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Remarks by Ambassador Dorothy Shea, Chargé d’Affaires, at a UN Security Council Briefing on Afghanistan

March 12, 2025 Current News Articles

Ambassador Dorothy Shea
Chargé d ’Affaires ad interim
New York, New York
March 10, 2025

AS DELIVERED

Thank you, Madam President, and thank you SRSG Roza Otunbayeva for your briefing. I would also like to thank Ms. Azadah Raz Mohammad for your remarks and I welcome the representative of Afghanistan.

We recognize the work of the UNAMA team, in very challenging conditions, to support the people of Afghanistan. UNAMA coordinates the provision of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people; promotes good governance; and reports on the political and social developments in Afghanistan, including on human rights.

The security threat emanating from Afghanistan is a continuing driver of regional instability. The United States notes that, in February, the UN’s 1267 Monitoring Team echoed these concerns.

We are also concerned about the transnational threat posed by ISIS-K. We call on the Taliban to abide by their counterterrorism commitments.

The Taliban must ensure Afghanistan can never again be used as a safe haven for terrorist groups to threaten the security of the United States, our allies, or any country.

Madam President, colleagues, Afghanistan cannot achieve self-reliance and stability so long as the Afghan people remain subject to oppressive Taliban restrictions that strangle the economy. The situation for Afghan women and girls is particularly devastating given the over 80 edicts directly targeting their access to education, commercial activities, and overall participation in the economy. Furthermore, the December ban on women attending medical institutes will have dire consequences for all Afghans. The UN must be a stronger voice of the international community in pressing the Taliban to change course.

Over 22 million Afghans rely on emergency humanitarian assistance, making Afghanistan one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. The Taliban’s repressive policies and Afghanistan’s struggling economy are drivers of human displacement, which strains the region’s limited resources and contributes to further destabilization.

The United States is skeptical of the Taliban’s willingness to engage in good faith in the Doha Process. We cannot build confidence with a group that unjustly detains Americans, has a long history of harboring terrorist groups on its soil, and ignores the basic rights and needs of its own people.

We look forward to working with members of this Council to maintain consensus on our collective demand that the Taliban act responsibly.

I thank you.

Iran Ready to Cooperate on Afghanistan’s Security

March 12, 2025 Current News Articles

Bibi Amina Hakimi

TOLOnews Reporter

11 March 2025

Greenland and Afghanistan: Frontiers in race for critical minerals

March 11, 2025 Current News Articles

By Alex Gendler

Voice of America

March 07, 2025

Where mineral resources are located and extracted has often played a major role in geopolitical and economic relations. Today, the world’s attention is turning to two places believed to be rich in untapped reserves — but accessing each of them comes with unique challenges.

Afghanistan

Sitting at the intersection of multiple tectonic plates, Afghanistan’s geology has resulted in extensive and diverse mineral deposits. Historically, its territory was a primary source of copper and gold as well as gems and semiprecious stones, particularly lapis lazuli, a stone prized for its intense blue color.

Today, Afghanistan is estimated to hold nearly $1 trillion worth of mineral reserves. This includes 60 million tons of copper, 183 million tons of aluminum and 2.2 billion tons of iron ore. Gold is mined on an artisanal scale in the northern and eastern provinces, while the mountainous north contains valuable marble and limestone deposits used in construction.

The China National Petroleum Corporation also pumps oil in the north, though Afghanistan has no domestic refining capability and is reliant on neighbors such as Turkmenistan, Iran and Kyrgyzstan for fuel.

Most of the international focus, however, is on Afghanistan’s other metal deposits, many of which are crucial to emerging technologies. These include cobalt, lithium and niobium, used in batteries and other electronics. The country’s unexplored lithium reserves may even exceed those of Bolivia, currently the world’s largest.

Afghanistan also holds major deposits of rare earth metals like lanthanum, cerium and neodymium, which are used for magnets and semiconductors as well as other specialized manufacturing applications.

One obstacle to extracting Afghanistan’s minerals is its terrain, considered the eighth most mountainous in the world. But security has been a much bigger impediment. Amid the political instability that followed the first fall of the Taliban in 2001, many gemstone and copper mines operated illegally under the command of local militants. With workers paid very little and the product smuggled out to be sold in neighboring Pakistan, the Afghan people saw little benefit from these extraction operations.

