The United Nations will maintain engagement with all parties in Afghanistan, including the Taliban, despite recent tensions. The Taliban imposed a ban on women’s voices and uncovered faces in public and cut ties with the U.N. mission following criticism.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric defended the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and its head, Roza Otunbayeva, who described the new laws as presenting a “distressing vision” for Afghanistan’s future.
Otunbayeva criticised the laws for exacerbating “already intolerable restrictions” on women’s and girls’ rights, noting that even the sound of a female voice outside the home is considered a moral violation.
The laws, approved by supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, were enacted by the Taliban’s ministry for the “propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice,” which was established after their 2021 takeover and is based on their interpretation of Sharia law.
The ministry has urged international organisations, countries, and individuals to respect Muslim religious values and announced on Friday that it will end cooperation with UNAMA due to its criticism of the new laws.
“We have been very vocal about the decision to significantly reduce women’s visibility in Afghanistan.
“Regarding interactions with the de facto authorities, we will continue to engage with all stakeholders in Afghanistan, including the Taliban,” Dujarric declared at a news conference.
“We have always operated according to our mandate, impartially and in good faith while upholding U.N. principles and advocating for human rights and equality. We will persist with our work as directed by the Security Council,” He added.
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