S/PV.10058 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Afghanistan, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Kazakhstan to participate in this meeting. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Ms. Georgette Gagnon, Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Officer-in-Charge of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan; Mr. Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary- General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator; and Ms. Negina Yari, Founder and Executive Director of the Window for Hope Network. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2025/789, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security. I now give the floor to Ms. Gagnon. Ms. Gagnon: Today, the world marks Human Rights Day, a reminder of the enduring relevance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its promise of dignity, equality and justice for all. The Afghan people continue to endure multiple crises, and their resilience, while clear, is under severe strain. Their situation demands both urgent attention and greater international support. Women and girls continue to be systematically excluded from almost all aspects of public life. The ban on secondary and tertiary education for girls persists now into its fourth year, depriving Afghanistan of female doctors, entrepreneurs, teachers and leaders, critical to the country today and for its future. Media freedom is increasingly restricted. Journalists face intimidation, detention and censorship, reducing the space for public debate and public participation, with people excluded from decisions on their own future. Afghans, women and men, continue to experience systematic infringements in their daily lives, through the enforcement of the de facto authorities’ Law on the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. The deteriorating human rights situation is not the only crisis affecting the Afghan people. The country continues to face a grave humanitarian crisis, with more humanitarian support needed. More than 23 million Afghans, more than half the population, will continue to require humanitarian assistance in 2026. Their needs are staggering and growing. At the same time, thousands of Afghans each month have returned from Iran and Pakistan, some under duress. The return of nearly 2.5 million Afghans from Iran and Pakistan in 2025 represents a 6 per cent population increase, compounding the deep-rooted economic, climate and humanitarian crises the country already faces. Many returnees arrive with few possessions, destined for host communities that are ill-equipped to receive them and an economy insufficiently robust to provide them with jobs and basic services. According to the World Bank, while gross domestic product (GDP) growth this year is expected to reach approximately 4.5 per cent, the per capita income will fall by approximately 4 per cent owing to the population increase. This would be the third straight year of declining per capita GDP. The de facto authorities have set the objective of economic self-sufficiency, using Afghanistan’s geographical position to increase transit trade and increasing the production of goods in Afghanistan. This is outlined in their recently released national development strategy. The private sector is also one of the few areas in which women have some freedom to work. But the overall self-sufficiency project is undermined by other policies that create political risks that hinder investment. Ideological restrictions also impede economic activity for women in particular, but also for men. Many women and girls returning to Afghanistan have skills and capabilities that could help to lift the economy. They will not be allowed to. The de facto authorities continue to prevent United Nations female national staff from accessing United Nations premises countrywide. This violates their human rights and the Charter of the United Nations and is a barrier to our ability to deliver on the mandate the Council has given to us. We have consistently raised this unacceptable situation with de facto leaders. We need the Council’s further support to ensure this situation does not become normalized. Successive droughts and land degradation, compounded by a struggling economy and population pressures, are devastating agricultural production in a country in which most livelihoods depend on it. The de facto authorities’ ban on opium cultivation, welcomed by the international community, is now being implemented for the third straight year. As the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime recently reported, rural incomes have dropped by 48 per cent, with farmers trying to manage the transition from opium to licit crops of value. As part of the Doha process, United Nations agencies, the de facto authorities, donors, regional countries and Afghan experts have worked together in the Counter-Narcotics Working Group on an action plan to advance alternative livelihoods. More funding and technical assistance are required to implement the action plan. Counter-narcotics is a no-risk issue for the international community. Everyone benefits from addressing it; everyone suffers from not supporting counter-narcotics efforts. Afghanistan’s security situation is outwardly calm. Millions of Afghans have enjoyed a period of relative stability and an absence of war-related violence — something not seen in a generation. However, tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan over the presence and activities of Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan are increasing, with deadly cross-border exchanges of fire and air strikes resulting in civilian casualties. The tensions have led to the closing of key border posts between Afghanistan and Pakistan for the past two months, with economic consequences for Afghanistan and Pakistan and people on both sides. We welcome Pakistan’s recent decision to allow humanitarian supplies for the Afghan people to cross the border. We also welcome the efforts of countries in the region to find a solution through dialogue. We urge the parties to address the core issues and both sides to respect the ceasefire in place. Afghanistan’s de facto authorities continue to miss or reject opportunities to engage multilaterally with the international community, risking disengagement, in particular by donor countries, which are increasingly frustrated with Afghanistan’s refusal to seriously address their concerns. In the briefing by the Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan to the Council in September (see S/PV.9998), she raised the issue of whether the de facto authorities had