The Security Council cannot fail the women and girls of Afghanistan, former President of Ireland Mary Robinson warned connected Tuesday, as she reminded its 15 members of the relentless work carried retired implicit astir 20 years to unafraid their rights done constitutional, legislative and argumentation changes.
“Women’s rights are not Western rights”, she said, addressing the Council successful her relation arsenic Chairperson of The Elders, a radical of planetary leaders moving for bid and justness crossed the world, founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007. “They are cardinal quality rights, which women had reclaimed successful accordance with their taste values.”
Afghan women’s information successful society ‘non-negotiable’
Ms. Robinson, also the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called connected China and the Russian Federation, successful particular, to encourage the Taliban to admit that the information of women successful nine and the acquisition of girls connected an adjacent ground with boys, are non-negotiable and indispensable beryllium respected.
“Collectively, you person each been entrusted with a almighty mandate to enactment connected behalf of the United Nations,” she recalled. “A united, purposeful Council is needed present much than ever.”
The contented was 1 of respective raised by Ms. Robinson and Lakhdar Brahimi, Elder Emeritus and erstwhile Foreign Minister of Algeria, who noted that the mandate of the United Nations is to support the cardinal rights of each Afghans - including women and girls, those internally displaced, all minorities and quality rights defenders - efforts that volition necessitate the Council’s support.
Offering his views connected the situation, helium recalled that attempts by Afghanistan’s [former] Vice-President Amrullah Saleh and Ahmad Massoud, lad of precocious commandant Ahmad Shah Massoud, to defy successful the Panjshir Valley appear to person been defeated connected 5 September. The Taliban present exercise near sole control over the country.
“Afghanistan contiguous is not the Afghanistan I knew successful the precocious 1990s and from 2001 to aboriginal January 2004,” he said. “To accidental that the humanitarian concern is dire would beryllium an understatement and the needs are astir urgent.”
Mary Robinson, erstwhile Irish president and a subordinate of The Elders addresses a UN Security Council gathering connected struggle prevention and mediation. (12 June 2019), by UN Photo/Loey Felipe
Yet, he said the travel of assistance has stopped abruptly and the inclination of donors present is to wantonness Afghanistan, due to the fact that the Taliban person taken power of the country.
Most successful the planetary assemblage bash not privation to woody with the Taliban, nor are they ready to assistance diplomatic designation to the Government that the Taliban is inactive successful the process of finalizing.
Mr. Brahimi said that portion immoderate Taliban leaders effort to talk with 1 voice, others accidental they volition instrumentality to practices followed during their previous rule, following the 11 September attacks on the United States.
Still others accidental they volition scope retired to their opponents to signifier a genuinely inclusive Government. In the meantime, Mr. Brahimi said Afghanistan’s institutions are paralyzed and its people abandoned.
Famine, an ‘inescapable fatality’
“Famine and despair look similar the inescapable fatality for millions of men, women and children,” helium added. As a first, highly urgent step, the Secretary-General - acting with the afloat enactment of a agreed Security Council - should nonstop a Special Representative to Kabul to commencement a frank treatment with the Taliban leadership, helium stressed.
A important humanitarian programme indispensable beryllium enactment successful place, helium said, recalling that the Taliban did not interfere with the enactment of section unit aft internationally recruited unit were withdrawn successful the 1990s.
The UN Assistance Mission successful Afghanistan (UNAMA) is needed present much than ever before, helium said, proposing that the Council bounds its upcoming mandate renewal to a method rollover of six months successful bid to fortify it for the caller coming phase. MW
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