(United Nations) As long as restrictions on women are in place in Afghanistan, it is “virtually impossible” for the Taliban government to be recognized by members of the international community, the UN envoy to the country said on Wednesday. .
“In my discussions with the de facto authorities, I am direct about the obstacles they have created for themselves with the decrees and restrictions they have put in place, especially against women and girls,” declared before the Security Council Rosa Otunbaïeva, head of the United Nations mission in Afghanistan (Manua).
“The Taliban are asking for recognition by the UN and its members, but at the same time they are acting against the core values of the UN Charter,” she said.
So “we told them that as long as these decrees are in place, it is almost impossible for their government to be recognized by members of the international community,” she added.
These measures against women, also “very unpopular in the Afghan population”, “cost them both their national and international legitimacy, while making half the population suffer and being harmful to the economy”, further declared the UN official.
The Taliban government is not officially recognized by any country or world body.
Since their return to power in August 2021, the Taliban have returned to the austere interpretation of Islam which marked their first stint at the head of the government (1996-2001) and have multiplied the draconian measures against women. .
In particular, they have been excluded from most secondary schools, universities and public administrations, and are no longer allowed to work with international NGOs, except in certain sectors.
In early April, this ban was extended to Afghan UN employees, a decision that hampers humanitarian operations in the country.
Since then “we have not received any explanation from the de facto authorities regarding this ban or any assurance that it will be lifted”, noted Rosa Otunbayeva.
In order not to put its Afghan employees in danger, Manua always asks them not to go to work. And to avoid any discrimination, this decision also applies to men who do not have an “essential” function.
“We are firm: national employees will not be replaced by men, as some members of the de facto authorities have suggested,” she insisted.