Since retaking power in 2021, the Taliban, who have been eager to make use of the country’s mineral wealth and increase exports, are hampered by a lack of diplomatic recognition and their designation as a terrorist group by multiple nations. This is, however, beginning to change, as some countries establish de facto diplomatic ties.

In 2024, the Taliban government’s resource ministry announced that it had secured investments from China, Qatar, Turkey, Iran and the United Kingdom. China, which was the first nation to accredit a Taliban-appointed ambassador, is expected to be a major player in Afghanistan’s extractive industries as part of its Belt and Road Initiative.

However, as newly discovered deposits require an average of 16 years to develop into operational mines, harnessing Afghanistan’s mineral potential will take a great deal of investment and time — if the political and security issues can somehow be worked out.

Greenland

For millions of years, Greenland has been mostly covered by an ice sheet, habitable only along coastal areas. Despite some offshore petroleum and gas exploration, fishing and whaling have remained the primary nongovernment industries.

Now, as ice recedes amid climate change, the large island’s frozen interior offers new opportunities in untapped mineral resources. These include more common metals such as copper and gold, as well as titanium and graphite. But as elsewhere, there is even greater interest in Greenland’s deposits of technology-critical minerals.

The autonomous Danish territory is estimated to contain deposits of 43 of the 50 minerals designated by the United States as crucial to national security. Among these are the sought-after rare earth metals, in addition to other metals with technological applications such as vanadium and chromium.

Currently, a majority of the world’s rare earth metals are mined in China, making Greenland’s deposits vital for countries seeking to reduce their dependence on Chinese imports. This strategic importance is one of the factors that led U.S. President Donald Trump to propose buying Greenland from Denmark.

Greenland’s government has issued nearly 100 mining licenses to companies like KoBold Metals and Rio Tinto. But these have mostly involved exploration, with only two mines currently operating in the country. Getting a mine to production can take as long as a decade, because it involves several unique challenges.

One such hurdle is Greenland’s strong environmentalist movement, which has successfully shut down mining projects for safety concerns. Rare earths pose a particular issue, because they must be extracted from other ores — a process that can cause waste and pollution. At the Kvanefjeld site in the south, metals were to be extracted from uranium ore until the fear of radioactive pollution led to a ban.

The receding ice and warming climate have made extraction easier not only by revealing more territory but also by extending possible working hours and easing ship navigation. However, the environment remains harsh and inhospitable, and the island suffers from a lack of infrastructure, with few roads or energy facilities outside major settlements. Nevertheless, Greenland’s government considers the mining industry to be an important means of developing the economy.

Conclusion

Shaped by both politics and geography, Greenland and Afghanistan have become two major frontiers in the global scramble for critical minerals. Which parties will have the opportunity to benefit from their resources will depend on the interplay of military power, economics and diplomacy.

UK backs referring Taliban to International Court, urges progress on women’s rights

March 11, 2025 Current News Articles

Khaama Press

11 March 2025

The United Kingdom has expressed support for referring the Taliban to the International Court of Justice for accountability on their actions.

James Kariuki, Deputy Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations Security Council, expressed the UK’s support for referring the Taliban to the International Court of Justice for addressing concerns about their actions.

On Monday, March 10, Kariuki reiterated the UK’s opposition to the restrictions imposed on Afghanistan’s women and girls, highlighting the importance of upholding their rights and freedoms in Afghanistan.

Kariuki emphasized that the international community should address the issue of gender-based violence, and that the Taliban must respond to concerns raised by human rights organizations regarding their treatment of women.

He shared these remarks during a United Nations Security Council meeting on Afghanistan, stressing the need for international cooperation in addressing the challenges faced by the Afghanistan population under the current regime.

The statement also included that, for the Taliban to be integrated into the international community, they must demonstrate a commitment to human rights, political participation, and counterterrorism measures.

Meanwhile, Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Special Representative for Afghanistan, mentioned that the Taliban has not shown significant political progress, which continues to hinder Afghanistan’s potential for broader engagement on the world stage.

