Granting education to women not the only critirea to secure Taliban recognition: US special envoy
Dec 11, 2023
Kabul [Afghanistan], December 11 : The US representative for women and human rights in Afghanistan, Rina Amiri underscored that granting education to women and girls in Afghanistan should not be considered as a sole critirea for recognising the Taliban, The Khaama Press reported on Monday.
It reported that the US official later clarified that she used the term 'normalisation,' not 'recognition' and emphasised that granting education for girls is not merely a check-off for recognition of Taliban.
"We use the term normalization, not recognition, and it's not simply a check-off of giving girls and education for recognition; this is a process in which we are coordinating with the rest of the international community, and there is much to be done for the Taliban to get that type of normalization that they seek," she said.
Amiri called on the Taliban to engage in dialogues with Afghan women and men both inside and outside the country to address their demands for education and other rights, expressing disappointment in the Taliban's reluctance to do so, The Khaama Press reported.
Meanwhile, a meeting addressing the situation of Afghan girls and women is scheduled to be held at the United Nations Security Council on Monday, December 11th, in a closed-door session.
The Khaama Press reported that during this session, the United Nations Security Council is anticipated to scrutinize the proposals outlined in the report submitted by Feridun Sinirlioglu, the Independent Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Sinirlioglu's report was officially presented to the United Nations Security Council members on Wednesday, November 14th, carrying the signature of Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
In his report, Sinirlioglu highlights the significance of honouring international commitments and initiating a constitution-building process to normalize global relations with the Taliban. The report also calls for renewed dialogues among Afghans to establish an inclusive government, aligning with the presented proposals, The Khaama Press reported.
Meanwhile, Heather Barr, from Human Rights Watch's Women's Rights Division, criticized the closed-door nature of the session, asserting that the outcomes will significantly affect the fate of Afghan girls and women who deserve transparency, The Khaama Press reported.