sufficient pragmatism to address the multiple crises the country is facing. Shortly thereafter, the Taliban leader ordered the shutdown of all telecommunications, including the cell-phone network and the Internet. This has had wide-ranging and, in some cases, life-threatening implications for people in Afghanistan, including delayed or no access to healthcare and emergency services, the disruption of people’s daily and family lives, the exacerbation of existing restrictions on women and girls and severe disruption of business, banking, humanitarian and air operations. Members of the diplomatic community in Kabul were suddenly isolated from their capitals. The impact of this unprepared and unannounced decision was so disruptive that it was reversed by the more pragmatic faction of the de facto authorities. This incident provides a vivid snapshot of the general situation in Afghanistan. On the one hand, there is among the de facto authorities a faction that would isolate Afghanistan from the world, and, on the other, there is a faction that understands that Afghanistan is connected to the world, as are Afghans, and that the country cannot survive without these links, which should be developed. Our common objective is clearly stated in the 2023 independent assessment (see S/2023/856) and in resolution 2721 (2023): an Afghanistan at peace with itself and its neighbours, fully reintegrated into the international community and meeting its international obligations. Let me stress, the objective is not reintegration of Afghanistan under the de facto authorities as matters currently stand, but reintegration once they have met their international obligations. The United Nations remains committed to principled and pragmatic engagement, guided by respect for international obligations, inclusive governance and counter-terrorism commitments. The United Nations has proposed a political road map as part of the Doha process to achieve this objective. The road map seeks to initiate progress on the major issues blocking Afghanistan’s reintegration into the international community, as described in the independent assessment. We do not underestimate the challenges ahead. We have already noted the reluctance of the de facto authorities to engage in a multilateral process. We must also acknowledge the divergent positions within the international community that reduce international leverage. As the Secretary-General said during the first meeting of Special Envoys on Afghanistan in Doha in May 2023, we expect that not all interests will be aligned, but we do need to maintain some basic common positions. Across these issues and interests, the gaps between the international community and the de facto authorities and among Member States themselves are not easy to reconcile. Promoting unity and overcoming these obstacles are the subject of our daily diplomacy with all stakeholders. While these obstacles are demanding, we must not collectively lose sight of the main objective. Despite the serious issues and serious crises described, an opportunity exists to build on the current relative stability to begin resolving the root causes of these crises. With the Council’s support, we can continue to build bridges of engagement and work towards our common vision of an Afghanistan at peace, reintegrated into the global community and where the human rights of all Afghans are realized and respected.

I thank Ms. Gagnon for her briefing. I now give the floor to Mr. Fletcher. Mr. Fletcher: I will focus today on two key issues: the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and the latest on the humanitarian exception to resolution 2615 (2021). As I witnessed when I visited Kabul, Kandahar and Kunduz earlier this year, overlapping shocks, restrictive policies affecting women and girls, the long-standing impact of decades of conflict and chronic poverty and, as of this year, massive funding cuts have left Afghanistan in a severe humanitarian crisis. Nearly 22 million people will need our help in 2026; that is third only to the Sudan and Yemen in scale. Our ask is $1.7 billion to target 17.5 million people. But in response to the funding reality, we have further hyperprioritized our plan to target 3.9 million people in the most urgent need of life-saving help. For the first time in four years, the number of people facing hunger has gone up, now reaching 17.4 million. Essential services, already insufficient and uneven across the country, are stretched to breaking point as Afghan refugees return in record numbers. More than 2.6 million Afghans returned in 2025, bringing the number who have returned in the past two years to more than 4 million. And the situation for those returnees as they come back is particularly precarious. Many arrive with few possessions. They are hosted in already distressed communities, which are ill- equipped to receive them, and in an economy that cannot provide for them. Women and children made up 60 per cent of all returns this year and, of course, they are returning to a country where women and girls are denied opportunities to study, work or even, in some cases, receive healthcare. With 2.5 million Afghans in Pakistan, a large majority of whom have recently seen their legal status in the country revoked, the potential impact of further mass returns is alarming. In August and then again in November, Afghanistan experienced two major earthquakes, which killed thousands of people, damaged thousands of homes and destroyed entire villages. In addition, drought conditions have engulfed the country and are continuing into the winter months, directly hitting 3.4 million people but also leading to lower crop production and accelerated groundwater depletion. Despite limited funding, the United Nations and its partners have continued to deliver as best we can. Through the Central Emergency Response Fund, managed by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs — I extend my thanks to all Council members who announced contributions to the 2026 Fund yesterday — we have released more than $40 million in additional funding to support the surge in returns, the earthquake response and anticipatory action, through which we prepare for future shocks to stave off the worst effects of drought. However, increasing human rights restrictions, particularly on Afghan women staff, have made the life of Afghans even more difficult and have created extra burdens for the implementation of our work. I look forward to hearing more on this challenge from Ms. Negina Yari in just a few moments. In early September, as the Council heard, national women staff of the United Nations were barred from entering United