UN Security Council members demand immediate repeal of new Taliban law

A group of member states from the United Nations Security Council has strongly condemned the Taliban's newly imposed law, calling it a continuation of "gender discrimination" and demanding its immediate cancellation. On Friday, September 6, representatives from Ecuador, France, Guyana, Malta, Mozambique, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Japan issued a joint statement expressing grave concerns over the Taliban’s latest actions against Afghan citizens, particularly women.

The statement emphasized the severe impact of the Taliban’s policies on women and girls, condemning the "gender discrimination and oppression" that continues to escalate under the Taliban regime. The member states called for the swift reversal of this new law, which they argue imposes widespread restrictions on the personal freedoms of Afghan citizens, negatively affecting all aspects of life in the country.

The UN Security Council also expressed concern over the Taliban’s decision to block Richard Bennett, the UN's Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, from entering the country. They labeled this move as "unacceptable" and demanded that Bennett be allowed to fully carry out his mission of assessing the human rights situation in Afghanistan. Bennett welcomed the Security Council's response, reiterating his call for the Taliban to cancel all policies that limit basic freedoms.

Several Security Council members described the situation in Afghanistan as "unacceptable" and emphasized the need for continued efforts to address the suffering of the Afghan people. They pledged to "closely monitor" the unfolding situation and urged the international community to leverage its influence to pressure the Taliban into reversing this law.

Despite widespread criticism from both national and international bodies, the Taliban has yet to respond to the UN Security Council's demands. The law has sparked outrage globally, and while most Security Council members sought to issue a formal statement of condemnation, this effort was reportedly blocked by Russia and China.

The situation remains critical, with the international community continuing to express its opposition to the Taliban's policies, particularly regarding their treatment of women and girls.