Afghanistan: UN Security Council to condemn Taliban crackdown on Afghan women working for UN

The United Nations Security Council is expected to vote on condemning the Taliban’s recent ban on Afghan women working for the international body. The UNSC is also set to call on the Taliban administration to reverse its restrictive policies on women and girls in Afghanistan.

The UNSC will be voting on Thursday on a resolution drafted by the United Arab Emirates and Japan, condemning the ban on Afghan women working for the UN, an extension of its previous ban on Afghan women working for humanitarian organizations. The resolution, seen by Reuters, describes the ban as “unprecedented in the history of the United Nations” and asserts “the indispensable role of women in Afghan society.” Diplomats said the resolution is expected to be adopted by the UNSC.

The draft resolution also said that the ban on Afghan women working for the UN “undermines the human rights and humanitarian principles.” The resolution also stressed the need to address the challenges faced by Afghanistan’s economy, including the use of assets of the Afghan Central Bank for the benefit of the people.

UAE ambassador to the UN Lana Nussibeh said the ban “could jeopardize the operations of the UN in Afghanistan as a whole” and that the UNSC cannot stay silent on the matter.

“The challenges in Afghanistan are multifaceted and must also be addressed,” said Nussibeh. “But what is clear is that without women, the dire situation in the country cannot be addressed sustainably.”

The UNSC’s vote on the resolution comes ahead of an international meeting in Doha, Qatar, from May 1 to 2 regarding Afghanistan. UN Chief Antonio Guterres will convene the special envoys to Afghanistan from several countries in a closed-door meeting to work on an approach to dealing with the Taliban administration.

Meanwhile, Taliban fighters have reportedly killed a senior group leader belonging to the Islamic State militant group responsible for the suicide bombing that took place at Kabul airport in 2021, according to the father of a United States Marine who was among those who were killed in the attack upon getting briefed by military officials. The US military briefed the families of the 13 US servicemembers who were killed in the bombing at the Hamid Karzai international airport.

The family members have then shared the information through a private group chat, the mother of another Marine said. A US congressional aide and senior officials have also confirmed the accounts of the families.