After half a decade of Taliban rule, Afghanistan has maintained some macroeconomic stability but recovery continues to be hampered by the repression of women and girls and the absence of inclusive governance, the Security Council heard today from the acting head of the UN Mission in the country.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) was established in 2002 , after the Taliban collapsed following the deployment of United States and international troops in the country. In August 2021, after the United States and partners withdrew from there, the Taliban seized control again and enacted a series of oppressive laws. The Secretary-General’s latest report details the current situation in the country, where on 15 August, the Taliban de facto authorities commemorated the fifth anniversary of their takeover with ceremonies in Kandahar and Kabul.
Georgette Gagnon, Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan, Officer-in-Charge of UNAMA, said that the de facto authorities projected confidence – “highlighting nationwide control, improved security, infrastructure development, and economic stabilization efforts as evidence of their success”. While these developments are encouraging, they are occurring in a context of severe restrictions on women and girls, exclusionary governance, a human rights crisis and the continued presence of terrorist groups.
While “the last five years of relative stability have provided a welcome breathing space” for many, Afghans are also suffering “under the rigid social policies of the de facto authorities and from Afghanistan’s fragile economic and humanitarian situation,” she said. Economic growth has not kept pace with a rising population and malnutrition presents a serious concern. She also drew attention to the “extreme demographic and socioeconomic shock” posed by the return of 6.5 million Afghans since 2023.
“No discussion of Afghanistan can ignore the continued exclusion of women and girls,” she said, adding that by denying women access to education, professions and public life, the de facto authorities are constraining the talent and productivity needed for post-conflict recovery. The restrictions preventing Afghan women from accessing UN premises is a serious operational constraint.
The Doha Process – the multilateral framework for international engagement with Afghanistan – has identified key issues, expanded dialogue and, in some areas, built confidence. “What is needed now is a clear indication from the de facto authorities’ of their willingness to address the wider concerns of the international community,” she said.
Political Femicide
Nargis Nehan, Founder and Executive Director of FARAGEER , brought the testimonies of Afghan women to the Council. She reported that one of them said that hearing international statements about the plight of Afghan women felt “as if I’m burning in pain, and someone is reading a novel to help me forget my pain for a few minutes”.
Taliban decrees have stripped women and girls of basic rights, leaving women “allowed to beg for a loaf of bread” but unable to work for a dignified income, she said. An Afghan father cannot send his daughter to school but can marry off a daughter as young as 8 to a 70-year-old man. “What’s happening to women and girls in Afghanistan is a political femicide and the worst form of gender apartheid,” she said.
The Council must adopt a resolution recognizing institutionalized discrimination against women and girls in Afghanistan, support accountability efforts before the International Court of Justice, encourage Member States to recognize gender apartheid as a crime against humanity and fully fund the $1.7 billion humanitarian response plan, she said.
Still No Inclusive Political System
Afghanistan’s delegate said: “The absence of large-scale war should not be mistaken for sustainable peace.” There is still no inclusive political system, no accepted constitutional framework and no accountable institutions through which Afghans can influence decisions affecting their lives.
The repression of women and girls is “not only a women’s rights crisis” but also a national crisis affecting Afghanistan’s economy, health, education and development and long-term stability. He also expressed concern about the broader human rights situation, from arbitrary arrests and detentions to increasing pressure on Hazara and Shia communities.
The Security Council’s Monitoring Team has reported the presence of more than 20 terrorist groups, he noted. Nearly 1.15 million Afghans returned between January and August this year, many involuntarily, he said, calling on all States to respect non-refoulement.
Abandon False Choice between Isolation, Normalization
He appealed to donors: “Do not abandon the Afghan people because of the policies of those who rule them.” The international community must abandon the false choice between isolation and normalization, he said, calling for principled and outcome-oriented engagement aiming towards legitimate and accountable governance. UNAMA should work to create conditions for a political solution, he stressed.
