Rights group urges UN to demand Taliban include women in talks about future

June 6, 2024
By Abdur Razzaq

Voice of America

June 04, 2024

PAKISTAN — 

As the United Nations and the Taliban prepare to discuss Afghanistan in Doha, Qatar, on June 30, a New York-based global women’s rights advocacy nongovernmental organization has urged the U.N. to demand the Taliban ensure full and equal participation of Afghan women, peacebuilders and human rights defenders in all discussions about Afghanistan’s future.

During forthcoming meetings, the U.N. Security Council should demand that “the Taliban immediately reverse all policies and practices that restrict the full enjoyment of women’s human rights, in accordance with Afghanistan’s international obligations, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), as well as relevant Security Council resolutions,” the group, the Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, said in a communication posted May 30 on its website.

Since taking power nearly three years ago, the Taliban have systematically violated women’s human rights in both policy and practice by codifying gender-based discrimination across nearly every aspect of public and private life, including the recent announcement that the Taliban intend to resume public stoning of women as punishment for adultery, the group said in the digital communication “Monthly Action Points for the Security Council June 2024.”

Afghan rights activists say the upcoming Doha meeting is an opportunity for the United Nations to raise the issue of restrictions on Afghan women with the Taliban.

Shinkai Karokhail, an Afghan women’s rights activist based in Canada, told VOA that the call for inclusion of Afghan women in conversations about their future is of critical significance.

“Afghan women inclusion is important given their significant sufferings and exclusion from societal, economic and political life due to political changes in Afghanistan,” said Karokhail, who added the Doha meeting agenda should prioritize the concerns of the Afghan community.

Azizuddin Maarij, a London-based Afghan rights activist, said women must be part of the upcoming Doha meeting.

“The meeting should invite women, men and civil activists who have actively worked for Afghan women’s rights,” Maarij told VOA via Skype.

Adela Behram, an Afghan women’s rights activist and former Afghan presidential adviser, told VOA the international community should put pressure on the Taliban to change their ban on the education of women.

The Doha meeting scheduled for June 30 will be the third gathering on Afghanistan in Qatar’s capital since U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres initiated the process in May 2023, in a bid to increase interaction with Afghan Taliban “in a structured manner.”

The Taliban have not officially announced that they will participate in the Doha meeting. A Taliban foreign ministry spokesperson cited Taliban senior official Zakir Jalali in a May 29 post on the social media platform X, that “representatives of the Islamic emirate will take part in the main discussions” in Doha.

Jalali said the Taliban foreign ministry was waiting for the U.N. to share the latest details about the Doha huddle to enable Kabul to send its delegation there.

The U.N. has not issued an agenda for the planned meeting in Doha but the global agency’s under-secretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, visited Afghanistan from May 18 to 21, where her discussions, apart from other issues, with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi were focused on the Doha meetings.

DiCarlo, in her May 28 address to a U.N. Security Council meeting, cited Afghanistan as a “crying example” where women and girls are systematically denied rights and dignity, particularly in education.

This story originated in VOA’s Deewa Service.

Rights group urges UN to demand Taliban include women in talks about future
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Islamic Emirate Seeks Global Cooperation to Combat Environmental Crisis

June 6, 2024
TOLOnews
TV Network
6 June 2024

The agency said that by the year 2031 (1410 solar year), 25 million saplings will be planted annually across the country.

World Environment Day was commemorated in a program attended by high-ranking officials of the Islamic Emirate and several international organizations in Kabul.

A number of officials from the Islamic Emirate said during this program that due to the exploitation by some industrial powers, the environment worldwide is facing a crisis, which has also caused serious damage to Afghanistan.

Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Islamic Emirate’s deputy prime minister for administrative affairs, referring to the Islamic Emirate’s efforts in constructing large and small water canals and check dams, called on countries and international organizations to also strive to combat the environmental crisis in Afghanistan.

Hanafi said: “Continuous droughts, floods, earthquakes, and other natural disasters contribute to the destruction of the environment in Afghanistan; however, the role of humans is even more significant.”

Representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Norwegian Afghanistan Committee (NAC), who participated in the program, also emphasized addressing the environmental crisis in Afghanistan.

The United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative for Afghanistan, Stephen Rodriques, said: “Afghanistan contributes very, very little to global climate change but is one of the countries most severely impacted by it.”

Richard Trenchard, FAO Representative in Afghanistan, said: “Everywhere one goes one sees the inescapable mark of climate change. One feels the thirsty grip of drought. One sees once fertile lands that are now dry, parched hillsides once thick with trees now bare, and wells that are pumping deeper and deeper, year after year.”

