Afghanistan: Guterres says female worker ban ‘unacceptable and puts lives at risk’
Secretary-General António Guterres speaks to reporters in Doha, Qatar, after convening an international conference of Special Envoys on Afghanistan.
He said they had agree on the need for a “process of engagement” with the Taliban, to help the most vulnerable people of the country.
There is no question of Taliban identity
Mr. Guterres made it clear that the conference is not focused on the identification of real authorities, but rather to develop a common, international approach to burning connected issues, such as terrorism, violence on human rights, and the spread of the drug trade.
“To achieve our goals, we can’t get rid of it“, he said. “Many called for commitment to be more effective and based on lessons learned from the past. The United Nations will continue to use its conference power to advance the way forward, which put the Afghan people firstand in a way that is relevant to local platforms and initiatives.”
The UN chief said the current ban introduced last month by Taliban leaders on Afghan women working for the UN – following a ban on them working for national and international NGOs “is unacceptable and puts the life in danger.
“Let me be clear: we will never remain silent in the face of unprecedented systematic attacks on the rights of women and girls. We will always speak out when millions of women and girls are silenced and out of sight.”
Summary of benefits
He said that the delegation, which includes the UN Special Envoy, Roza Otunbayeva, has agreed that it is important to “understand each other’s concerns and limitations, but accept that it is. in everyone’s interest, before the Afghans, to work together.”
They reached an agreement on “the need for an engagement process that allows for the stability of Afghanistan.” but also allows to address important concerns.”
While different countries place special positions on human rights, terrorism, or drug trafficking, “there is a general recognition that they are connected”, and need to be looked at as a whole.
Secretary-General António Guterres briefed the media in Doha, Qatar, on the situation in Afghanistan.
The biggest humanitarian crisis in the world
He concluded speaking in his own capacity as Secretary General, saying that “difficult to overestimate the gravity of the situation in Afghanistan. It is the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world today. “
A surprise 97 percent live in povertywhile 28 million Afghans, need some form of humanitarian aid.
Funding is not forthcoming, with the Humanitarian Response Plan, seeking $4.6 billion, having received “a mere $294 million” so far.
The majority of the UN staff providing life-saving assistance, are Afghan nationals, he stressed and banned women workers “deliberately undermine the development of a country that needs public contributions, in order to achieve sustainable peace and contribute to community stability.”
Wait and send
He pledged that the UN will not waver in its commitment to support the people of Afghanistan, and that the Organization is committed to continuing to deliver to preserve fragile lives.
Throughout the past decades, we stand, and we give. And we are determined to find the necessary conditions to continue delivering.
Asked if there were any circumstances when he would meet Taliban leaders, Mr Guterres said that while today was not the right time, he would “he obviously did not rule out that possibility“.
He said that he personally invested in calling the next meeting of representatives in the future.
