United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva while addressing the Security Council, urged Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to clarify whether they aspire for the nation’s reintegration into the international community and, if so, whether they are prepared to undertake the requisite commitments.
She noted that thus far, these authorities have adopted a selective approach towards Afghanistan’s international obligations, dismissing certain responsibilities on the grounds that they purportedly infringe upon national sovereignty or contravene local traditions.
Otunbayeva, who also serves as the Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), highlighted the growing discontent among Afghans regarding state interference in their private lives. She warned that citizens fear further isolation from the global stage. While the past three and a half years under Taliban rule have brought an absence of large-scale conflict, increased stability, and improved freedom of movement—though predominantly for men—this does not constitute a peace that allows people to live with dignity, have their human rights upheld, and trust in a stable future.
The Special Representative cautioned that the ongoing defunding of aid is already having severe repercussions on Afghan civilians. Within the past month alone, over 200 healthcare facilities have shuttered, affecting approximately 1.8 million people. Critical malnutrition services for children have been curtailed, and implementing partners have significantly reduced their operational capacity and coordination efforts.
She informed the Council that, regrettably, on December 2, 2024, the de facto Minister of Public Health decreed the closure of medical institutes to female students, effectively barring women from one of the last remaining pathways to professional education.
Afghan lawyer Azadah Raz Mohammad also briefed the Council, recalling that in 2021, the Taliban attempted to rebrand themselves as a reformed entity, pledging to uphold human rights, including those of women—a falsehood that was too readily accepted by the international community. She warned at the time that, given the opportunity, the Taliban would dismantle every hard-won gain achieved since their brutal rule in the 1990s.
Mohammad expressed gratitude towards the increasing number of Member States advocating for gender apartheid to be recognised as an international crime, including its potential inclusion in a new UN treaty on crimes against humanity.
Minister Counsellor Naseer Ahmed Faiq, who does not represent the de facto government, described Afghanistan as one of the most oppressive places in the world for women and girls. He denounced the Taliban’s systematic erasure of women from public life, asserting that their actions are not merely an affront to fundamental rights but amount to crimes against humanity.
