Note: A complete summary of today’s Security Council meeting will be made available after its conclusion.
Briefings
ANTÓNIO GUTERRES, Secretary-General of the United Nations, said that, six months after the Taliban’s takeover, “Afghanistan is hanging by a thread.” Afghans are now in the grips of a brutal winter, many huddling in makeshift tents under plastic sheets. Ambulances and hospital power generators are running dry because of skyrocketing fuel prices, while civilians are suffering from COVID-19 alongside preventable diseases such as measles and polio. Education and social services are on the brink of collapse and millions of children — especially girls — are out of school. Over half of all Afghans also face extreme hunger as the country experiences its worst drought in two decades, pushing nine million people closer to famine.
“The Afghan economy is enduring a bitter winter of its own,” he continued, citing the danger that the currency could go into freefall and Afghanistan could lose 30 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) within the year. As the economy spirals downward, human rights are also losing ground, with women and girls once again shut out of offices and classrooms, and years of steady progress lost in the blink of an eye. Expressing deep concern about reports of arbitrary arrests and abductions of women activists, and strongly appealing for their release, he added that terrorism remains a constant threat.
Recalling his recently launched $4.4 billion humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan — the largest in the United Nations history for a single country — he said it aims to ramp up life‑saving support around health, shelter, nutrition, protection and emergency education, while also providing cash transfers to help families make ends meet. In 2021, the Organization and its partners reached 18 million people across Afghanistan, and in 2022, it is working at a scaled-up capacity to reach even more people and prevent food, health and education systems from collapsing. “At this moment, we need the global community — and this Council — to put their hands on the wheel of progress, provide resources and prevent Afghanistan from spiralling any further,” he said.
Against that backdrop, he called for a suspension of the rules and conditions that constrain not only Afghanistan’s economy, but the United Nations life‑saving operations. International funding must be allowed to pay the salaries of public-sector workers, from surgeons and nurses to teachers, sanitation workers and electricians. Welcoming the Council’s adoption in late 2021 of a humanitarian exemption to the United Nations sanctions regime, he called for the issuance of general licenses covering transactions necessary to all humanitarian activities. Member States should also support the “One UN” Transitional Engagement Framework for Afghanistan, being launched today, which aims to extend and accelerate humanitarian and development support, while strengthening essential services.
The global community also needs to jump-start Afghanistan’s economy through increased liquidity, he continued, notably by finding ways to free up frozen currency reserves and re-engage Afghanistan’s Central Bank. Recalling that the World Bank’s reconstruction trust fund for Afghanistan transferred $280 million to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) in December 2021, he called for the remaining $1.2 billion to be urgently freed up to help Afghans survive the winter. “Without action, lives will be lost, and despair and extremism will grow,” he emphasized, warning that economic collapse could lead to a massive exodus of people fleeing the country.
“Now is also the time for the Taliban to expand opportunity and security for its people and demonstrate a real commitment to be a part of the global community,” he stressed, noting that the window for trust-building is open, but trust must be earned. Unfettered humanitarian access to all regions of the country is vital, as is promoting security and fighting terrorism, and an inclusive Government must be built in which all Afghans feel represented. He urged the Taliban leadership to recognize and protect the fundamental human rights that every person shares, in which all people can contribute to the country’s future. “This must include the rights of women and girls, who are once again being denied their rights to education, employment and equal justice,” he stressed.
DEBORAH LYONS, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), provided a snapshot of recent developments, highlighting the primary focus of the United Nations work: to alleviate as much as possible the dire humanitarian situation through winter. By the end of 2021, almost 18 million people have been provided with life-saving assistance, compared with 11 million people assisted in 2020, and more than 2,000 primary and secondary health facilities were supported. This expansion of assistance was possible due to the improved security situation after 15 August 2021, when humanitarian actors were able access areas that had been inaccessible for years.
Yet, humanitarian needs are urgent, she continued, with the $1 billion requested in 2021 now having to be supplemented by $4.4 billion in 2022. While advocating for a relaxing of sanctions that prevent delivery of essential services, she said the liquidity crisis and inability of banks to operate triggered an extraordinary situation where people have money in the bank, but do not have full access to it to feed their families. The Council’s adoption of the humanitarian exemption resolution and the issuing of new general licenses by the United States in December 2021 provided some welcome assurances that facilitated humanitarian activities. For its part, her office today launched its “One UN” Transitional Engagement Framework for Afghanistan, for which an additional $3.6 billion is being sought, bringing the total funding request to $8 billion for 2022 for such areas as health, education and infrastructure, with a special focus on women and girls. Still, donors remain unsatisfied with the political progress in Afghanistan and are watching closely for encouraging signals.
