The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has scheduled a meeting on Afghanistan for next week, which will include a briefing on the situation by Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA.
Christina Markus Lassen, Denmark’s Permanent Representative to the UN, will chair the meeting.
Lassen said: “Two additional sessions on Afghanistan are scheduled for March: one quarterly meeting and another for consultations on extending UNAMA’s mandate in Afghanistan.”
Lassen added: “The first session, on March 10, will focus on the human rights situation of Afghan women and girls, with civil society activists invited to participate.”
UN agencies have not disclosed details of Otunbayeva’s report, but it is believed to center on human rights, particularly the rights of women and girls.
Germany’s Foreign Minister meanwhile criticized the ongoing restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan, warning that these measures “will not remain without consequences.”
The UN Settlement Programme, ahead of March 8 (International Women’s Day), emphasized solidarity with Afghan women and girls. The agency stated it would mark the day by reaffirming its “commitment to the rights, participation, and empowerment” of Afghan women.
Stephanie Loos, the agency’s representative in Afghanistan, stated that access to services such as education, healthcare, and clean water has a significant impact on the lives of Afghan women and girls.
This comes as the Islamic Emirate has described UNAMA’s work and mission in Afghanistan as neither “effective nor successful.”