Terje Watterdal, the country director of the Norwegian Afghanistan Committee, said: “An important problem is climate change knows no geographical or political boundaries. As a result, Afghan children, youth and adults from the north in Badakhshan to the south in Nimroz have been affected by the unpredictable climate changes.”

Meanwhile, officials from the National Environmental Protection Agency said that although Afghanistan is a member of 16 international environmental conventions and agreements, it currently does not receive any financial or technical support from international organizations for implementing these agreements. Furthermore, environmental and climate change projects in the country have been suspended.

Aziz Rahman, head of the National Environmental Protection Agency, said: “Rehabilitating the land through forest development, land use planning, and management helps us reduce poverty and misery and mitigate climate change and climate risks.”

The National Environmental Protection Agency said it has significant plans for expanding forests and creating national parks in various provinces. The agency said that by the year 2031 (1410 solar year), 25 million saplings will be planted annually across the country.

Islamic Emirate Seeks Global Cooperation to Combat Environmental Crisis
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US Reacts to Acting Minister of Interior’s Visit to UAE

June 6, 2024
TOLOnews
TV Network
6 June 2024

 

Without commenting on Matthew Miller’s remarks, the Islamic Emirate has described the acting Minister of Interior’s trip to the UAE as productive.

The spokesperson for the US State Department, Matthew Miller, said countries that host members of the “Taliban” who are under sanctions must do so through a United Nations-mandated exemption process.

In a press conference, Miller said: “I would just note that member states hosting UN- sanctioned Taliban members must seek permission for travel through an exemption process as outlined by the UN 1988 sanctions committee and it’s important that member states follow these procedures.”

These remarks come as Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, the acting Minister of Interior of the Islamic Emirate, recently visited the United Arab Emirates. Haqqani’s unexpected trip to the UAE is his first trip abroad since the Islamic Emirate’s return to power.

Without commenting on Matthew Miller’s remarks, the Islamic Emirate has described the acting Minister of Interior’s trip to the UAE as productive.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, told TOLOnews: “The acting Minister of Interior had talks with UAE officials, discussing various topics including Afghanistan’s relations with the UAE and the release of Afghan prisoners.”

Three days ago, the acting Minister of Interior, leading a delegation, went to the UAE, accompanied by Abdul Haq Wasiq, Director of the General Directorate of Intelligence, and Anas Haqqani, a senior member of the Islamic Emirate.

US Reacts to Acting Minister of Interior’s Visit to UAE
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Putin Emphasizes Need for Inclusive Afghan Government

June 6, 2024
TOLOnews
TV Network
6 June 2024

According to Putin, security and stability in Afghanistan are significantly more important than economic opportunities for Russia and Uzbekistan.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his latest remarks, has emphasized the importance of engaging with the Islamic Emirate, while also stressing the need for an inclusive government in Afghanistan.

Putin also said that Russia must ensure that agreements at the United Nations level, including the issue of an inclusive government in Afghanistan, are implemented.

According to the Russian President, security and stability in Afghanistan are significantly more important than economic opportunities for Russia and Uzbekistan.

In this regard, Vladimir Putin said: “Security and stability in Afghanistan are more important than economic opportunities for us and Uzbekistan. The Taliban must fulfill their promises regarding an inclusive government that includes all ethnic groups and political factions.”

The Russian president, referring to establishing relations with the Islamic Emirate, said: “There are problems in Afghanistan that everyone is aware of, but we must engage with the current government. The Taliban are the ones governing the country; they have power in Afghanistan today. We must follow the realities and establish our relations accordingly.”

Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate, while not commenting on an inclusive government, added that Kabul desires good relations with all countries of the world.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, told TOLOnews: “The reality is that official interactions with the Islamic Emirate should begin, and this is the way of salvation for everyone. We cannot solve problems in terms of sanctions and pressures.”

The Islamic Emirate has repeatedly said that all ethnic groups are included in the current government.

Vladimir Putin’s emphasis on forming an inclusive government in Afghanistan comes as some Russian officials have recently said they are considering removing the “Taliban” from the list of terrorist groups.

Putin Emphasizes Need for Inclusive Afghan Government
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CNN: Secret girls’ schools and a Taliban commander’s family: Inside Afghanistan today

June 5, 2024
Amanpour
CNN
5 June 2024
Secret girls’ schools and a Taliban commander’s family: Inside Afghanistan today

Åsne Seierstad, author of “The Bookseller of Kabul,” discusses her new book “The Afghans,” returning to the country after the chaotic US withdrawal and the erosion of women’s rights.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/03/tv/video/amanpour-afghanistan-women-rights-taliban-asne-seierstad

 

 

CNN: Secret girls’ schools and a Taliban commander’s family: Inside Afghanistan today
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UN condemns Taliban after it publicly flogs at least 60 people

June 5, 2024

Associated Press in Islamabad

The UN has condemned the public flogging of more than 60 people, including more than a dozen women, by the Taliban in northern Sari Pul province.