As such, she anticipated clear actions demonstrating the Taliban’s commitment to a pathway of future engagement with the international community. Pointing to some positive signs — from wider engagement with political, private‑sector and civil-society actors, to managing the late 2021 currency crisis — she said there must be an end to uncertainty, a stable policy environment, a reliable rule of law framework and an educated population for a private sector to truly thrive. Concerns remain, as there have been no visible results in terms of greater ethnic inclusion in governing structures. She cited a joint communiqué issued at a recent meeting with a high-level Afghan delegation in Norway, declaring that “understanding and joint cooperation are the only solutions to all the problems of Afghanistan”. It is noteworthy that the Taliban delegation widely acknowledged this — and now they must act on it.
On the ground, however, there is compelling evidence of an environment of intimidation and a deterioration in respect for human rights, she said, amid allegations of killings, enforced disappearances and other violations that are not being addressed by the judiciary, such as detention of civilians, a contraction of media space and abductions. She expressed grave concern about the fate of several women activists who were abducted and have disappeared. UNAMA is engaging with the de facto authorities, urging them to investigate cases and hold perpetrators accountable, she said, adding that: “No Afghan should live in fear of a knock at their door in the night and no family should be left to wonder about whereabouts and fate of their loved ones.”
She offered three suggestions about how the Taliban can demonstrate a clearer commitment to the path of governance based on trust rather than on fear, if that is indeed the path they choose to take. First, they can initiate a long‑overdue wider dialogue on national reconciliation, a process the international community would support. Inclusion should be seen as a long‑standing and required source of domestic legitimacy, she said, emphasizing that: “For now the war has ended but peace has not yet been consolidated.” The current fragile peace and stability could unravel if measures are not taken to govern in a way that builds trust and accountability. In addition, the Taliban’s recent promises must be kept regarding girls’ education and containing terrorist groups. While a certain amount of realism is required regarding national capacities to contain terrorist groups, she said that if sufficient trust can be established, this could be an area for potential cooperation between the international community and the de facto authorities.
Turning to the cautious, constructive approach regional countries have adopted since August 2021, she said the Secretary-General’s latest report provides further details, including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting, hosted by Pakistan in December 2021. She said the United Nations commitment in August 2021 to stay and deliver means “we are well-positioned now to continue supporting the Afghan people, acting as an enabler of others who are willing to provide additional support, and engaging with the de facto authorities on the way forward”. As the Secretary-General prepares to present recommendations on a future political mission in Afghanistan, she said the premise is based on a presumed consensus that it is in no one’s interest to see a collapse of the current state in Afghanistan, but also that engagement with the Taliban can lead to progress along a negotiated pathway that delivers for the people of Afghanistan, the region and the rest of the world. As such, she said: “Testing that hypothesis will be our task in the months ahead.”
T.S. TIRUMURTI (India), speaking in his capacity as Chair of the Committee created pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011), said the main goal of the sanctions regime is to facilitate conditions that promote dialogue and ultimately result in peace and stability. In that context, the Committee decided on 22 December 2021 to once again extend the three-month travel ban exemption for 14 listed Taliban members to continue attending talks, in the interest of promoting peace and stability. The exemption was accompanied on this occasion by a decision to grant a limited asset‑freeze exemption for the financing of exempted travel. The country hosting the peace and stability talks will be required to report to the Committee within 30 days from the date of travel.
While voicing support for those measures, he nevertheless reminded Member States that the travel‑ban exemption is “for this purpose and this purpose only”. With the need for discussions to promote peace and stability also comes the need for reporting on the activities of the Taliban, and those individuals and entities listed under the 1988 sanctions regime, in order to ensure compliance with the sanctions. To facilitate these activities, the Council also extended the mandate of the Monitoring Team relating to the Taliban for a further year, on 17 December 2021, adopting resolution 2611 (2021). That team will now be more reliant upon information provided to it from outside Afghanistan, he added, urging States to respect the terms of relevant resolutions and consult in confidence with the Monitoring Team where applicable.
Outlining other recent activities, he recalled that, in November 2021, the Committee met with representatives of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and WFP to explore the impact of the sanctions regime on Afghanistan’s latest humanitarian situation. Subsequently, on 22 December 2021, the Council adopted resolution 2615 (2021) concerning the need to facilitate the work of humanitarian agencies and those institutions involved in supporting the resourcing and financing of critical humanitarian relief efforts in Afghanistan. The text acknowledged the current humanitarian crisis, emphasized food insecurity and the disproportionate impact on women, children and minorities. It also provided clarity to ensure the continued provision of assistance.
Meanwhile, he said, in its latest report, the Monitoring Team noted that the ties between the Taliban — largely through the Haqqani Network — and Al-Qaida and foreign terrorist fighters remain close and are based on ideological alignment. The presence of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) in Afghanistan remains a matter of concern, as terrorist attacks continue to be used to demonstrate power and influence, he stressed.
