Calling for sustained international engagement towards an Afghanistan at peace with itself and its neighbours, the head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in that country called on its de facto authorities to reverse its repressive policies towards women, according to the official website of the UN.

Roza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said that while day-to-day security has improved for millions of people since the Taliban takeover, this has come at an enormous cost. Noting the denial of rights, the repression of women and girls, public displays of violence, lack of inclusive governance and the marginalization of minorities, she highlighted the arbitrary detention of women for alleged Islamic dress code violations. This has a chilling effect among the wider female population, many of whom are now afraid to move in public, she said.

Noting that the de facto authorities did not attend the second meeting of Special Envoys in Doha in February, she said they explained that their decision to not attend was out of concern that they were not being treated as a full stakeholder in discussions about Afghanistan. They also stressed that consultations should be genuine and not merely a matter of the international community communicating its decisions to them, she said, pledging to make every effort to encourage their participation at the next meeting.

Highlighting the international community’s commitment to the Afghan people, she said that donors have provided nearly $8 billion in funding for humanitarian needs and basic human services. Also expressing concerns over the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, she encouraged donors to identify areas where they can provide longer term sustainable assistance that directly benefits the Afghan people.