Most UNSC members call for lifting restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan

More than two-thirds of the U.N. Security Council’s members demanded Monday that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) rescind all policies and decrees against women and girls, including banning girls’ education above the sixth grade and women’s work.

A statement by 11 of the 15 council members condemned the IEA’s restrictions against women and girls since it took power in August 2021, and again insisted on their equal participation in public, political, economic, cultural and social life — especially at all decision-making levels seeking to advance international engagement with IEA.

Guyana’s U.N. Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett read the statement, surrounding by ambassadors of the 10 other countries, before a closed council meeting on U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ conference with more than 25 envoys to Afghanistan on Feb. 18-19 in Qatar’s capital, Doha., the Associated Press reported.

The IEA refused to attend the Doha meeting, its Foreign Ministry saying in a statement that its participation would be “beneficial” only if it was the sole and official representative for the country at the talks.

While the IEA did not attend the meetings, U.N. political chief Rosemary DiCarlo did meet with IEA officials based in Doha, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. DiCarlo also briefed council members at Monday’s closed meeting.

The 11 council nations supporting the statement — Ecuador, France, Guyana, Japan, Malta, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, South Korea, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States – underscored that there can only be sustainable peace in Afghanistan if its political process is inclusive and the human rights of all Afghans are respected including women and girls.

Four Security Council nations didn’t sign on to the statement – Russia, China, Mozambique and Algeria.

This comes as IEA has repeatedly said that it is committed to ensuring women and girls’ rights in Afghanistan based on Sharia laws.

It has also said that the current government is inclusive.