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UN Security Council members ‘divided’ over Afghanistan issue
The United Nations Security Council said in a recent report that there is some division among its members over how to deal with the situation in Afghanistan.
The Security Council’s September 2024 Monthly Forecast report stated: “While Council members are generally united in their desire to see a prosperous, peaceful Afghanistan free from terrorism and ruled by an inclusive government, they have been divided over how to achieve this goal.”
The report noted that some members, including France, the UK and the United States among others, “have argued that the Taliban (IEA) must adhere to international norms if they want to obtain international recognition and receive economic and development aid from the international community.
“Several of these members appear to favor maintaining pressure on the Taliban (IEA), particularly regarding their policies and practices that violate the rights of women and girls,” the report read.
However, China and Russia have contended that the international community should provide assistance to Afghanistan without linking it to other issues, such as human rights, and appear to prefer dialogue and engagement with the Islamic Emirate without any increased pressure, the UNSC stated.
China has sent an ambassador to Kabul and, on 30 January, became the first country to accept diplomatic credentials from an Islamic Emirate envoy.
Beijing has emphasized, however, that it has not officially recognised the IEA as Afghanistan’s government but Russia is considering removing the IEA from its list of banned organizations.
The report stated meanwhile that council members considered issuing a press statement critical of the release of “The Law on the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice” on 21 August,” which even restricts women from raising their voices outside their homes.
However, two council members blocked the statement saying “the law was an internal issue, that UNAMA was still studying its implications, and that other council products had already noted the challenge to women’s rights in the country.”
This report comes ahead of a planned Security Council meeting later this month for the quarterly briefing on Afghanistan.
Special Representative and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Roza Otunbayeva and UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous are expected to deliver their reports. Closed consultations are scheduled to follow the briefing.
The United Kingdom has announced an additional £3 million (AFN 257 million) in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, aimed at supporting people affected by natural disasters and other shocks.
Richard Lindsay, in a post on X, said the funding will be used to provide essential nutrition supplies and related support to vulnerable populations.
The new allocation brings the UK’s total bilateral assistance to Afghanistan for the current financial year to £154 million (AFN 13.18 billion).
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Around 2.3 million tourists visited Afghanistan’s recreational areas during Eid: Ghufran
Khubaib Ghufran, spokesperson for the Ministry of Information and Culture, announced on Tuesday that over Eid al-Fitr holidays approximately 2.3 million domestic and foreign tourists visited the country’s recreational areas and natural attractions.
Ghufran said this level of tourist presence shows a significant increase compared to previous years and indicates growth and strengthening of the tourism sector.
Meanwhile, officials from the ministry’s departments, while emphasizing public cooperation in preserving the environment, maintaining cleanliness in public places, and protecting tourist attractions, stated that through extensive cooperation and efforts by security institutions, tourists were able to travel to different parts of the country with full confidence during the Eid holidays.
According to Ghufran, the Ministry of Information and Culture is working to develop and strengthen the tourism sector across the country and to provide more facilities and conveniences for tourists.
However, some tourists who traveled to various provinces praised the order, security, and hospitality of the people. They said that all provinces of Afghanistan have always been beautiful, but this year, with the current level of security and tourism facilities, their trips have become even more memorable.
The German government has stated that it does not recognize a representative of the Islamic Emirate as ambassador or chargé d’affaires of the Afghan embassy in Berlin.
The response follows a report by German public broadcaster ARD, which claimed that Nebras-ul-Haq Aziz, an individual linked to the Islamic Emirate, had assumed leadership of the Afghan diplomatic mission in the German capital.
According to Deutsche Welle, a spokesperson for Germany’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday that no personnel changes at the Afghan embassy had been officially communicated. “The legal status of the embassy will remain unchanged,” the spokesperson added.
He further clarified that a diplomat can only be formally recognized as ambassador after being nominated by their home country and granted accreditation by the host government—procedures that have not taken place in this case.
The German Foreign Ministry also expressed its interest in maintaining regular Afghan consular services in Germany, adding that such services are important for facilitating “the return of individuals required to leave the country.”
UK announces additional £3 million in aid for vulnerable people in Afghanistan
Around 2.3 million tourists visited Afghanistan’s recreational areas during Eid: Ghufran
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