The representative of the United States said his country will be watching closely for evidence that the revised UNAMA mandate translates into a more accountable Mission focusing on the work that matters most. Washington, D.C., will not tolerate the Taliban taking American citizens hostage, nor will it be intimidated by a regime that uses American citizens as “bargaining chips”, he said, adding: “I’ve seen them hang children, terrorize families, pillage whole villages and prey on the very people they claim to represent.”
Engagement not Equated with Recognition of Taliban
The Council heard from several speakers in Afghanistan’s neighbourhood, including the representative of Kazakhstan who said that the immediate priority must be the Afghan people. “Engagement should not be equated with recognition, but isolation cannot offer a sustainable solution either,” he said, highlighting his country’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. However, “there cannot be sustainable recovery without the meaningful participation of women and girls”, he said.
Iran’s delegate highlighted his country’s hosting of millions of Afghans and its economic cooperation with Afghanistan in trade, transit, energy, railways and agriculture, as he stressed the need to preserve the “relative improvement in the security situation”. However, “ISIL-K and other extremist groups continue to threaten Afghanistan and its neighbours,” he said, calling for stronger regional counter-terrorism cooperation.
Call for Strengthened Counter-terrorism
Pakistan’s delegate highlighted the “deep nexus” between the Taliban and groups such as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and ISIL-K. The situation is made worse by external actors who support proxies within Afghanistan, he said, noting that in the last three years, 4,700 innocent Pakistanis lost their lives due to terrorism from Afghanistan. Noting that international forces left behind a huge cache of arms and ammunition for use by the previous Afghan Government, he encouraged UNAMA to report on the illegal trade in small arms and lights weapons, as well as on illicit money laundering through havala networks.
India’s delegate said that “Al-Qaida’s terror ecosystem established its strategic depth beyond Afghanistan” – many of the leaders who directed the 11 September attacks were “not fugitives hiding in caves” and were apprehended in residential areas or urban locations. “The same permissive environment that sheltered the architects of 9/11 has in the years since continued to provide space, support and impunity to affiliates of Al-Qaida,” he added.
The representative of China called on a “relevant country” to “bear its historical responsibilities” by resuming aid to Afghanistan, lifting unilateral sanctions, returning the overseas assets of the Central Bank of Afghanistan and providing resources for reconstruction and development. He also called on the Afghan Government to guarantee the fundamental rights and interests of all Afghans, including women.
Taliban Building Self-reliant State
The representative of the Russian Federation said that every time the Council meets on this issue, the “countries whose military contingents hastily left the country” say that Afghanistan is on the cusp of either collapse or “becoming a black hole”. Yet, these “gloomy forecasts, thankfully, did not come to pass”, because the Taliban bet on multifaceted development, regional cooperation and building an independent and self-reliant State, he said, adding that “there is no alternative” to genuine, pragmatic engagement with Afghanistan.
However, the representative of Colombia stressed: “We must not make the mistake to legitimate the Taliban.” He voiced support for the “request for language that allows the Council to move forward on a possible condemnation of the Taliban” due to their exclusion and systematic persecution of women and girls.
Denmark’s delegate said that the Taliban’s “deliberate policy of gender-based segregation” does not just devastate the lives, dignity and opportunities of Afghan women and girls, it also undermines Afghanistan’s social and economic development. “We condemn arrests and arbitrary detentions, including the incidents in Herat against women protesters,” Greece’s delegate said. The representatives of Bahrain, United Kingdom, Panama and Latvia reaffirmed the importance of enabling Afghan women and girls to participate in education and public life.
Doha Process Vital
The representative of France, Council President for September, speaking in his national capacity, said that restoring the rights of Afghan women is essential to build an Afghanistan that’s internally peaceful. The international community gave the Taliban a seat at the negotiating table in Doha and listened to their requests. “It’s now up to them to listen to ours,” he stressed.
The representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, also speaking for Liberia and Somalia, stressed the need to maintain structured engagement through the Doha Process. He also expressed support for UNAMA as a key platform for international engagement and human rights monitoring.
