Women and girls are being "erased from public life" in Afghanistan, a UN investigator said on Friday as he urged the world not to "inch towards acceptance" of the Taliban's rule.
The Taliban's disrespect for women's rights is "unparalleled in the world", said a report handed to the UN's human rights council in Geneva.
Although the Taliban suggest they should be "given credit" for tackling narcotics and terrorism, the progress they claim has come "without meaningful progress on human rights", said special rapporteur Richard Bennett.
He said he "shares the concerns of many Afghans" that the world is gradually accepting Taliban rule.
"It's of the utmost importance to steadfastly insist that normalisation and integration of Afghanistan back into the international community will require significant improvements in human rights from the Taliban, including the situation of women and girls," Mr Bennett said on Friday.
"Every conversation [with the Taliban] by the international community, be it UN agencies or states, should include human rights and the situation of women in the agenda – no matter what the rest of the conversation is about."
No country has given full diplomatic recognition to the Taliban since they seized power in August 2021, toppling the former western-backed government.
Despite persistent criticism from abroad, the Taliban's restrictions on women and girls have only intensified, according to the special rapporteur.
His report said:
· The early weeks of 2024 have produced a "harsh enforcement" of Taliban-created dress codes, with some women violently detained
· The women concerned would not be released until a male relative gave assurances they would abide by the dress code in future
· In some areas, women are stopped from visiting local markets, making bus journeys or accessing health care without a male companion
· Not one woman sat university entrance exams in 2023 after the Taliban banned girls from attending secondary school
· Politically active women are harassed online, with messages echoing the Taliban's narrative on their expected roles in society
While such restrictions are not applied everywhere in Afghanistan, their unpredictable nature "has created a pervasive climate of fear" for women and girls, the special rapporteur said.
"Women and girls are erased from public life, peaceful dissent is not tolerated, violence and the threat thereof is used to control and instil fear among the population with impunity," he said.
"Any inclination towards normalisation of the current situation without very substantial progress on human rights, including on gender equality, should be resisted."
Recent UN-mediated talks in Doha renewed discussions on whether the Taliban could achieve the greater recognition they crave.
Some informal engagement with the Taliban has taken place, including meetings with US officials in Qatar and China receiving an ambassador. Humanitarian aid is routed via aid agencies.
But leading powers have made clear the Taliban will have to improve their human rights and counter-terrorism records before any wider engagement can be considered.
Al Qaeda's use of Afghanistan as a base before 9/11 was the trigger for the US-led invasion that ousted the Taliban in 2001. The UN says problems persist in the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan.
A separate review said some progress had been made in tackling drug trafficking, amid concern that the opium trade would flourish under Taliban rule.
The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS
5pm: Sweihan – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m
Winner: Shamakh, Fernando Jara (jockey), Jean-Claude Picout (trainer)
5.30pm: Al Shamkha – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: Daad, Dane O’Neill, Jaber Bittar
6pm: Shakbout City – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: AF Ghayyar, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: Gold Silver, Sandro Paiva, Ibrahim Aseel
7pm: Masdar City – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Khalifa City – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Ranchero, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
Results
5pm: Wadi Nagab – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Al Falaq, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Wadi Sidr – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Fakhama, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
6.30pm: Wadi Shees – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mutaqadim, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 – Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Wadi Tayyibah – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Poster Paint, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
