UN urges Taliban to embrace human rights obligations for Afghanistan’s protection and prosperity

The U.N. mission in Afghanistan urged the country’s Taliban rulers on Tuesday to embrace global human rights obligations for the protection and prosperity of future generations.

The mission’s call follows increasing alarm over a reported suspension of medical education and training for women and girls.

Authorities have neither confirmed the suspension nor responded to the reports, which said that Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has ordered educational institutions to stop providing medical courses for females.

The U.N. mission said that the theme for this year’s International Human Rights Day emphasized how rights empowered people to build a better future.

“Regrettably, we continue to see the opposite unfold in Afghanistan,” said Roza Otunbayeva, who is the head of the mission. “There is an ongoing, dangerous erosion of human rights protections, with women and girls bearing the brunt.”

The human rights record of authorities was especially marked by their systemic discrimination against women and girls, who are excluded from most areas of daily and public life, including education and work, according to the mission.

“If Afghans, in particular women and girls, continue to be denied their rights, this constitutes a clear and intentional failure to protect and be responsible for the well-being of all who live in Afghanistan,” said Fiona Frazer, representative of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in Afghanistan.

Authorities routinely reject criticism of their policies, calling it interference or inconsistent with realities on the ground.

On Tuesday, the government’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said that proof of the country’s human rights could be seen in the reduced number of casualties.

Muhajid, without referencing the U.N. statement, said that courts and other institutions were at the service of all Afghans to help them resolve disputes or difficulties.

People’s rights were lost during the war and these were now restored, Mujahid told state-run media RTA.

In an audio clip posted on X, he said that countries should see human rights from the perspective of Islam, Afghan culture and beliefs. He said that it was unprincipled for one country to impose its culture and values on another.

“We have our religion, we have our beliefs, we have our culture,” Mujahid said in the clip. “We can define our rights and recognize our obligations in observing these rights.”

On Sunday, Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani said that while it was the government’s responsibility to implement God’s will in Afghanistan, Islam shouldn’t be represented or monopolized in a way that excluded people who disagreed with officials.

Rulers shouldn’t impose their will on others, he told people at a madrassa in Kabul, his latest remarks appearing to project a softer and more pragmatic side to him.

Haqqani leads a powerful network blamed for some of the bloodiest attacks against Afghanistan’s former Western-backed government.

But, in the past three years, he has made some speeches acknowledging the hardships facing Afghans and alluding to his discontent with the Taliban’s current style of leadership and decision-making.

Those in government shouldn’t be narrow-minded, Haqqani said in a 12-minute audio file shared by the Interior Ministry with The Associated Press on Monday. He didn’t mention any names.

“We should not think the sky will fall if people do not follow us,” the minister said. The government was unresponsive to people because it didn’t have answers to their questions, creating a challenge within the Taliban’s Islamic system, he said.

Haqqani is still wanted by the U.S. on an up to $10 million bounty over his involvement in an attack that killed an American citizen and other assaults.