UN to continue work in Afghanistan and to defend women’s rights

“In Afghanistan, the UN is staying and delivering, and will continue to promote and defend the rights of women and girls.

“We will not stop until girls can go back to school, and women can return to their jobs and participate in public life,” Guterres wrote on his Twitter page.

In addition to Guterres’ tweets, his special representative and head of United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Deborah Lyons met with the Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salaam Hanafi on Saturday at ARG (Presidential Palace) to discuss various issues including that of the protection of UN operations and staff.

Hanafi asked for the UN’s cooperation in different sectors and assured Lyons the Islamic Emirate (IE)
would ensure the safety of all UN organizations in Afghanistan, said a spokesperson of the IEA Zabiullah Mujahid in a statement.

Lyons also said that they are willing to cooperate with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in resolving economic woes and banking problems.

Hanafi in turn said that the IEA is willing to work closely with the UN and wants positive and fruitful consultations.

“Our priority is to protect the security and social rights of the Afghan people and (we) will not allow any group to threaten other countries using Afghanistan’s soil,” said Hanafi.

He also said that the IEA will work to stop the planting of poppies, the source of opium and heroin, and asked the UN to provide Afghan people with alternatives in terms of jobs and farming.