Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN Under-Secretary-General, has emphasised that human rights and girls' education in Afghanistan are not merely domestic issues, given the country's international obligations.
Previously, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid had said that girls' education is a domestic matter.
On Tuesday, at a press conference concluding the third Doha meeting on Afghanistan, DiCarlo clarified this in response to a question.
She explained that the issue is not solely domestic, as Afghanistan has signed several international treaties, conventions, and agreements focusing on human and civil rights.
She noted that it does not matter if the government changes, as the country has committed to these agreements as a nation. DiCarlo emphasised that the matter is not internal, and the UN has made this clear.
She also highlighted that the ban on women's employment under Taliban control is detrimental to the country's economy, as it sidelines 50 percent of the population.
She added that discussions on the private sector cannot proceed without the inclusion of women. Furthermore, in matters of drug production and consumption, women's issues must be addressed since they are involved in both areas.
DiCarlo underscored these points at the end of the Doha meeting, noting that due to Taliban opposition, she could not invite women's rights advocates and civil activists to the main talks.
Although the UN invited several women to participate in the meeting's side discussions, some, including former Afghan Women's Affairs Minister Habiba Sarabi, declined the invitation.
Afghan civil and women's rights activists boycotted the meeting altogether. However, DiCarlo mentioned that she spoke with eight civil and women's rights activists on the sidelines, though their names were not disclosed.
The Taliban have banned women's employment and girls' education beyond the sixth grade, ignoring both domestic and international protests on this issue.
Taliban officials have repeatedly emphasised that girls' education and women's employment are domestic matters and that the group will address these issues in their own way and within the framework of their interpretation of Sharia.