The UN Security Council meeting ended with strong expressions of concern regarding the ongoing situation in Afghanistan, highlighting the international community’s desire for progress on human rights and political inclusion. The lack of substantial political advancements under the Taliban’s leadership remains a key issue.

Meanwhile, the international community seeks continued dialogue and cooperation to support the Afghanistan population, while encouraging the Taliban to take tangible steps toward fulfilling their international obligations and fostering a more inclusive governance model.

Over 22.9 million people in Afghanistan need urgent aid, says Iran’s UN Ambassador

March 11, 2025 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

March 11, 2025

Iran’s UN Ambassador, Iravani, has highlighted that over 22.9 million people in Afghanistan urgently require assistance due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Amir Saeed Iravani, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations, stated that Afghanistan is facing one of the worst humanitarian crises globally, with over 22.9 million people in need of urgent assistance. He emphasized the severity of the situation and the growing demand for international support.

Iravani further reported that the humanitarian response plan for 2025 requires $2.42 billion in funding, yet the financial contributions have remained alarmingly low. He urged that humanitarian aid should be impartial and unconditional to ensure that it reaches those in need without any obstacles, stressing the importance of continued assistance to Afghanistan.

Despite claims by the Taliban regarding economic growth, Afghanistan’s economy remains fragile and unstable according to reputable international economic institutions. Reports indicate widespread poverty, a vulnerable economy, and an uncertain economic future, with the country facing severe economic challenges over the past three years.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also noted earlier on March that although intense conflict has subsided in the past three years, Afghanistan’s economy continues to be fragile. This underscores the ongoing difficulties faced by the Afghanistan people and the need for sustained international support to stabilize the nation’s economy and provide much-needed relief.

Afghanistan’s crisis remains dire, and international aid must increase to meet the rising humanitarian needs. The international community must ensure that assistance continues to flow without interruption and reach those who are most vulnerable.

Germany Evaluating Engagement with the Islamic Emirate

March 11, 2025 Current News Articles

TOLOnews

TV Network

11 March 2025

Fitrat: UN Should Make Decisions ‘Independently’

March 11, 2025 Current News Articles

TOLOnews

TV Network

11 March 2025

The human rights situation, particularly women’s issues in Afghanistan, was another key topic of the meeting.

Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate, responded to the UN Security Council meeting, stating that the caretaker government has consistently sought to engage with the international community.

According to Fitrat, some countries attempt to create obstacles in this process. “Unfortunately, some countries create barriers in this regard. It is up to the UN to make sound decisions independently and not under the influence of major powers. If this happens, Afghanistan can regain its rightful place on the global stage and reclaim its seat at the UN,” he said.

During last night’s Security Council meeting, discussions focused on counterterrorism efforts, the formation of an inclusive government, and the protection of human rights in Afghanistan. Representatives from Russia, China, Pakistan, the United States, and other countries called for concrete actions by the caretaker government in the fight against terrorism.

Dorothy Shea, the U.S. representative to the UN, said: “We are also concerned about the transnational threat posed by ISIS-K. We call on the Taliban to abide by their counterterrorism commitments. The Taliban must ensure Afghanistan can never again be used as a safe haven for terrorist groups to threaten the security of the United States, our allies, or any country.”

The representatives of China and Russia, in addition to discussing these issues, called for the lifting of travel sanctions on Islamic Emirate officials and emphasized the importance of forming an inclusive government in Afghanistan.

Vassily Nebenzia, Russia’s UN representative, remarked: “Among other imperatives is shaping a truly inclusive Government with the participation of all ethno-political groups in the country. We hope to see positive momentum on both fronts.”

Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the UN, said during the Security Council meeting: “China reiterates that the Council should reinstate its package of exemptions to the travel ban imposed on the relevant personnel of the Afghan interim government, and timely adjust the 1988 sanctions regime, so as to facilitate the external engagement of the interim government.”

The human rights situation, particularly women’s issues in Afghanistan, was another key topic of the meeting.

