Colleagues, the United Kingdom is pleased the Council has unanimously agreed the renewal of UNAMA’s important mandate.
This includes new language calling on the Taliban to reverse its latest restrictions against women and girls, including the decree on the Criminal Rules of Courts and the ongoing ban on Afghan women accessing UN premises.
We reiterate our call on the Taliban to heed this Council’s collective demands.
As DSRSG Gagnon set out last week, UNAMA is continuing its vital work to coordinate and facilitate humanitarian efforts, promote the rights of all Afghans, including women and girls, and advance a political pathway to help achieve an Afghanistan at peace with itself and its neighbours and meeting its international obligations.
We commend UNAMA’s unwavering persistence within an increasingly complex context, and in spite of the Taliban’s ongoing intransigence.
While the Taliban’s repression and restrictions on women and girls continue, the United Kingdom will remain steadfast in our support for the retention of UNAMA’s important human rights functions, including, and in particular, the promotion of gender equality and the full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation of women in all levels and stages of decision-making.
Over the next three months, we look forward to working together with all Council members to agree the scope of UNAMA’s future mandate and to ensure the UN’s continued presence on the ground.
