Note: A full summary of today’s Security Council meeting on Afghanistan will be made available upon completion.
Briefings
ROZA OTUNBAYEVA, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), noted that the situation in the country remains complicated. The 5 April restrictions against Afghan women working for the United Nations place a question mark over activities across the country – with no explanations given by the de facto authorities and no assurances that it will be lifted. As UNAMA will not place its national female staff in danger, they have been asked not to report to the office. At the same time, male national staff performing non-essential tasks have been asked to stay home to respect the principle of non-discrimination. “We are steadfast: female national staff will not be replaced by male national staff,” she stressed, welcoming Council resolution 2681 (2023) that condemned the ban and stressed the critical importance of a continued presence of UNAMA and United Nations agencies, funds and programmes across Afghanistan.
She reminded the de facto Taliban authorities of their continuing responsibilities under the Charter of the United Nations, including respecting the privileges and immunities of the Organization and its officials, including Afghan women. The Taliban ask to be recognized by the United Nations and its members, but act against the key values expressed in the Charter – as the ban adds to earlier restrictions against women working for non-governmental organizations and other diplomatic entities; preventing girls from attending non-religious secondary and tertiary education institutions; and against girls and women visiting public parks, baths and gyms. She called on the de facto authorities to rescind the bans.
She noted that UNAMA, in collaboration with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), released a report on the situation of Afghan women – documenting the distressing toll these bans are taking on their physical and mental health, and their sense of security. The bans further obscure positive achievements, including growing evidence that the Taliban’s ban on opium cultivation has been effectively enforced in many parts of the country. The World Bank reports that inflation is declining and the exchange rate remains steady, partly due to the welcome reduction of high-level corruption – however, it further notes that 58 per cent of households struggle to satisfy basic needs, with United Nations humanitarian efforts continuing to address the nearly 20 million people who need some form of assistance. Afghanistan, she stressed, remains the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
The Taliban regime remains insular and autocratic, and entirely male, she noted, and there is widespread concern that a lack of inclusivity will lead to instability. On counter-terrorism, the de facto authorities are making concerted efforts to counter Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan Province (ISIL‑KP), but attacks have taken place – most recently in Badakhshan on 6 and 8 June, with two attacks targeting the authorities killing and wounding at least 63 people. She cited the annual report by the Monitoring Team of the sanctions Committee, and its observation that the existing sanctions procedures are obsolete and should be updated to reflect the realities in Afghanistan today. While the end of the armed conflict has greatly reduced the number of civilian casualties, the United Nations Mine Action Service in Afghanistan estimates around 100 casualties per month from unexploded ordinance. Unfortunately, the de facto Directorate of Mine Action Coordination has suspended its cooperation with the United Nations and without that support, the sector operates with limited technical capacity.
Expressing concern over years of drought that have compounded the effects of conflict and poverty, she stressed that mitigating the effects of climate change requires a more specific dialogue between the de facto authorities and the international community. In her regular discussions with the de facto authorities, she said that she is blunt about the obstacles the authorities have created for themselves by the decrees and restrictions they have enacted. As long as these decrees are in place, it is nearly impossible that their government will be recognized by members of the international community; it is also clear that these decrees are highly unpopular among the population. She noted that the international community can do more to ensure the future stability of the Afghan economy. Welcoming the current visit by Special Coordinator Feridun Sinirlioğlu, she affirmed that – despite the problems mentioned – her office has established reliable working channels of communication with the de facto authorities, identifying greater opportunities.
SHABANA BASIJ-RASIKH, Co-Founder and President of the School of Leadership, Afghanistan, noting that her school educates Afghan girls at the secondary level, observed: “To my knowledge, we’re the only legally operating school that’s doing this anywhere on the planet.” Emphasizing that she did not think the Taliban would ever be in a position to bring back the darkness in which she lived as a child in the 1990s – attending secret schools run by brave women in Kabul – she said that those secret schools have reopened in the capital and the provinces. Further, her school – which historically has never received more than 300 applications in any given year – has, in 2023, received nearly 2,000. “You want what I want,” she said to those present, which can be summed up in a single word – stability.