“This remains vital whilst Afghans – especially women and girls – continue to suffer under a series of oppressive restrictions. At the time, members of the Taliban claimed that the March 2022 ban on secondary education for girls was temporary. Almost three years on, girls in Afghanistan continue to be denied their right to education,” said James Kariuki, the UK’s deputy permanent representative to the UN.

At the end of the meeting, nine countries issued a joint statement under the theme Women, Peace, and Security in Afghanistan, expressing concern over the situation of women and supporting the extension of the UNAMA mandate.

Otunbayeva: Is the Govt Ready for Global Integration?

March 11, 2025 Current News Articles

Sial Yousofi

Correspondent

Tolo News

11 March 2025

The head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Roza Otunbayeva, presented a report on the situation in Afghanistan to the UN Security Council last night (March 10).

Otunbayeva emphasized in the report that the current authorities of the interim government should clarify whether they want to integrate with the international community or not.

“It is the responsibility of the de facto authorities to indicate whether they want Afghanistan to be reintegrated into the international system and, if so, whether they are willing to take the necessary steps,” said Otunbayeva.

Otunbayeva also highlighted concerns regarding the possible conclusion of UNAMA’s mission in Afghanistan, warning that the situation would further deteriorate.

The UN representative stated that she hopes UNAMA’s mandate in Afghanistan will be extended next week.

In the report, Otunbayeva claimed that Afghans fear increased isolation and marginalization, and the reduction of humanitarian aid is another major concern for them.

“In 2025, more than 50 percent of the population — some 23 million people — require humanitarian assistance. But this assistance is rapidly decreasing. The defunding of assistance is already having and will continue to have a significant impact on the Afghan people. In the past month, more than 200 health facilities have closed,” she said.

Otunbayeva said that essential malnutrition services for children have been limited, and implementing partners have significantly reduced their footprint and coordination capacity.

The head of UNAMA said that the Afghan economy grew around 2.7 percent in 2024. Investments, especially in infrastructure, supported by regional countries, are taking place, but in the short- and medium-term current levels of growth cannot compensate for the drop in foreign aid and the growing population, she said.
She also mentioned the closure of medical institutes for girls, stating that it has further worsened the healthcare situation.

“This new restriction deepens a long-term gap in the country’s capacity to protect the
health of women and indeed all Afghans. This will further worsen maternal and infant mortality in Afghanistan, already one of the highest in the world,” she stated.

She called on the international community to support the caretaker government in cultivating alternatives to poppy cultivation.

The head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) makes these remarks as the mission is set to conclude on March 17 of this year. So far, the Security Council has not clarified its stance on extending or terminating the mission.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has also not yet reacted to these statements.

Afghans promised a future in the U.S. now fear deportation from Pakistan

March 10, 2025 Current News Articles

By Rick Noack

The Washington Post

8 March 2025

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — After 2½ years of anxious waiting, 36-year-old Shirzad and his family were booked on a Feb. 3 resettlement flight from Pakistan to the United States. Two weeks before they were due to depart, President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending America’s refugee program.

“Now, we’re living as if we’re under house arrest — we don’t leave our home anymore for fear of being detained,” said Shirzad, an Afghan former aid worker for a U.S.-funded organization.

Thousands of Afghans who were set to be relocated to the United States before Trump halted refugee admissions are at risk of being forced out of their homes in Pakistan — and potentially sent back to Taliban-run Afghanistan.

Pakistani authorities were already gearing up for a major deportation campaign targeting hundreds of thousands of Afghans with no path to resettlement in Europe or the United States. Now, even those who had been promised a new life in America have been told they must leave Pakistan’s capital region by the end of the month, which they fear is a pretext for arrest and deportation.

While Pakistan has long respected Western requests to spare Afghans with ties to NATO countries, the upcoming campaign is expected to target anyone without a valid visa — including many like Shirzad, who, after being in limbo here for years, have recently been unable to pay surging visa extension fees.

Hiding inside their cramped apartment on the outskirts of Islamabad has been particularly hard on his two children, Shirzad said. But going back to Afghanistan is not an option: “It’s like inviting death into your home,” he said. Like others in this story, he spoke on the condition that he be identified by his last name, fearing unwanted scrutiny from the Taliban.

