KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Naseer Ahmad Faiq, Chargé d’Affaires of Afghanistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN, says that under Taliban rule, Afghanistan has become one of the world’s “gravest” humanitarian and human rights crises.
Speaking Monday at the UN General Assembly session on Afghanistan, Faiq said Taliban policies have entrenched authoritarian control and institutionalized discrimination, especially against women and girls.
He pointed to the group’s ban on education for women and girls, calling it a serious human rights violation and a “strategic disaster” that threatens the country’s long-term stability.
Faiq said the Taliban have continued to deny and reject the legitimate demands of the Afghan people and the international community, while persisting in enforcing strict laws and discriminatory policies.
He called for stronger international monitoring and accountability, urging full implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), activation of the International Criminal Court, and recognition of gender apartheid as a crime under international law.
While saying the Taliban could be part of the solution to Afghanistan’s crisis, he stressed they are not the sole solution. “They are by no means representatives of the Afghan people or its culture, nor do their policies reflect Islamic values,” Faiq said.
He also warned that extremist groups such as ISIS and al-Qaeda continue to pose serious threats to regional and global security. The rise of jihadist schools, he said, fuels radicalization and must be addressed to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorism again.
Faiq expressed concern over the forced deportation of Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan, calling on both countries to respect international law and act in accordance with Islamic values and good neighborly relations.
The UN General Assembly session on Afghanistan is currently underway in New York. A resolution on the country’s situation is expected to be put to a vote during the session.