Underscoring that education is what makes stability possible, she pointed out that “everything spirals up from the schoolroom”, including economic prosperity and improved public health. Further, education enables a replanting of the soil in which extremism grows, “replacing the seeds of hate with the hope and possibility” that comes when girls are given the opportunity to learn and the certainty that they matter. She stressed that the secret to a stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan “is no secret at all”. It is educated girls, who become educated women, who raise more educated girls and boys. Those girls then become educated, independent women themselves, charting a course that elevates their families, their nation and the world.
To this end, she offered two recommendations to ensure that this virtuous circle will always spin. First, the international community must ensure that the Internet remains open and accessible within Afghanistan. When girls can’t go to school, educators can bring school to them. Noting that the Taliban say that women and girls should remain hidden behind the walls of the home, she said: “I say we beat them at their own game.” Second, she called on the international community to ensure that Afghan refugees – particularly female ones – have access to quality education in their nations of residence. Space must be allowed for opportunities to flow into diaspora communities, and these opportunities should be driven by qualified educational institutions allowed by host nations to operate within these communities. Noting that her school has done this in Rwanda, she said that this model can be one for others to follow.
“Borders do not contain the threat of extremism,” she went on to say, adding that they also do not contain the benefits brought by educated girls. Pointing out that the Prophet Muhammad spoke openly and clearly about the importance of education, she recalled the hadith: “seek knowledge, even as far as China”. While not literal, this urged Muslims to pursue education even if they had to go to what was – at the time – the ends of the Earth to find it. Noting that she and her students have gone as far as Rwanda and that other Afghans have gone to other nations, she stressed: “All of us are seekers and, with the eyes of the world watching, all of us will find what we seek.”
Statements
LANA ZAKI NUSSEIBEH (United Arab Emirates), Council President for June, speaking in her national capacity, reiterated her call for women and girls’ inclusion in Afghani society through education, adding: “This is non-negotiable.” Encouraging online interim efforts of the neighbouring countries, she highlighted the importance of safeguarding women and girls’ access to the Internet. Further, by removing women as actors in the humanitarian aid delivery, the Taliban is weakening the ability to prevent and respond to sexual abuse, she stressed, underscoring that humanitarian aid should remain depoliticized. Advocating against a security vacuum in the country, she underscored that Kabul’s soil will not serve as a safe harbour for threats against other nations. “The economy cannot be sustained on humanitarian aid alone,” she added, noting that revitalizing the country’s economy – through foreign investment, trade and skilled workforce – is the only way forward. Moreover, narcotics trade revenues should not be channelled to fund organized crime, she stated.
ISHIKANE KIMIHIRO (Japan) expressed alarm that humanitarian needs in Afghanistan are exceedingly desperate and poverty is near universal. Humanitarian access has been further constrained by a series of restrictions on the ability of women to work. “Hope is diminishing, particularly for women and girls in Afghanistan,” he warned, urging the Taliban to heed the unified call of the Council and wider international community, and swiftly reverse the restrictions on women and girls to allow their full, equal and safe participation in society. “This will not only secure the welfare and dignity of women and girls, but will also allow Afghanistan to fulfil its potential and achieve long-term stability and prosperity,” he said. To that end, the international community needs to continue to pursue patient and principled engagement with the Taliban in order to encourage them to change the course of their policies.
NAME TO COME (China), calling for engagement to be maintained with the interim government, reported that on 6 May, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan relaunched the foreign minister dialogue. He voiced hope that the interim government will make positive efforts towards meeting the needs of its population and the expectations of the international community, including ensuring the rights of women to education and employment. Further, the Sanctions Committee should make exemptions for international travel for the interim government’s relevant personnel, while sanctions measures under resolution 1988 (2011) should also be adjusted or lifted. Noting that poppy cultivation has dropped this year, he also urged the international community to support for those efforts. However, this year’s humanitarian response plan is only 9 percent funded, with a gap of $4 billion, he said, adding that it unacceptable for developed country donors to cut their aid and link humanitarian aid to other issues. With unilateral sanctions imposing serious difficulties in all domains, he urged those States to lift them, further calling on the United States to return $7 billion of Afghanistan assets frozen since 2021.
