Afghanistan Peace Campaign
France has urged the Taliban to remove the political, human rights and security obstacles preventing Afghanistan’s reintegration into the international community, telling the UN Security Council that the next steps in the Doha process depend on the group responding to longstanding international demands.
Speaking during a UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan on Wednesday, Jérôme Bonnafont, France’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said the international community had listened to the Taliban’s concerns through the UN-led Doha engagement process and now expected the Taliban to address the concerns of the Security Council and the wider international community.
Bonnafont said France supports continued diplomatic engagement with Afghanistan but stressed that meaningful progress requires concrete action by the Taliban rather than further demands for international recognition.
The French envoy identified several priorities that the Security Council has repeatedly raised with the Taliban, including the formation of an inclusive government representing Afghanistan’s ethnic and political diversity, unrestricted humanitarian access, stronger action against terrorism and drug trafficking, and respect for fundamental human rights.
France says women’s rights remain the central obstacle
Bonnafont said restrictions imposed on Afghan women and girls continue to undermine Afghanistan’s future and remain one of the principal reasons the country remains internationally isolated.
He said barring women from education, employment and public life deprives Afghanistan’s economy of half of its potential workforce while weakening the country’s long-term development prospects. He also warned that restrictions on women’s access to healthcare have serious humanitarian and public health consequences.
France described the Taliban’s continued ban on Afghan women working for UN agencies inside Afghanistan as “unacceptable,” saying it hampers humanitarian operations and limits the United Nations’ ability to deliver assistance to millions of vulnerable Afghans.
The envoy called on the Taliban to reverse policies restricting women’s participation in society and allow them to return to schools, universities, workplaces and public institutions.
Inclusive political dialogue and security concerns
Bonnafont said lasting peace in Afghanistan cannot be achieved without inclusive political dialogue involving opposition groups, civil society representatives, women and ethnic and religious minorities.
He also urged the Taliban to demonstrate credible action against terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan and strengthen efforts to combat narcotics trafficking, issues that remain major concerns for neighboring countries and the broader international community.
France’s remarks come as the UN continues its Doha process, a diplomatic framework aimed at increasing engagement with Afghanistan while pressing the Taliban to meet international commitments on governance, human rights and security.
International recognition still out of reach
Nearly five years after the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, no country except Russia has formally recognized the Taliban government. Western governments have maintained that normalization of relations depends on measurable improvements in women’s rights, inclusive governance and counterterrorism commitments.
Bonnafont said Afghanistan’s return to the international community remains possible, but only if the Taliban take concrete steps to remove the barriers that continue to isolate the country diplomatically, politically and economically.