Afghans interviewed for this story said the uncertainty has taken a growing mental toll. Some said they were battling depression and suicidal thoughts.

Aman, 41, a former member of the Afghan security forces, can’t shake the thought of his potential arrest by Pakistani police. If it comes to that, he said, he wonders if he should ask them to shoot him rather than send him back.

“When my little daughter sees police officers, she starts crying,” he said, sitting in a bare room with faded walls in one of the capital’s densely populated Afghan neighborhoods.

Islamabad began deporting Afghans who were not vocal critics of the Taliban in late 2023, amid deteriorating ties with the government in Kabul. Over 800,000 Afghans — some of whom were born in Pakistan — have already been sent back.

In recent weeks, Pakistani officials have also begun to put more pressure on the estimated half-million Afghan refugees who arrived here after the Taliban takeover in 2021. Pakistani officials say few other countries would have been willing to take in so many refugees in the first place and their patience has run out amid mounting public pressure over competition for work and housing.

“It is a fact that you will have to go,” Amir Muqam, Pakistan’s minister for states and frontier regions, said recently, addressing Afghans without valid visas.

For now, Pakistani officials say they are focusing their efforts on the estimated 1.5 million Afghan refugees who fled across the border after the Soviet invasion of their country in the late 1970s. But the estimated 20,000 Afghans whose resettlement cases were processed by the U.S. government before Trump’s executive order fear they will be caught up in the dragnet.

The Jan. 20 order suspended refugee arrivals for at least 90 days, pending a government review. Some Afghans have still been able to enter the United States in recent weeks under Special Immigrant Visas — reserved for those who directly supported the 20-year American war effort, including as military interpreters. But AfghanEvac, a volunteer organization that helps families resettle in the United States, warned Wednesday that it has “credible indications that a travel ban affecting Afghan nationals may be imminent,” which could seal off the last remaining path.

Thousands of Afghans have been arrested in Pakistan over the past two months, and hundreds deported, said Umer Ijaz Gilani, a human rights lawyer in Islamabad.

“There are legal precedents stating that anyone who has come to Pakistan and is at genuine risk can’t be sent back,” Gilani said. “It’s against our international obligations.”

A statement from Pakistan’s Interior Ministry said the country “has been a gracious host and continues to fulfill its commitments and obligations as a responsible state. … No one will be maltreated during the repatriation process, and arrangements for food and health care for returning foreigners have also been put in place.”

Of the more than a dozen refugees interviewed by The Washington Post, none said they heard from the U.S. government about when — or whether — their resettlement cases might proceed.

“These folks are struggling to survive,” said Shawn VanDiver, the president of AfghanEvac.

Although the Taliban leadership issued a general amnesty for former officials in the U.S.-backed government more than three years ago, the United Nations has documented more than 200 extrajudicial killings of former Afghan officials and members of the armed forces since the withdrawal of U.S. forces. The government has also imposed increasingly harsh laws limiting the rights of women and girls.

Marzia Hafizi, 32, has been working for an exiled Afghan broadcaster since fleeing her country for the Pakistani capital region shortly after the fall of Kabul, presenting segments critical of the Taliban from across the border. Over the past two months, she has left her home only once, for a doctor’s visit, she said, after an anonymous threat was sent to her channel suggesting that her whereabouts are known to the Taliban.

She has reported recently about alleged hacks targeting Taliban ministries and accusations of sexual abuse under the regime. She had hoped Pakistan would continue to grant her sanctuary while she waited for U.S. authorities to facilitate her relocation.

One of her sisters, still in Kabul, was so confident the family would be welcomed to the United States that she passed on an opportunity to relocate to France, opting to wait for a U.S. decision on her pending application.

The Pakistani deportation drive, and the increasingly repressive political climate in Kabul, have alarmed Hafizi.

“I don’t even want to think about being deported,” she said.

Worried about their future, a group of Afghans met for a protest at an indoor shelter this week on the outskirts of Islamabad. But their anger wasn’t directed at Pakistan.

The room was covered in American flags. Some held up photos of Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “Honor your commitments — before it’s too late,” one poster read.

