UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations General Assembly on Monday denounced the “systematic oppression” of women and girls in Afghanistan by the Taliban.

The resolution was adopted by 116 votes in favour versus the United States and Israel against, with 12 abstentions.

The text “expresses its serious concern about the grave, worsening, widespread and systematic oppression of all women and girls in Afghanistan by the Taliban”. It said the Taliban “has put in place an institutionalised system of discrimination, segregation, disrespect for human dignity and the exclusion of women and girls”.

Member states called on the Taliban “to swiftly reverse contradictory policies and practices”, including laws that “extend the already intolerable restrictions on the human rights of women and girls and on basic personal freedoms for all Afghans”. The resolution welcomed the Doha talks, initiated in 2023 by the UN to coordinate the international community’s approach to the Taliban authorities, and called on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to appoint a coordinator to facilitate that process.

The United States opposed the resolution and rejected engagement with the Taliban government.

“Nearly four years following the Taliban takeover, we continue the same conversations and engage with the same so-called Taliban officials about improving the situation in Afghanistan without demanding results from them,” said US representative Jonathan Shrier.

“The United States will no longer enable their heinous behaviour.”

Russia officially became the first country to recognise the Taliban government last week.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2025