Meeting ambassadors in Security CouncilRoza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), said the recent arbitrary arrest of Afghan women for allegedly violating the Islamic dress code is having a chilling effect on with an entire community of women, “many of whom are now afraid to move there.” publicly,” she said.
“Denying women and girls access to education and employment, and excluding them from many aspects of public life, causes enormous harm to their mental and physical health. and livelihood.”
Qatar negotiations
Ms. Otunbayeva recalls Second meeting of national and regional envoys for Afghanistan, held in Doha on February 18 and 19.
She informed the ambassadors that although the de facto authorities had chosen not to attend, they welcomed the Secretary-General’s statement on the need for further consultations.
SRSG Otunbayeva said: “They explained that their decision not to attend was not a rejection of their stated desire to engage with the international community but reflected their concern that they were not considered a full stakeholder enough in discussions on Afghanistan.”
“They also emphasized that consultations must be genuine and not simply a matter of the international community communicating its decisions to them,” she added.
Negative trend
Ms. Otunbayeva, who also heads the United Nations Support Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), expressed further concern about the “many negative trends” observed recently.
The Mission’s extensive monitoring and advocacy, including on human rights, had highlighted the denial of people’s civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights, she said.
Notably, she highlighted the repression of women and girls, public displays of violence including corporal punishment and death penalty, lack of inclusive governance and the marginalization of minorities society.
“It is true that daily security has improved for millions of people since the Taliban took over, but this has come at a high cost,” she said.
A persistent challenge
During her press conference, Ms. Otunbayeva stated that Afghanistan remains a persistent challenge for the international community.
With a history of unrest, terrorism and contributing to 85% of global opium production, the country has also seen millions of refugees seek refuge in neighboring countries and beyond.
While the current relative stability is worthy of recognition, it is important to note the Taliban’s significant efforts to limit opium cultivation and fight Daesh, Ms. Otunbayeva said.
“But if the other issues I mentioned are not addressed, these achievements will not be enough to ensure long-term sustainability,” she added.