Zahir Bahand, 51, was a regional government spokesman under the U.S.-backed administration. His 29-year-old son and his son’s wife were among the last Afghans to make it to the United States before Trump’s inauguration in January. Bahand, his wife and their two younger children had expected to join them there soon. They had already sold their belongings. Now he worries they may never make it.

“Many people who worked with other NATO allies have long been evacuated, but we — the ones who assisted the United States — are being left behind,” he said.

Shaiq Hussain and Haq Nawaz Khan contributed to this report.

Afghan women who fled Taliban to study abroad face imminent return after USAID cuts

March 10, 2025 Current News Articles

Yogita Limaye

South Asia and Afghanistan correspondent

BBC News

8 March 2025

More than 80 Afghan women who fled the Taliban to pursue higher education in Oman now face imminent return back to Afghanistan, following the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to foreign aid programmes.

Funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), their scholarships were abruptly terminated after a funding freeze ordered by President Donald Trump when he returned to office in January.

“It was heart-breaking,” one student told the BBC, speaking anonymously for fear of reprisals. “Everyone was shocked and crying. We’ve been told we will be sent back within two weeks.”

Since regaining power nearly four years ago, the Taliban has imposed draconian restrictions on women, including banning them from universities.

The Trump administration’s aid freeze has faced legal roadblocks, but thousands of humanitarian programmes around the world have already been terminated as the White House dismantles USAID and cuts tens of billions of dollars in spending.

The students in Oman say preparations are under way to return them to Afghanistan, and have appealed to the international community to “intervene urgently”.

The BBC has seen emails sent to the 82 students informing them that their scholarships have been “discontinued” due to the termination of the programme and USAID funding.

The emails – which acknowledge the news will be “profoundly disappointing and unsettling” – refer to travel arrangements back to Afghanistan, which caused alarm among the students.

“We need immediate protection, financial assistance and resettlement opportunities to a safe country where we can continue our education,” one told the BBC.

The USAID website’s media contact page remains offline. The BBC has contacted the US State Department for comment.

The Afghan women, now facing a forced return from Oman, had been pursuing graduate and post-graduate courses under the Women’s Scholarship Endowment (WSE), a USAID programme which began in 2018.

It provided scholarships for Afghan women to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), the disciplines banned for women by the Taliban.

Just over a week ago, the students were told their scholarships had been terminated.

“It’s like everything has been taken away from me,” another student told the BBC. “It was the worst moment. I’m under extreme stress right now.”

These women, mostly aged in their 20s, qualified for scholarships in 2021 before the Taliban seized Afghanistan. Many continued their studies in Afghan universities until December 2022, when the Taliban banned higher education for women.

After 18 months in limbo, they said they fled to Pakistan last September.

USAID then facilitated their visas to Oman, where they arrived between October and November 2024.

“If we are sent back, we will face severe consequences. It would mean losing all our dreams,” a student said. “We won’t be able to study and our families might force us to get married. Many of us could also be at personal risk due to our past affiliations and activism.”

The Taliban has cracked down on women protesting for education and work, with many activists beaten, detained and threatened.

Women in Afghanistan describe themselves as “dead bodies moving around” under the regime’s brutal policies.

The Taliban government says it has been trying to resolve the issue of women’s education, but has also defended its supreme leader’s diktats, saying they are “in accordance with Islamic Sharia law”.

“Afghanistan is experiencing gender apartheid, with women systematically excluded from basic rights, including education,” a student said.

She and her friends in Oman had managed to escape that fate, as the scholarships were supposed to fund their education until 2028.

“When we came here, our sponsors told us to not go back to Afghanistan till 2028 for vacations or to visit our families because it’s not safe for us. And now they’re telling us to go,” a student said.

Last month, White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly blamed the situation for Afghan women on the US military’s withdrawal from the country under the Democrats, telling the Washington Post: “Afghan women are suffering because Joe Biden’s disastrous withdrawal allowed the Taliban to impose mediaeval Sharia law policies.”

The decision to slash American aid funding has come under the Trump administration, and been implemented by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

And these women face a grim future, urgently seeking a lifeline before time runs out.

Additional reporting by Aakriti Thapar

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