Nations compounds. This is unacceptable. More than three months later, these restrictions remain. Again, this is unacceptable. Both our men and women colleagues continue to help their affected communities, but the absence of women from the workplace serves as yet another tragic reminder of the unacceptable restrictions that Afghan women continue to face. I want to thank our outstanding women colleagues who do such extraordinary work on all our behalf. In late October, a further restriction was imposed. Almost all national women humanitarian workers were prohibited from operating at the Islam Qala reception centre along the Iranian border, where thousands of returnees have been reported daily. This has limited women’s access to essential protection and healthcare services. We have secured the resumption of work for a small number of female health staff and limited life-saving healthcare services have been restored, but other operations remain suspended. I therefore echo the call of the Secretary-General for the de facto authorities to remove all these restrictions immediately and to let female staff work safely, fully and meaningfully across all areas of our work. We need them. Afghanistan needs them. We must also increase the proportion of our funding and our support that goes to women-led organizations. I will turn now to resolution 2615 (2021) and the regular report (S/2025/789), this being our eighth briefing to the Council on the report. Food, water, medicine, shelter and other help have continued to reach the people of Afghanistan thanks to the humanitarian exception contained in that resolution, which has eased suffering and saved lives. As previously reported, the exception covers operational payments necessary for humanitarian support, including rent for State-owned premises, the withholding of taxes on non-governmental organization staff income and utilities such as water and electricity. It allows payments for visas and work permits; security for United Nations compounds and movements; and fees essential for delivering support, including imports and landing fees; and licences for non-governmental organization registration, communications equipment and municipal charges. The United Nations is exempt from paying taxes in Afghanistan, but these are routine costs across all humanitarian operations and have been in place since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. They are indispensable to the normal conduct of humanitarian operations. We are working in an incredibly complex environment, with operational, financial and reputational risks. These include pressure to amend local beneficiary lists, bureaucratic and administrative impediments that slow the delivery of our aid, manoeuvres to influence staff and contractor selection, and restrictions, as we have set out, on Afghan women staff, as well as the potential risk of the diversion of aid. We are aware of these risks, of course, and we are working to mitigate them. We are continually strengthening our risk mitigation systems, building capacity and ensuring that any reported issues are quickly and transparently investigated and addressed. The humanitarian community is constantly striving to ensure that help effectively supports intended recipients while minimizing waste, fraud and abuse. We are taking steps to prevent diversion in all our operations, applying standards in line with best practices. In the past year, we have further strengthened those risk mitigation efforts by developing multiple risk management frameworks, including for agencies, funds and programmes, and by regularly updating and integrating elements into Afghanistan’s common risk mitigation matrix. We are also strengthening post-distribution monitoring, for example, by ensuring that 15 per cent of cash transfers are fully audited to guard against irregularities. We are applying biometric authentication and identity checks against vetted recipient lists as standard practice. We are digitizing cash distribution tools to reduce the risk of manipulation. We are vetting and rescreening financial service providers, and we are developing inter-agency complaint and feedback mechanisms to allow beneficiaries to report suspected diversion. If diversion is detected, agencies halt distributions. They engage with the de facto authorities at regional and central levels, and those operations then resume only once strict compliance criteria are met. Through all these measures, it is my clear view that engagement with the de facto authorities at local and central levels is critical to preserving the impartiality of our response and the independence of contractor, partner and staff selection processes. All these steps together directly support the effective implementation of resolution 2615 (2021). As we reach the end of the year, underfunding has forced service closures and resulted in scaled-back assistance to millions. Ultimately, it has cost lives. More specifically, this winter is the first in years with almost no international food distribution. As a result, approximately 1 million of the most vulnerable people have only received food assistance during the lean season in 2025. For comparison, the figure was 5.6 million at the same time last year. There are 1.1 million children who are now missing out on essential life-saving nutrition as 305 nutrition delivery points have been closed. With 3.7 million children in need of nutrition, including 1.7 million at risk of death if not treated, the result will be catastrophic. There are 422 health facilities that were closed in 2025, leaving 3 million people without access to life- saving care. We are grateful to all of you who have continued to support Afghanistan. However, as we look to 2026, we risk a further contraction in life-saving help at a time when food insecurity, healthcare needs, strain on basic services and protection risks are all rising. In conclusion, I have three requests for the Council. First, I call for continued support for the implementation of resolution 2615 (2021). The clarity it provides remains vital for our humanitarian action. Secondly — and I cannot stress this enough — the Council must insist that women humanitarian staff can do their jobs without restrictions. There can be no effective response without them. This must be non-negotiable. Thirdly, I call on the Council to fund the Global Humanitarian Overview appeal that I launched on Monday. We are looking for $23 billion globally to save 87 million lives, including many inside Afghanistan. Otherwise, humanitarians will be forced to make even more brutal and deeper cuts, with devastating consequences for the Afghan population.

