Gagnon: No Progress on Issues of Concern to Afghans, Int’l Community
Georgette Gagnon, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan, referring to the fifth anniversary of the Islamic Emirate’s return to power, described some of the developments and achievements of the current government during this period as “encouraging,” but added that there has been no progress “on issues that are of profound concern to the Afghan people and the international community.”
Gagnon made the remarks on Wednesday (September 16) during a UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan, where she addressed various issues, including restrictions on women and girls in the country.
Referring to developments over the past five years, she said: “They are occurring, however, in a context of no progress on issues that are of profound concern to the Afghan people and the international community: the severe restrictions on women and girls, exclusionary governance, a human rights crisis, and the continued presence of terrorist groups that threaten Afghanistan, the region, and international peace and security.”
The UN official also renewed calls for restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan to be lifted. The Islamic Emirate has repeatedly described issues related to women’s rights as an internal matter and maintained that the rights of women and girls are protected in accordance with “Sharia.”
Gagnon also described the Doha Process as essential for continued and sustained international engagement with Afghanistan.
She said: “Sustained international engagement, including through the Doha Process, remains essential. Currently, the Doha Process is the multilateral framework through which such engagement is occurring aimed at Afghanistan’s reintegration into the international community based on compliance with international obligations and commitments.”
At the end of her remarks, Gagnon emphasized the value of principled and pragmatic engagement, saying that such engagement sustains dialogue on key issues and concerns, maintains influence, reduces risks, creates opportunities for progress and, “critically, supports the needs and aspirations of the Afghan people.”
The Islamic Emirate has not yet responded to these remarks.
