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IEA’s move to ban teenage girls from schools came as a ‘shock’: Qatar FM
Qatar's foreign minister has said that no country has leverage over the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), but that Doha will capitalize on its communication channel with the IEA to urge them to reverse their decision on girls’ education.
Speaking in an interview with CNBC on Saturday, that coincided with Doha Forum 2022, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that IEA’s decision to ban girls above sixth grade from entering schools came as a “shock.”
He called on the IEA to reconsider the decision.
“We have been urging them to adopt a policy to stand up to their promises for the international community to allow the girls to go back to school, to allow the women to their workplace, but broader than that also to have a government that is inclusive and without discriminating any part of Afghan people.
Asked if Qatar had any leverage with IEA, he said that no country has leverage over them.
“The only leverage that we have is the communication channel. We maintain it open and help and save a lot of people… We are counting on capitalizing on this communication channel between us and the Taliban (IEA) in order to urge them to reverse such a decision and re-allow the girls to go back to their school,” he said.
Meanwhile, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West has said that the countries of the region have a unique relationship and influence over Afghanistan that many of the countries of the West do not.
“The Pakistanis, the Russians, the Chinese, the Tajiks, Uzbeks, Turkmens, Iranians, they do have a special kind of influence over the country,” West said speaking at the Doha Forum.
The Doha Forum, in its 22nd year since its inception, met Saturday and Sunday to discuss ‘Transforming for a New Era’. Among the issues discussed was the situation in Afghanistan.
Doha Forum 2022 once again brought together a distinguished group of thought-leaders, policy makers and journalists to tackle the world’s shared challenges.
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IEA delegation attends conference for ‘Promoting Mining Cooperation’ in China
The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum said on Saturday in a statement that its delegation participated in a conference titled "Promoting Mining Cooperation" in China’s Hunan province.
The Ministry stated the conference aims to build a well-equipped laboratory in Afghanistan, increase the capacity of technical and professional employees of the Ministry of Mines, and encourage investors in the mineral resources sector of Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Chinese investors expressed their interest in Afghanistan’s gold, copper, mica, talc, oil, gas, lithium, lead and zinc mines.
At the conference, the ministry’s deputy minister of finance and administration and head of the delegation Hussamuddin Saberi talked about Afghanistan's natural resources contracts and investment opportunities and considered holding such programs effective for the relations between the two countries.
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Uzbekistan, EU envoys meet to discuss Afghanistan
Uzbekistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, Ismatulla Irgashev, on Friday met with the EU Special Representative for Central Asia Terhi Hakala.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the current state and prospects of Uzbek-European relations in the Afghan direction, the efforts of the international community to prevent a humanitarian crisis in the country and the possibility of using the international transport and logistics hub in Termez to deliver humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, Uzbekistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Hakala highly appreciated the efforts of Uzbekistan to develop a consolidated regional position on Afghanistan, establish long-term peace and stability in the country, according to the statement.
The parties expressed mutual interest in continuing bilateral consultations on the Afghan issue, the statement added.
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UN expert calls for comprehensive, rights-focused action plan for Afghanistan
A UN expert on Friday called on the international community to devise and implement a comprehensive, human rights-centered action plan to address the human rights crisis in Afghanistan.
“The absence of a unified, forceful response from the international community has emboldened the Taliban (IEA),” UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, said.
In his latest report to the UN General Assembly, Bennett said that the human rights situation in Afghanistan is worsening, which includes systematic gender oppression, amounting to gender persecution and which many Afghans term “gender apartheid” with intergenerational implications.
Bennett expressed concern about the new “vice and virtue” law, announced in August, which he believes has institutionalized an expanding list of restrictions that “blatantly violate the rights of women and girls.”
He also expressed concern about the “shrinking civic space” in Afghanistan, the situation of minorities, journalists, and former government officials and security personnel.
“Justice, equality, and the rule of law are being systematically undermined,” he said.
The UN expert also called for increased funding and support for Afghan civil society and humanitarian efforts to mitigate the crisis.
Bennett urged the IEA to reverse its “repressive policies” and reinstate basic human rights. He pressed the international community to take a coordinated, multifaceted approach to support the Afghan people.
Bennett urged states not to normalize relations with the IEA until there are demonstrable human rights improvements and pathways to justice and accountability.
This comes as the Islamic Emirate has said that it is committed to ensuring human rights, including the rights of women and girls, according to Sharia, and this is an internal issue of Afghanistan.
The Islamic Emirate has banned Richard Bennett from traveling to Afghanistan, saying that he exaggerates small issues.
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