I thank Mr. Fletcher for his briefing. I now give the floor to Ms. Yari. Ms. Yari: I wish to thank you, Madam President, and members of the Council, for the opportunity to address the Security Council today. My name is Negina Yari, and I am the founder and Executive Director of Window for Hope, a network of women-led organizations operating in 26 provinces across Afghanistan. I come from one of Afghanistan’s most remote provinces — a place where access to education was once only a distant hope. Yet, over the past two decades, I have gone to school, completed university and led national initiatives with one purpose: to contribute to a brighter future for my country. Despite having the same potential, millions of Afghan women and girls are now denied their human rights under Taliban rule. Today marks International Human Rights Day. But in Afghanistan, the human rights situation continues to worsen, with United Nations reports of public executions, corporal punishment, torture, targeting of ethnic and religious minorities, and shrinking civic space, among many other violations. Virtually every right of Afghan women — to learn, to work, to participate in public and political life — has been gradually extinguished. They have been reduced to recipients of aid instead of architects of their own lives. And now, even their ability to access aid is in danger. My remarks today will focus on one issue: the Taliban’s restrictions on women humanitarian workers. Within the 135 edicts imposed by the Taliban targeting women and girls, the increasing restrictions on aid workers are having a devastating impact on the lives of women and girls. In December 2021, the Taliban banned women from traveling, including to healthcare centres and to deliver humanitarian aid, without a mahram. In December 2022, the Taliban ordered national and international non- governmental organizations (NGOs) to suspend all Afghan women employees. In April 2023, they further banned Afghan women from working for the United Nations. In December 2024, the Taliban banned women from medical education. In September, the Taliban banned national female staff from entering United Nations compounds. In November, the Taliban demanded that all women, including patients and all women staff — from cleaners to surgeons — wear a burqa in order to enter medical facilities in Herat. Ahead of this briefing, Window for Hope interviewed 256 women from across Afghanistan. What I share with Council members today is not just my opinion, but also their voices, their pain and their truth. The women we interviewed were clear: these draconian restrictions imposed on all Afghan women staff endanger the future of humanitarian operations across Afghanistan. Let me explain what this means in stark terms. In a country where 22.9 million Afghans are in need of humanitarian aid, 5.7 million of whom are women, and where only 37 per cent of the funds needed to deliver that aid are available, restrictions on women aid workers mean one thing: the millions of women and girls who depend on them will be at greater risk of harm, including death. They will lose access to life- saving medical services, be at greater risk of malnutrition and face increased rates of gender-based violence and forced marriage. The Taliban’s shifting restrictions undermine the rule of law and normalize rights violations as routine governance. These policies do not merely restrict women: they violate their human rights, endanger lives and threaten Afghanistan’s long-term stability. In Jowzjan Province, a woman aid worker told us that the public humiliation and physical assaults of women by Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice officers left her exhausted and undermined her ability to continue her work. In Paktia, because of the absence of female aid workers and the limited presence of female nurses due to the Mahram policy, women cannot safely share their concerns with male staff, aid workers or physicians. This means they cannot receive appropriate assistance, even when it might be available. In Maidan Wardak, with no women aid workers, the Taliban have eliminated biometric registration for female beneficiaries, cutting women off from the ability to register for or receive aid. The result is a system where aid is delivered by men, to men, for men. In Herat, the new restrictions requiring all women to wear a burqa in order to enter medical facilities has already led to a sharp drop in access to care. This year, of the 2.6 million people who were forcibly returned to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan, at least 70 per cent were women and children. Previously, there were more than 100 women aid staff to assist them when they arrived at the Islam Qala border crossing. But now, since the ban on Afghan women aid workers there, fewer than 10 staff are still allowed to work, and only under full burqa requirements. The situation is so extreme that the United Nations took the unusual step of temporarily suspending its aid operations at Islam Qala. The women we interviewed described how the Taliban’s removal of female United Nations staff from their workplaces has created severe operational challenges. Women’s needs are invisible. Confidential complaint mechanisms for women have been eliminated. And with women unable to report violations safely to other female staff, misconduct and aid diversion are likely to go unchecked. Aid must reach all Afghans in need. But humanitarian actors are being forced to make impossible choices: either suspend operations entirely or operate without women, both of which have unbearable consequences. Let me be clear: the human rights crisis in Afghanistan is inseparable from the humanitarian crisis. No amount of aid will address the extreme system of gender apartheid women and girls are facing every day under Taliban rule. Only respect for human rights, justice and accountability can do that. But allowing the Taliban’s discriminatory laws and repressive practices to also dictate how humanitarians, including the United Nations, international NGOs and others, carry out their work not only undermines humanitarian principles, it also adds to the harm by further entrenching women’s exclusion. Effective and principled delivery of humanitarian aid cannot be achieved without women. In 2023, when the Taliban banned Afghan women from working