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UNSC meets behind closed doors to discuss Sinirlioglu’s report on Afghanistan
The United Nations Security Council held a closed door session on Tuesday to assess the report on how the UN should address Afghanistan’s issues that was submitted by Feridun Sinirlioglu, the United Nations Special Coordinator for Afghanistan.
According to the assessment, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) desire for recognition could prove crucial to creating an inclusive government and ensuring respect for women’s rights.
The report outlines a strategy for political engagement to reintegrate Afghanistan after the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021.
After having spent “extensive time” in Afghanistan, Sinirlioglu said the situation of women and girls – and the restrictions on education in particular – “was the single most common issue” raised in consultations.
Sinirlioglu said the IEA has tried to justify these restrictions as being part of Islam and Afghan tradition, though no similar restrictions exist in any other member state of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
“The basic rights of women and girls, including the right to education and to work, and representation in public and political life, are not only fundamental obligations of a state but also critical to build state capacity for long-term development and economic growth and peace and security,” read the assessment.
“Any formal reintegration of Afghanistan into global institutions and systems will require the participation and leadership of Afghan women.”
The IEA has however repeatedly said the decrees issued have been to protect women’s basic rights.
In a statement issued last week in response to the UN’s assessment, the IEA said that hundreds of thousands of women continue to work in the public sector, specifically in education, health, security and other ministries. “Approximately 23.4% of all civil servants are women,” the document read.
The IEA also stated that a major initiative to promote women entrepreneurs has been launched; that it has rounded up thousands of street beggars – majority of which were women. These women now receive a regular stipend.
The IEA also said it has a strong central government, which extends to all corners of the country, and has unified Afghanistan politically and socially.
The assessment recommended that the UN pursue an inclusive form of governance and engage with all Afghans.
It said that pursuing “intra-Afghan dialogue” would enable progress towards the complete normalization and integration of Afghanistan into the international system.
“Afghanistan is a diverse, multi-ethnic, multi-sectarian, multi-linguistic and multicultural society,” the report said.
“The inclusion of all Afghan communities in the nation’s governance structures is central to the social and political stability of Afghanistan.”
Reports meanwhile indicate that in the meeting behind closed doors at the UN Security Council on Tuesday, Malta’s ambassador to the UN, Vanessa Frazier, highlighted concerns over the political, humanitarian, security and human rights situation in Afghanistan.
“This was in response to the independent assessment, produced by Feridun Sinirlioglu, which was tasked to consider the current challenges faced by Afghanistan,” Ms Frazier said.
Amongst these concerns, Malta said, were the lack of inclusive governance, the humanitarian crisis, the continued security risk posed by terrorist groups, and the deeply concerning human rights situation, including of women and girls.
However, the UAE’s National reported that in an open letter to the UN, 71 Afghan civil society organizations, networks and coalitions in Afghanistan and in exile, expressed “deep reservations” about the report.
They found the assessment to be “influenced by the security and geopolitical interests of the member states and regional powers, rather than the need and plight of the Afghanistan people”.
They believe the report is developed based on a “pre-assumed policy of appeasement and engagement” with the IEA without considering recommendations of women, civil society and other groups, the National reported.
Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs, said in a meeting on the occasion of the High Commission for Counter-Narcotics opening that the Islamic Emirate has been successful in the fight against narcotics.
However, Kabir has considered providing alternative crops to farmers as one of the international community’s responsibilities.
“The Islamic Emirate does not allow anyone to use Afghanistan’s soil against anyone. It does not allow anyone to use Afghanistan for smuggling or international crimes,” said Kabir.
In this area, the cooperation of countries in the region and the world is important. We must focus on the way that the countries of the region and the world avoid the harm of drugs,” he added.
Acting Ministers of Interior Affairs Sirajuddin Haqqani and National Defense Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid also said in this meeting that the Islamic Emirate is committed to a serious fight against drugs.
They have emphasized that in the last three years, nearly 80,000 operations have been carried out in this area and more than 20,000 smugglers have been arrested.
“Today, the Islamic Emirate has progressed in countering narcotics, but the world is largely silent for this issue and does not fulfill its responsibility. We want them to fulfill their responsibility,” said Yaqoob Mujahid.
“The international community should help the Islamic Emirate in the field of alternative livelihoods,” said Haqqani.
Acting Foreign Minster Amir Khan Muttaqi also said that the creation of this commission and the serious fight against drugs can provide the basis for the expansion of world relations with the current system.
This commission has the task of coordinating the fight against drugs and providing facilities to farmers in the field of alternative cultivation, and about 27 government departments are members of this commission.
Meanwhile, a number of other participants stressed that this year’s rains and floods have damaged Afghanistan’s agriculture sector and asked the international community to cooperate with the people of Afghanistan in this sector.
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Kremlin says it is very important for Afghanistan’s neighbors to build ties with IEA
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this after Kyrgyzstan removed IEA from its list of banned organizations
The Kremlin has said that it is very important for the neighbors of Afghanistan to build relationships with the Islamic Emirate.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this after Kyrgyzstan removed IEA from its list of banned organizations
«Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan share a close geographical proximity, and with the Taliban (IEA) now serving as the de facto government in Kabul, Russia understands Kyrgyzstan’s decision to remove the Taliban (IEA) from its list of terrorist organizations,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said during a briefing, 24.kg reported citing TASS news agency.
He explained that establishing connections with the authorities in Kabul is essential for regional stability.
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UN Security Council condemns IEA’s morality law
UN Security Council members urged the IEA to swiftly reverse all the policies and practices that restrict women and girls of their human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The UN Security Council on Friday condemned the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) morality law, calling on the international community to use its influence to push for an immediate reversal of policies that target Afghan women.
Twelve out of 15 UN Security Council members in a statement condemned “in the strongest terms” the IEA’s restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan. China, Russia and Algeria did not back the statement.
A diplomat has told The National that Russia and China had said it would be “unfair” to make a judgement on an internal Afghan matter.
UN Security Council members urged the IEA to swiftly reverse all the policies and practices that restrict women and girls of their human rights and fundamental freedoms.
“The Taliban (IEA) need to listen and respond to the voices of Afghan women and girls by respecting their rights to education and for women, to work as well as the freedoms of expression and movement,” said Japan’s ambassador to the UN, Yamazaki Kazuyuki, on behalf of the 12 council members.
“It is a prerequisite for a stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan.”
The council members further emphasised that the IEA’s actions undermine international efforts to engage with them, citing a meeting with UN special envoys in Doha two months ago.
This comes as the IEA has said that laws are made according to the Islamic rules, which should be respected.
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