The United Nations (UN) Security Council (DK) on Friday (29/12) approved a resolution calling for the appointment of a special envoy to Afghanistan to improve relations with that country and the Taliban leadership.
The resolution is a follow-up to an independent assessment report released in November. The report suggests greater engagement with Afghanistan after the Taliban returns to power in August 2021.
The resolution also asks UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to appoint a special envoy to promote the recommendations in the independent report, especially regarding gender and human rights.
The resolution was adopted after 13 members of the UN Security Council agreed to it, while Russia and China abstained.
“The UAE (United Arab Emirates) and Japan strongly believe that an independent assessment is the best basis for future discussions,” said Japan’s UN Ambassador, Yamazaki Kazuyuki, before the vote.
“This resolution highlights the need to increase international engagement in a more coherent, coordinated and structured manner, as stated in the independent assessment.”
The United Arab Emirates and Japan have the responsibility to raise the situation in Afghanistan in the Security Council as the parties responsible for this issue.
The Taliban government is not officially recognized by any country or world body. The UN calls the government the “de facto Taliban authority.”
Taliban officials initially promised to implement the more lenient conventional Islamic rules that characterized their rule during their first spell in power from 1996 to 2001. However, a number of restrictions, especially those affecting women, are slowly being implemented.
Young women began to be prohibited from attending secondary school and adult women were also prohibited from attending university. These restrictions sparked global outrage and demonstrations in a number of cities in Afghanistan.
In November 2022, women will be banned from entering parks, gyms, night markets and public baths.
“The United States strongly supports the resolution’s call for the appointment of a UN special envoy for Afghanistan,” the US representative said after the resolution was approved.
“A special envoy would be well positioned to coordinate international engagement in Afghanistan, including with relevant Afghan political actors and stakeholders.” (ft)