At least 63 people were lashed on Tuesday by Afghanistan’s de facto authorities, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said in a statement, condemning corporal punishment and calling for respect for international human rights obligations.

Taliban’s supreme court confirmed the public flogging of 63 people, including 14 women who had been accused of crimes including sodomy, theft and immoral relations. They were flogged at a sports stadium.

The Taliban, despite promises of more moderate rule, began carrying out severe punishments in public – executions, floggings and stonings – shortly after returning to power in 2021. The punishments are similar to those seen during the Taliban’s previous rule in the late 1990s.

Separate statements by the supreme court said a man and a woman convicted of adultery and trying to run away from home were flogged in northern Panjsher province on Wednesday.

Earlier this year, the Taliban publicly executed a man convicted of murder as thousands watched at a stadium in northern Jawzjan province. The brother of the murdered man shot the convict five times with a rifle.

It was the fifth public execution since the Taliban seized power in August 2021 as USand Nato troops were in the final weeks of their withdrawal from the country after two decades of war.

UN condemns Taliban after it publicly flogs at least 60 people
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Emirati leader meets with Taliban official facing $10 million US bounty over attacks

June 5, 2024
BY JON GAMBRELL

Associated Press

June 5, 2024

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The leader of the United Arab Emirates met Tuesday with an official in the Taliban government still wanted by the United States on an up-to $10 million bounty over his involvement in an attack that killed an American citizen and other assaults.

The meeting highlights the growing divide internationally on how to deal with the Taliban, who seized control of Afghanistan in 2021 and since have barred girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade and otherwise restricted women’s role in public life. While the West still doesn’t recognize the Taliban as Kabul’s government, nations in the Mideast and elsewhere have reached out to them.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler of Abu Dhabi, met Sirajuddin Haqqani at the Qasr Al Shati palace in the Emirati capital, the state-run WAM news agency reported. It published an image of Sheikh Mohammed shaking hands with Haqqani, the Taliban’s interior minister who also heads the Haqqani network, a powerful network within the group blamed for some of the bloodiest attacks against Afghanistan’s former Western-backed government.

For their part, the Taliban described the two men as discussing “mutual interests,” without elaborating. It added that the Taliban’s spy chief, Abdul Haq Wasiq, also took part in the meeting. Wasiq had been held for years at the U.S. military’s prison at Guantanamo Bay and released in 2014 in a swap that saw the release of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who had been captured after leaving his post in 2009.

Haqqani, believed to be in his 50s, has continued to be on the U.S. radar even after the Taliban takeover. In 2022, a U.S. drone strike in Kabul killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri, who had called for striking the United States for years after taking over from Osama bin Laden. The house in which al-Zawahri was killed was a home for Haqqani, according to U.S. officials.

While the Taliban argued the strike violated the terms of the 2020 Doha Agreement that put in motion the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the accord also included a promise by the Taliban not harbor al-Qaida members or others seeking to attack America.

The Haqqani network grew into one of the deadliest arms of the Taliban after the U.S.-led 2001 invasion of Afghanistan following the Sept. 11 attacks. The group employed roadside bombs, suicide bombings and other attacks, including on the Indian and U.S. embassies, the Afghan presidency and other major targets. They also have been linked to extortion, kidnapping and other criminal activity.

Haqqani himself specifically acknowledged planning a January 2008 attack against the Serena Hotel in Kabul, which killed six people, including U.S. citizen Thor David Hesla.

The U.S. long has been a security guarantor for the UAE, a federation of seven hereditarily ruled sheikhdoms also home to Dubai, and has thousands of troops working out Al Dhafra Air Base and other locations in the country.

Since the Taliban takeover, China is the most-prominent country to accept a diplomat from the group. Other countries have accepted de facto Taliban representatives, like Qatar, which has been a key mediator between the U.S. and the group. American envoys have met multiple times with the Taliban as well.

The UAE, which hosted a Taliban diplomatic mission during the Taliban’s first rule in Afghanistan, has been trying to solidify ties to the group even as it sent troops to back the Western coalition that fought for decades in the country. The low-cost UAE-based carriers Air Arabia and FlyDubai have begun flying into Kabul International Airport again, while an Emirati company won a security contract for airfields in Afghanistan.

Concerns about human rights under the Taliban’s rule persist as well.

U.N. human rights spokesman Jeremy Laurence on Wednesday criticized a reported mass flogging of 63 men and women at a sporting facility in the city of Sar-e-pul over alleged offenses including “running away from home” and “moral crimes.” Afghan media quoted a local government official and witnesses confirming the floggings took place Tuesday.