for the United Nations, the Security Council adopted a resolution condemning the ban (resolution 2681 (2023)) . Yet as the Taliban escalate their gender apartheid policies, the Council has largely been silent. We need the Council to be clear that these bans are illegal, unacceptable and cannot continue. I therefore urge the Council to do the following: First, demand that the Taliban immediately reverse all restrictions on women’s rights, including on their ability to participate in humanitarian delivery. Afghan women staff must be allowed to work safely for the United Nations, international NGOs and local organizations. All humanitarian actors, including donors, must consistently uphold humanitarian principles. They must not comply with policies that exclude women. They must not operate with male-only teams. They must not accept any Taliban interference in hiring, salaries or beneficiary selection. All Afghan women staff must be paid. Secondly, prioritize support for Afghanistan’s courageous women human rights defenders — both inside Afghanistan and in exile. There must be expedited resettlement pathways for those at risk, sustained and flexible funding for women-led organizations, and meaningful consultation with Afghanistan’s human rights community. Thirdly, when the Taliban violate international law, including women’s human rights, there must be consequences. Taliban leaders must be held accountable through both the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice and ensure that the newly created independent investigative mechanism is fully resourced. As Afghan women have demanded, gender apartheid must be made an international crime. Targeted sanctions on Taliban leaders responsible for grave violations against Afghan women and girls must be imposed, and sanctions must not be lifted, or travel exemptions granted, on individuals complicit in these abuses. The Taliban must not be granted a seat at the United Nations or any other forums. Fourthly, looking ahead to March 2026, the Council must renew the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in full and insist on its effective implementation, especially the provisions that support the protection of women’s rights, and ensure that UNAMA continues to report regularly on the situation of women and girls. Finally, the Council must demand that Afghan women can meaningfully participate in all discussions about our country’s future, including in the mosaic process. We are not asking for charity. We are demanding our rights. Afghanistan has no future until its women are free.

I thank Ms. Yari for her briefing. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia. I wish to thank Under-Secretary-General Tom Fletcher and Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General Gagnon for their briefings. My sincere appreciation also goes to Ms. Negina Yari for sharing her insightful remarks. Today, we mark the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Human rights are universal, inalienable, indivisible and interdependent. Yet the world’s most severe human rights crisis serves as a painful reminder that the universality of rights remains far from realized. As this is Slovenia’s last briefing on the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) as a Council member, I would like to reflect on our two-year membership and highlight the following key points on Afghanistan. We have consistently expressed our deep dismay at the dire situation of women and girls in Afghanistan. The international community must not leave them alone. The actions we take — or fail to take — for all Afghan women and girls, will shape how we are perceived collectively as a global community. I believe that the Council is united in rejecting restrictive draconian policies that violate their basic rights. We have supported engagement with the Taliban on the clear and non-negotiable basis of their international obligations, including respect for the rights of women and girls. Over the past two years, however, we have observed no indication of willingness from the Taliban to resolve this most pressing crisis. On the contrary, they have deliberately worsened the situation by imposing policies and practices that place additional constraints on women, which is entirely unacceptable. Today we therefore reiterate our call on the Taliban to immediately reverse all such policies and practices, which we condemn in the strongest terms, including the ban on Afghan women working for and entering United Nations premises. We will continue to call for full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of women and girls in all spheres of public life; for their right to education, healthcare and employment; and for their freedom of movement, expression and assembly. Likewise, we will continue to support the presence of UNAMA in Afghanistan. I commend UNAMA for all the activities it has been undertaking under such challenging circumstances. Its human rights mandate is essential to monitoring, documenting and reporting human rights violations and abuses. We therefore urge the Council to reaffirm its commitment to human rights when the mandate of UNAMA comes up for renewal in March. Without the protection and respect of the human rights of all Afghans, a peaceful, secure and prosperous Afghanistan will remain only a distant aspiration. The enduring multidimensional crisis continues to generate humanitarian needs unparalleled in scale, severity and complexity. The dire humanitarian situation is increasingly compounded by unprecedented involuntary returns of Afghans from neighbouring States, limited access to essential services, acute food insecurity, chronic poverty and pressing vulnerability to natural hazards and climatic shocks. The consequences of the earthquakes in August and November are devastating. This unrelenting pressure of the humanitarian crisis has profound repercussions for the overall stability of Afghanistan. In conclusion, let me stress that, despite the continuously regressive developments in Afghanistan, Slovenia, like most international partners, remains ready to support the Afghan people on their path to a better future. Sustainable solutions to Afghanistan’s multifaceted challenges are impossible without ensuring the full and equal enjoyment of human rights for all. I resume my functions as President of the Council.

