The UN Special Representative for Afghanistan emphasized the importance of ongoing engagement with leaders of the Taliban in Afghanistan, even in the face of significant differences regarding their stance on women’s rights and inclusive governance.
Simultaneously with the United Nations session on the situation in Afghanistan, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative and the Deputy Chief of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan stated that the interaction with the Taliban administration has been unproductive so far, but it is necessary to continue dialogue.
During this session held unexpectedly on Tuesday in New York City, United States, at the UN headquarters, Raza Outenbayeva, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, discussed the current situation in Afghanistan, mainly focusing on the status of women.
However, during this session, Ms. Outenbayeva mentioned that the Taliban has restricted women’s participation in society by issuing more than 50 statements, causing no country to recognize them officially.
During the session, attended by UN officials and women’s rights activists in the United States, discussions were held regarding the prohibition of education, schooling, and the right to work for women and girls.
She added, “Although the current rulers emphasize the pervasiveness of their institutions, the gap between their legitimacy and the people is widening. Lack of trust in rights, responsiveness, representation, and access to justice is a significant barrier to internal legitimacy.
International legitimacy does not come without domestic legitimacy. On the sidelines of this session, the UN Secretary-General also spoke about the increasing poverty and the severe drought’s impact on the people of Afghanistan, mentioning that Afghan citizens live in a water scarcity crisis.
So far, the Taliban administration has not responded to the statements made during this session.
