During a recent Security Council briefing, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz called on members to condemn the Taliban for their unjust detention of U.S. and other citizens. “Demand their release,” he said. “We should also condemn the Taliban’s sheltering ... of terrorist groups, and the utter destruction of their once great country under their cruelty.”
In March, Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Afghanistan under the Taliban as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention for the kidnapping of Americans and other nationalities for ransom and political concessions.
The UN Secretary-General reported this year that human rights violations in Afghanistan remain widespread, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and torture.
Moreover, the ban on girls’ education beyond sixth grade has now entered its fifth year. UNESCO estimates that 2.2 million Afghan girls are now shut out of education. It remains the only country in the world where girls and women are barred from secondary and higher education.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, documented thirty women arrested in Herat due to dress code violations. When Afghans stood up bravely and protested those arrests, UNAMA also reported that Taliban security forces killed young women and boys who were standing up for their classmates.
The Taliban does not even allow Afghan women to work for the United Nations or to enter United Nations compounds.
Security Council Resolution 2822 declares the erosion of the rights of women and girls and minorities is so severe that their absence makes peace, stability, and prosperity unattainable.
That same resolution extends UNAMA through June of 2027. The United States welcomes the extension and expects UNAMA to demonstrate measurable results.
“We will be watching closely for evidence that the revised mandate, new leadership, are translating into a leaner, more accountable mission, and focusing on the work that matters most,” said Ambassador Waltz.
The same applies for the UN-led Doha process, a series of talks hosted by the United Nations to coordinate engagement with the Taliban with a focus on inclusive governance and women's rights. “The comprehensive approach can provide a path forward,” said Ambassador Waltz, “but only if the Taliban engages seriously and meets its commitments.”
The Ambassador urged the Security Council to “demand results from the Taliban. We need to see action, not words, and that will determine whether Afghanistan moves forward towards peace and legitimacy and the Afghan people.”