I welcome you, Madam President, in presiding over today’s meeting. I thank Under-Secretary-General Tom Fletcher, Deputy Special Representative Georgette Gagnon and Ms. Negina Yari for their briefings. At present, the situation in Afghanistan remains largely stable, and the Afghan Government is actively developing its economy, countering narcotics and conducting foreign exchanges. At the same time, Afghanistan still faces a complex and daunting landscape on the humanitarian and counter-terrorism fronts, which require the collective response of the Afghan Government and the international community. As this year draws to a close, it is necessary for us to take stock of the past and identify the priorities and directions for the new year. I wish to share the following observations. First, sustaining the momentum of engagement between the international community and the Afghan Government is all the more necessary. Recently, regional countries have had close contacts with the top leadership of Afghanistan, indicating their commitment to maintaining regional stability and promoting economic integration and development. The regional cooperation mechanisms related to Afghanistan have been productive, and the two working groups of the United Nations- led Doha process have also made positive progress. We need to safeguard the hard- won results of cooperation and the foundation for mutual trust, keep strengthening engagement and dialogue with the Afghan Government, communicate with each other frankly on issues of mutual concern and build consensus to help move the situation in Afghanistan towards continuous improvement. The Security Council should, in the light of the changing dynamics, adjust the sanctions regime established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011) in a timely manner and promptly reinstate the package of exemption arrangements for travel bans, in order to create the conditions for facilitating engagement. A certain country should not block the legitimate and necessary international exchanges of the Afghan Government in the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011). Secondly, supporting Afghanistan in addressing the humanitarian and development plight is imperative. The report of the Secretary-General (S/2025/789) has warned that, as also emphasized by Under-Secretary-General Fletcher in his briefing, owing to factors such as foreign aid cuts, frequent natural disasters and refugee returns, the already dire humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan risks being expanded and prolonged. More than 30 million Afghans are living in extreme poverty on barely $1 per day. The international community needs to mobilize urgent actions to help Afghanistan pull through the humanitarian crisis and get back on its own feet as soon as possible. It is important to oppose the politicization of aid issues and urge traditional donors, especially those that are historically responsible for what happened in the country, to immediately resume and increase financial commitments. The relevant countries should immediately and unconditionally unfreeze and return the overseas assets of the Central Bank of Afghanistan and lift unlawful unilateral sanctions. The relevant working groups of the Doha process should produce more practical results in areas such as rebuilding the financial system and developing alternative cultivation, to help Afghanistan unlock its development potential and bring tangible benefits to the local community. Thirdly, the fundamental rights and interests of all Afghans should be guaranteed. Ensuring women’s equal rights to access education, healthcare and employment, and to participate in public life, is not only the universal consensus of the community of nations but also a necessary step to improve people’s well-being and a basic requirement for lasting peace and stability, and is thus in the long-term and fundamental interest of Afghanistan. We call on the Afghan Government to heed the voice of reason of the international community and as to effectively guarantee the fundamental rights and interests of all its people, including women. The female Afghan staff of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) play an indispensable role, including in humanitarian relief. We hope that the Afghan Government can put the interests of its people first by allowing them to return to work as soon as possible, thereby facilitating the delivery of UNAMA’s mandate and presenting an image of openness, inclusivity and responsibility. Fourthly, the international community has a strong expectation that terrorist forces in Afghanistan will be eradicated. The relevant United Nations report indicates that while the Afghan Government has made some progress in countering the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan, terrorist groups such as the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement and Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan continue to be active in the country, orchestrating and executing attacks against neighbouring countries. Terrorism is a cancer that threatens the stability and development of Afghanistan. We urge the Afghan Government to duly assess the counter-terrorism issue and earnestly fulfil its counter-terrorism commitments by eradicating all terrorist forces present on its soil through more resolute and forceful actions in order to gain the trust and confidence of regional countries and the international community. To counter the common enemy of humankind that is terrorism, the international community should deepen unity and cooperation, abandon ideological biases and geopolitical calculations and reject selectivity and double standards. Recently, some Chinese nationals were killed and injured in an attack on the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan. China strongly condemns this attack and demands that the Afghan side conduct a full and thorough investigation and promptly arrest and severely punish the perpetrators. We call upon Tajikistan and Afghanistan to take robust measures to strengthen border control and better protect the safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects and institutions. China is ready to work with all sides to better leverage regional mechanisms, such as the m echanism for coordination and cooperation among Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries, in order to jointly safeguard regional security and stability. UNAMA, with a mandate from the Security Council, is the principal United Nations presence in Afghanistan and has played a positive part in facilitating international cooperation on, and with, Afghanistan. The position of Head of the Mission has been vacant for three months. We support the prompt appointment by the Secretary-General of a candidate who possesses strong leadership skills and is acceptable to Afghanistan and major stakeholders. As Afghanistan’s largest neighbour and a permanent member of the Council, China stands ready to join the international community, including UNAMA, in urging the Council to assume its responsibilities by taking concrete action and playing a greater role in the political settlement of the Afghan issue.

