The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously on Monday to demand that Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership swiftly undo its crackdown on women’s rights and take action against militant groups operating within Afghanistan’s borders — groups that Pakistan blames for deadly cross-border attacks.
China’s UN Ambassador Fu Cong, whose country put forward the resolution, expressed hope that the Afghan government would “take more proactive measures to protect human rights, especially the rights of women, and project an image of openness, inclusivity and responsibility.”
The measure extends the UN’s political mission in Afghanistan through June 17, 2027, and gives it authority to support the delivery of humanitarian aid “without discrimination.” It also directs the mission to promote governance at both the national and local levels “without any discrimination based on sex, religion or ethnicity, with the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of women, … minorities, youth and persons with disabilities.”
The vote came after Taliban authorities arrested at least 30 women in the western city of Herat this month, accusing them of violating the Taliban’s rigid dress requirements. A rare public protest that erupted in response to those arrests was forcibly broken up by Taliban police, who shot and killed one person and wounded several others, according to the UN mission known as UNAMA.
The Taliban have governed Afghanistan since 2021, following the chaotic exit of U.S.-led military forces. Since taking power, they have enforced a strict reading of Islamic law, or Shariah, imposing sweeping restrictions on women and girls — including banning girls from attending school beyond the primary level and barring women from many types of employment. Religious and ethnic minorities have also faced significant restrictions.
The resolution also authorizes the UN mission to help facilitate dialogue between the Taliban and neighboring countries as well as the broader international community.
U.S. deputy ambassador Jennifer Locetta stressed that action from the Taliban is essential for any progress. “For that political process to succeed, the Taliban must act,” she said. “The Taliban must meet their counterterrorism commitments, respect Afghanistan’s international obligations, end hostage diplomacy, and cease their unconscionable abuses of the human rights of women and girls.”
Meanwhile, tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan continue to simmer. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of sheltering militants responsible for deadly attacks on Pakistani soil — a charge the Taliban rejects. Hundreds of people have died in clashes between the two nations since February, when Afghanistan launched attacks against Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes conducted inside Afghan territory.
Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Asim Ahmad welcomed the resolution, saying it “expresses the council’s serious concern over the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, which continue to constitute a threat to international peace and security.”
The resolution also tasks UNAMA with supporting Afghanistan’s economic recovery, including helping to facilitate business and financial activity and backing efforts to return assets belonging to Afghanistan’s Central Bank “for the benefit of the Afghan people.”