NAME TO COME (Brazil), condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, pledged support to the implementation of UNAMA’s mandate. Brazil has consistently advocated for the strengthening of Afghanistan’s institutions, and the promotion of socioeconomic development, he said, calling on the Taliban to reverse their “exclusionary policies” against women and girls. “These policies are not only discriminatory, but also profoundly detrimental to the future of Afghanistan,” he stressed, also expressing alarm that the number of people in Afghanistan requiring assistance rose by half a million in the first half of this year alone, reaching a staggering 28.8 million by the end of May. Hence, promoting food security in Afghanistan remains paramount, especially as the country grapples with its third consecutive year of drought and the looming threat of a devastating locust infestation that could severely undermine wheat harvests.
ROBERT A. WOOD (United States) recalled that resolution 2681 (2023), adopted unanimously, sends a clear message that the Council will not stand for the repression of women and girls. Supporting the United Nations decision to continue operating in Afghanistan, he welcomed the principled approach that prioritizes non-discrimination, inclusion and the safety of female staff. However, the Taliban’s restrictions demand a strong response both from Afghanistan’s neighbours and the larger international community. With the closure of women-led non-governmental organizations, ration cuts and a reduced number of food-assistance beneficiaries, the world – despite obstacles and competing global priorities – cannot turn its back on the Afghan people’s growing humanitarian needs. As the world’s largest humanitarian donor, the United States will continue to do its part to support the people of Afghanistan, and will also carefully watch the Taliban’s actions regarding the commitments they have stated they will uphold. “The Taliban must respect the human rights of all Afghans,” he underscored.
PEDRO COMISSÁRIO AFONSO (Mozambique), also speaking for Ghana and Gabon, said the State apparatus’ restructuring continues, as the de facto authorities impose restrictions on female national staff – working for the United Nations – and reshuffle senior civil servants, mainly men affiliated with the group. Underscoring the importance of women’s participation in governance, he called for ensuring that all Afghans can engage in the political process and urged the authorities to allow women civil servants to resume their duties. Turning to education -a major development factor – he emphasized that females should be allowed to reach their full potential, while participating in social, economic and political life. To this end, he urged the de facto authorities to allow women and girls to resume their education.
Turning to the fragile security situation, he pointed to human rights abuses and violations against former Government officials and Security Forces’ members, while noting that illicit drug trafficking and the presence of foreign forces, increases the volatility of the situation on the ground. Pointing to subregional tensions between Iran and Afghanistan over the water supply, he called for de-escalation. On the economic front, he recognized increased revenue-collection, positive trade performance, reduced corruption and increased eradication of opium poppy fields, while highlighting the limited growth and poverty reduction prospects. Regarding the dire humanitarian situation, he underscored the critical shortage in humanitarian funding for 2023. Turning to landmines and explosive devices, he welcomed the clearance of 9.2 square kilometers of contaminated land and the campaign to sensitize 39,000 people, including 14,000 women and girls.
VASSILY A. NEBENZIA (Russian Federation) said that, almost two years after the hasty retreat of United States and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) troops from Afghanistan, and the rise to power of the Taliban, it is increasingly clear that the United States and other Western countries – which essentially brought the country to ruins in 20 years – are not interested in its restoration. Noting that all their forces are thrown into fighting the Russian Federation on the “Ukrainian field”, he called it “so American” to invade a country under the pretext of fighting terrorism and then abandon its former wards. Rhetoric by Western colleagues about the suffering of the Afghan people appears immoral, as do calls to take up the “sanctions baton” and increase pressure on the de facto authorities. Expressing concern over the security risks posed by the terrorist activity of ISIL-KP, he said it is no secret that the group is supported by external forces. He noted that United Nations efforts to expand aid beyond basic needs continue to be blocked by Western donors.
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