I would like to commend Slovenia’s leadership as the president of the Security Council during this month of December and also welcome Her Excellency Ms. Tanja Fajon, Foreign Minister of Slovenia, as she presides over this important meeting on the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). My delegation also thanks the briefers — Deputy Special Representative Gagnon, Under-Secretary-General Fletcher and Ms. Yari — for their insightful briefings. Today I would like to raise the following three points regarding the current situation in Afghanistan and the way forward. First, both the international community and the Taliban need to work together to overcome the humanitarian crisis Afghanistan is currently facing, which the briefers reported on today. We are all aware that Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation has reached a point of unprecedented crisis due to persistent droughts, the aftermath of the earthquake, the return of millions of Afghans over recent years and diminishing international aid. There is a growing risk that this humanitarian crisis and catastrophe might not remain confined to Afghanistan itself and could instead spread instability at a regional and global level, making the region more vulnerable to the scourge of terrorism. Key global stakeholders and donor countries must all endeavour to sustain their respective support and contributions to Afghanistan. The Taliban must also cooperate to ensure that unhindered international assistance is delivered to those in need. In this connection, we express deep concern regarding the continuation of Taliban’s harsh measures, introduced in September, preventing Afghan women from working for the United Nations and non-governmental organizations. These restrictions should be lifted immediately to ensure not only fundamental rights but also the effective and efficient delivery of vital international assistance. Secondly, the Taliban needs to be aware that human rights violations and restrictions in Afghanistan constitute the greatest obstacle to engagement with the international community. The Taliban should expeditiously heed the international community’s call to comply with international norms and improve human rights for all in Afghanistan. The discriminatory denial of educational opportunities to Afghan girls and women, the restrictions on access to healthcare services and the shrinking of public areas will undermine Afghanistan’s economic and social development and simultaneously threaten its future. In this regard, the Republic of Korea takes note of the establishment of an independent investigative mechanism during the sixtieth session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva in October to examine the deteriorating human rights situation of women and girls in Afghanistan. Lastly, the Republic of Korea expresses its firm support for UNAMA’s continued efforts to facilitate Afghanistan’s integration into the international community and to chart principled, forward-looking engagement with the Taliban. In this connection, we commend UNAMA’s continuing communication with the international community to advance the comprehensive approach, even in the absence of a Special Representative of the Secretary-General. We believe that the swift appointment of a new Special Representative, along with efforts related to the Doha process and the comprehensive approach, will contribute to building strong political momentum. While this may be the last time that our delegation attends a Council briefing on Afghanistan, the Republic of Korea will continue its active engagement on this important regional issue and will continue to support equal opportunities for all Afghans.

We thank the briefers. We are pleased that regional representatives have also been given the floor in today’s discussion. The Russian Federation consistently supports the efforts being undertaken by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) as part of its mandate. We have taken note of the Secretary-General’s report on the situation in the country (S/2025/789). We wish to make the following remarks in that regard. Contrary to Western forecasts, Afghanistan did not collapse or become a black hole in the aftermath of the reckless withdrawal of foreign troops. We see that, despite the ongoing heinous sanctions, the Afghan authorities are making independent efforts to resolve the problems that have accumulated over years of occupation. They are focusing on multifaceted regional cooperation, with an emphasis on transforming the country into an independent and self-reliant State. Clearly, however, this will not happen overnight. Without concerted, non-politicized support from us, it will be difficult for the country, which lived off international aid for years, to extricate itself from the crisis unaided. Russia has consistently underscored the need to devise a realistic and comprehensive approach to Afghanistan. Such an approach must be rooted in an objective analysis and a balanced assessment of the situation in the country. This is an imperative. We believe that the key components include genuinely constructive engagement by the international community on the Afghan issue, with due regard for the needs of the Afghan people themselves, without any double standards, as well as painstaking trust-based dialogue with the Taliban on all problems. It is important to bear in mind that the success of the latter hinges on the willingness of both sides to engage. There is no room here for pressure or blackmail. This approach is embraced by all key regional players with first-hand experience dealing with Afghanistan’s problems and its specific features, which has been reaffirmed in the joint statements following the meetings of the Regional Quartet on Afghanistan, held in September on the sidelines of the eightieth session of the General Assembly, and the Moscow format meeting held in October. Cooperation with Afghanistan is also the focus of the efforts of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, including its Afghanistan Contact Group, as well as the Collective Security Treaty Organization. We are heartened by the fact that the focus on engagement with the Taliban, with the subsequent international reintegration of Afghanistan, is also rooted in the mosaic approach promoted by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) under the Doha process. Against this backdrop, we regret that not all Western donors recognize that there is no alternative to comprehensive dialogue with the Afghan authorities, as they continue speaking to them in the language of ultimatums and campaigning for tougher sanctions by the United Nations. It is high time to recognize that the attempt to tighten the screws will not result in complaisance by the Taliban but will instead harden their position. Attempts to infect the Mission with anti-Taliban hysteria appear absurd. In the absence of progress on the issues of unfreezing assets and development assistance, which are the direct objectives of UNAMA, the only