“The punishment was reportedly carried out in front of members of the de facto authorities and hundreds of local residents,” Laurence said. “We again urge the de facto authorities to immediately cease all forms of corporal punishment.”

 

Emirati leader meets with Taliban official facing $10 million US bounty over attacks
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Afghanistan faces serious climate change threats; least prepared to combat them

June 5, 2024
Khaama Press

 

Afghanistan faces serious threats from climate change, and studies indicate that it is among the least prepared to combat these threats.

As the world commemorates World Environment Day, Afghanistan is grappling with the severe consequences of climate change-induced events. Most recently, deadly floods in several provinces have not only destroyed thousands of hectares of agricultural land and endangered the existing ecosystem but also claimed the lives of over 300 people.

Rosa Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA stated in a video message on World Environment Day that Afghanistan’s beautiful and unique environment is under threat. She emphasized the need to restore ecosystems to prevent climate-related floods and droughts.

Officials of the de facto administration also remarked on this occasion that industrial countries play a significant role in producing greenhouse gases, which negatively impacts countries like Afghanistan.

Concerns over climate change threats to Afghanistan have increased, especially since, due to political developments in the country, Afghanistan’s seat at crucial international meetings on climate change, including the recent COP, has remained vacant.

Additionally, the recent deadly floods have exacerbated the already dire situation. The floods have not only resulted in significant loss of life but also caused extensive damage to infrastructure, displacing thousands of families.

The lack of adequate disaster preparedness and response mechanisms has further highlighted the urgent need for international assistance and support to help Afghanistan cope with the increasing frequency and severity of such natural disasters.

The devastating impact of the floods underscores Afghanistan’s vulnerability to climate change and the urgent need for comprehensive climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. The international community’s support is crucial to building resilience and ensuring sustainable development in Afghanistan amidst these environmental challenges.

Afghanistan faces serious climate change threats; least prepared to combat them
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Herat Saffron once again ranked best in the world

June 5, 2024
Khaama Press

The International Taste Institute of Belgium has announced that  Herat saffron has once again secured the top position globally for the ninth time, being recognized as the “most delicious” saffron.

On Tuesday, June 4th, the institute published a report stating that  Herat saffron was identified as the best saffron following laboratory tests.

The International Taste Institute, based in Belgium, annually evaluates food products from various countries worldwide based on specific criteria.

It is noteworthy that, according to this institute’s assessments, Afghanistan saffron has received the award for the best taste.

It is worth mentioning that saffron is one of Afghanistan’s most valuable industrial crops, consistently receiving the top award for best taste over the years.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation of Afghanistan, in 2023, 8,304 hectares of land in 26 provinces of the country were cultivated with saffron, yielding 23.249 metric tons of saffron, of which 22.240 metric tons were harvested from  Herat province.

Afghan saffron, also known as “red gold,” is currently exported to numerous markets in many countries, especially Arab countries, India, and China.

Herat Saffron once again ranked best in the world
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Afghanistan faces serious climate change threats; least prepared to combat them

June 5, 2024
Khaama Press

Afghanistan faces serious threats from climate change, and studies indicate that it is among the least prepared to combat these threats.

As the world commemorates World Environment Day, Afghanistan is grappling with the severe consequences of climate change-induced events. Most recently, deadly floods in several provinces have not only destroyed thousands of hectares of agricultural land and endangered the existing ecosystem but also claimed the lives of over 300 people.

Rosa Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA stated in a video message on World Environment Day that Afghanistan’s beautiful and unique environment is under threat. She emphasized the need to restore ecosystems to prevent climate-related floods and droughts.

Officials of the de facto administration also remarked on this occasion that industrial countries play a significant role in producing greenhouse gases, which negatively impacts countries like Afghanistan.

Concerns over climate change threats to Afghanistan have increased, especially since, due to political developments in the country, Afghanistan’s seat at crucial international meetings on climate change, including the recent COP, has remained vacant.

Additionally, the recent deadly floods have exacerbated the already dire situation. The floods have not only resulted in significant loss of life but also caused extensive damage to infrastructure, displacing thousands of families.

The lack of adequate disaster preparedness and response mechanisms has further highlighted the urgent need for international assistance and support to help Afghanistan cope with the increasing frequency and severity of such natural disasters.

The devastating impact of the floods underscores Afghanistan’s vulnerability to climate change and the urgent need for comprehensive climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. The international community’s support is crucial to building resilience and ensuring sustainable development in Afghanistan amidst these environmental challenges.

Afghanistan faces serious climate change threats; least prepared to combat them
read more

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