ISLAMABAD: Denmark's ambassador to the United Nations, Christina Markus Lassen, described the upcoming fifth anniversary of the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan as "rather a grim anniversary," highlighting deepening concerns about human rights, especially the treatment of women and girls under Taliban rule.
According to Afghan media, the remarks came as the Taliban demanded that any United Nations assessment of Afghanistan would be incomplete unless its representatives were granted the country's seat at the UN.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid argued that without an official Taliban representative, international reviews of Afghanistan would fail to reflect what he called "the realities" of the country.
However, nearly five years after the Taliban seized Kabul on August 15. 2021, the group remains internationally isolated and unrecognized as Afghanistan's legitimate government. The United Nations seat continues to be held by a representative appointed by the former Afghan republic, reflecting the unresolved diplomatic dispute over Afghanistan's representation.
The UN and the international community have repeatedly stated that recognition of the Taliban administration cannot come without meaningful changes. Governments and international organizations have called for an inclusive political system, respect for fundamental rights, and compliance with Afghanistan's international obligations as key conditions for normalizing relations with the Taliban and considering the transfer of Afghanistan’s UN seat.
The Taliban's return to power has been marked by some of the world's harshest restrictions on women and girls. They have banned girls from secondary education and universities, severely limited women's employment opportunities, including with international organizations, and imposed restrictions on freedom of movement and participation in public life. UN officials and human rights experts have described these policies as systematic discrimination against women.
The Security Council's focus this month is expected to center on the consequences of Taliban rule, including the erosion of women's rights, restrictions on civil liberties, and the broader humanitarian and political crises facing Afghanistan.
.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