MAHBOUBA SERAJ, Afghan women human rights defender and Executive Director of Afghan Women Skills Development Center, shared her perspective as an Afghan American living in Afghanistan since 2003. The international community’s hasty exit in August 2021 undermined two decades of hard-won gains for equality, human rights, inclusive governance and peace and security. “The Taliban is once more in control and dismantling our rights daily,” she warned. Women “are literally being erased from public life, down to the blacking out of women’s faces on advertisements and the beheading of female mannequins in shop windows”. After years of warnings to the Security Council and the international community of this possibility, she said: “We will not be silenced, and you have a tremendous responsibility for keeping the promises you have made to us, the women of Afghanistan, over the years.”
Highlighting the responsibility of the Council, the United Nations and the international community for keeping Afghan women’s rights front and centre throughout all deliberations on Afghanistan, she reminded members that it has taken fewer than six months to completely dismantle the rights of women and girls fought for over two decades. The Council must stand by women, including by calling on the Taliban to rescind restrictive policies and ensure freedom of movement. Women protesting against wearing the hijab have disappeared, she emphasized, stressing that: “You cannot be silent about them if you claim to support us in this Council.”
Raising other concerns, she said desperation has led families to sell their babies, hospitals lack equipment and staff, and humanitarian conditions have deteriorated. The Council, United Nations and the international community have a responsibility to correct the situation. All humanitarian workers, including women, must be able to conduct their critical work. Funding must go to legitimate aid groups and not routed through the Taliban. Collapsing banking systems, rising food prices and job losses have been exacerbated by a brain drain, particularly when the Taliban restrict females from working outside the home.
She said the people of Afghanistan, especially its women, see the dilemma facing the world about how to engage with the Taliban while addressing the present, urgent needs and the future hopes of all Afghans. Ordinary Afghans must not be punished for a crisis they had no part in creating — but, equally, the Taliban cannot use Afghan lives to hold the international community for ransom. Therefore, it is in the collective interest to ensure that there is a robust international presence, through UNAMA, which can be the international community’s “eyes and ears on the ground”, monitoring and reporting on developments and whether the Taliban are following through on their bilateral and international commitments. This is especially important at a time when civil society, the media and international non-governmental organizations are unable to do so. UNAMA should also play a key role in supporting dialogue with the Taliban — for the sake of the Afghan people — and ensure inclusive consultations with Afghans from all parts of the country and all walks of life.
At the same time, she said, the international community must not be afraid to use its important leverage over the Taliban. Human rights, women’s rights and accountability must be part of every conversation. Clear conditions must be placed on any economic or political support that is provided to the Taliban to ensure that they address the needs and protect the rights of the population, including its women, girls, minorities and other marginalized groups, she said, recalling that Council members affirmed the importance of upholding all human rights in resolution 2593 (2021). “Now you must act on it”.
Moreover, she said the international community must stop sending all-male delegations to meet with the Taliban, which “sends a dangerous signal that you do not value our rights or our views”. Sending foreign women is not enough. She called for launching a process of inclusive governance for and by Afghans. Diverse representation of Afghan women — especially civil society — must be part of all ongoing negotiations with the Taliban.
“I am not the first, nor will I be the last, Afghan woman to address this Council,” she said. “But, this time, I hope members of this esteemed body and the international community more broadly will start to take us seriously. While we cannot turn back the clock, we can choose to work differently moving forward; ensuring that Afghan women are meaningfully a part of our country’s future is a critical place to start.”
Statements
JONAS GAHR STØRE, Prime Minister of Norway and Council President for January, spoke in his national capacity, recalling that a high-level delegation from the de facto Afghan authorities visited Oslo in recent days. The purpose of the trip was to offer a much-needed opportunity for non-Taliban women and men from Afghan civil society to engage the Taliban in a dialogue on the way forward for the country. The visit also offered a chance for Norway and a range of partners to engage Taliban representatives on how the needs of millions of Afghans will be met in the future. “Let me be clear: the Taliban heard the serious concerns shared by a variety of representative civil Afghans, as well as a united international community,” he said. The visit did not bestow international recognition on the de facto regime, but only provided an opportunity to exchange clear expectations on the way ahead.
Emphasizing that such dialogue is critical amid Afghanistan’s dire humanitarian crisis, he said the situation is exacerbated by climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and the deterioration of the economy. He praised the adoption of resolution 2615 (2021) on humanitarian exemptions and said it must now be better used to provide urgent aid delivery. Multilateral cooperation is also vital. It is essential that the Council provide UNAMA with a comprehensive and robust mandate to engage with the Taliban; monitor and report on the human rights situation; and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance and support. The protection of civilians, including children, must be a top priority, as should safeguarding the rights and equal participation of women. “This was clearly communicated from all delegations at the Oslo meeting,” he said, underscoring the Taliban’s responsibility to prevent terrorist groups from gaining a foothold or threatening international peace and stability.
…
