Security Council condemns Taliban's ban on women working for UN

KABUL: The UN Security Council unanimously condemned the Taliban's ban on Afghan women working for the United Nations in Afghanistan and called to "swiftly reverse" a crackdown on the rights of women and girls, reported UN News. The resolution passed unanimously by the 15-member body in New York on Thursday urged all countries and organisations with influence on the Taliban, "to promote an urgent reversal" of policies which have in effect erased women from public life.

The resolution - drafted by the United Arab Emirates and Japan - described the ban as "unprecedented in the history of the United Nations," asserting "the indispensable role of women in Afghan society" and said that the ban on Afghan women working for the UN "undermines human rights and humanitarian principles," reported UN News. Since the Taliban takeover in July 2021, it has rolled back a wide range of human rights of women and girls, including a ban on attending high school and university, restrictions on movement and work, and in December, a decree banning female nationals from working from most NGOs.

The resolution also stresses the urgent need to keep addressing Afghanistan's "dire economic and humanitarian situation" and help the country restore self-reliance, recognizing the importance of allowing the Central Bank to use assets that are currently frozen outside the country, "for the benefit of the Afghan people," reported UN News. A record 28.3 million people in Afghanistan are in need of assistance this year, making Afghanistan the world's largest aid operation, with the UN asking for USD 4.6 billion to fully fund relief efforts this year.

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator warned this month that Afghanistan was also the world's least well-funded operation, with less than five per cent of funding pledged so far. The Security Council resolution lays out ambassadors' "deep concern" over the ban on women working at the UN, saying that - along with the other erosions of basic rights - "will negatively and severely impact" the UN aid operations throughout the country, "including the delivery of life-saving assistance and basic services to the most vulnerable," reported UN News.

It stressed that the UN Assistance Mission in the country, UNAMA, will also be unable to implement its humanitarian mandate until the ban ends. The resolution emphasized that the ban "is unprecedented in the history of the United Nations." The Council backed the continued work of UNAMA reiterating its "full support", and called on all with a stake in Afghanistan, including Taliban authorities, "to ensure the safety, security and freedom of movement of the United Nations and associated personnel throughout the country," reported UN News.