafted the text with Japan.

"Disastrous" situation

Stressing the "dire" economic and humanitarian situation, the resolution "stresses the utmost importance of a continued presence of UNAMA (UN mission in Afghanistan) and other UN agencies, funds and programmes throughout Afghanistan".

The Council also "recognises the need to contribute to addressing the considerable challenges facing the Afghan economy, including by seeking to enable the use of assets belonging to the Central Bank of Afghanistan for the benefit of the Afghan people".

After the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, Washington froze $7 billion in Afghan Central Bank assets deposited in the United States. In September, the Americans announced the creation of a fund in Switzerland to manage half of these assets.

Meeting in Doha

Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia, despite his favorable vote, regretted that the West had "blocked" a more "ambitious" approach, particularly on this issue. "If you are sincere, why not return the stolen assets, without preconditions," he said.

The United Nations announced on 4 April that the Taliban were now banning their Afghan female employees, hitherto untouched by such NGO measures, from working with the organisation throughout the country. Since that announcement, UNAMA has launched a review of the functioning of United Nations operations in the country, which is scheduled to last until 5 May.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is organizing a meeting with envoys from various countries in charge of Afghanistan on 1 and 2 May in Doha to "reinvigorate international engagement around common objectives towards a sustainable path regarding the situation in Afghanistan".

With AFP

The summary of the week France 24 invites you to look back on the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news with you everywhere! Download the France 24 app