outcome will be the rapid drawdown of the presence of the United Nations. We share the Secretary-General’s assessment of the domestic political situation in Afghanistan. We are keen to facilitate an expeditious normalization of the relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which have deteriorated against the backdrop of terrorist activity by the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan terrorist group. The commitment of both countries to dialogue and the resolution of disagreements through political and diplomatic means is an important factor in ensuring regional stability. We call on Kabul and Islamabad to expand their partnership, including on counter-terrorism matters. We are concerned about the continued activity of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan in Afghanistan. We note the efforts being made by the Afghan Government to combat terrorism, but consider these efforts remain insufficient. The terrorists are exploiting every opportunity to destabilize the situation in Afghanistan and the region as a whole. In addition to receiving financial support from outside sources, the group is actively recruiting foreign terrorist fighters, including those who have gained battlefield experience in Syria and Iraq. The uncertainty around the weapons left behind by NATO forces does not inspire optimism either. The drug problem is inextricably linked to terrorism. A new source of concern is the growth in the production of synthetic narcotics in local laboratories. It is clear that, without international support, the Taliban will be unable to eradicate the threat. Of key importance in this regard is comprehensive international and regional assistance, including through the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The Russian Federation pays particular attention to the socioeconomic situation in the country. We note the selfless efforts of humanitarian agencies and their staff who, despite a significant reduction in funding for their operations, stand ready to continue providing assistance to Afghan people in need. The Russian Federation has been systematically delivering assistance to Afghanistan. We are focused on developing partnerships with Afghanistan across the political, regional security, trade and economic spheres, with an emphasis on enhancing the country’s economic potential and facilitating business dialogue through inviting Afghan representatives to international economic forums organized by the Russian Federation. We are closely monitoring the developments related to the protection of human rights for all Afghans, without exception, as well as the formation of a truly inclusive Government, with the participation of all ethnic and political groups in the country. It is important to respect fundamental rights and freedoms, including the rights to education and work, without any distinction based on gender, ethnic or religious affiliation. We expect to see progress on these tracks as well. Russia sincerely and wholeheartedly supports the right and desire of the Afghan people to live in a peaceful and prosperous country, free from drug trafficking and terrorism. The stability of the region as a whole depends on this. We call on the United Nations to ensure that we engage with those Afghans who represent the real authorities and who are truly accountable for what is happening in the country. Only in this way can Afghanistan’s problems be addressed and its subsequent reintegration into the international community facilitated.

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the three African members of the Council, namely Algeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia and my own country, Guyana (A3+) We thank Under-Secretary-General Tom Fletcher and Ms. Georgette Gagnon, Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Officer-in-Charge of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), for their briefings. We also listened carefully to the briefing delivered by Ms. Yari. The A3+ reiterates its firm commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Afghanistan and reaffirms its unwavering solidarity with the Afghan people. As the world marks Human Rights Day, the Afghan people continue to face the combined effects of deepening poverty, the erosion of their human rights, natural disasters, displacement and a dire humanitarian crisis compounded by shrinking external aid and the large-scale return of Afghans from neighbouring countries. The Taliban’s non-compliance with Afghanistan’s international obligations, its failure to adopt an inclusive approach to governance and the persecution of women and girls continue to prevent meaningful progress towards Afghanistan’s reintegration into the international community, as envisioned by resolution 2721 (2023). As the country faces a dire humanitarian situation, the restrictions imposed on Afghan women working with the United Nations and the strict enforcement, since 7 September, of their denial of access to United Nations premises are affecting the delivery of life-saving assistance and basic services to the most vulnerable and have forced the United Nations to suspend some operations. The A3+ calls for constructive dialogue with all relevant actors to help create conditions that would allow humanitarian work to resume fully and effectively. We note UNAMA’s efforts in this regard. We also call on the international community to increase humanitarian and development assistance to support the well-being and dignity of Afghans. In April 2023, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2681 (2023), condemning the decision of the Taliban to ban women from working for the United Nations in Afghanistan and calling on the Taliban to swiftly reverse all policies and practices that restrict the enjoyment by women and girls of their human rights and fundamental freedoms, including those related to their access to education, employment and freedom of movement and women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in public life. The A3+ reiterates this call today. Unfortunately, these restrictions have worsened, in contravention and in contempt of the calls made by the Council. Afghan women and girls continue to bear the brunt of the Taliban’s Law on the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, with reports of severe punishments for non-compliance, including arbitrary arrests and prolonged prison sentences. They also continue to be denied access to education beyond grade six. The latest prohibitions include bans on the study of core science subjects and requirements for universities to remove books authored by women, regardless of content or the author’s nationality. The continued suspension of women’s medical and health education programmes is causing shortages of skilled women health professionals and increased maternal mortality. The A3+ reiterates its call on the Taliban to reopen all schools and universities to women and girls. We emphasize that the full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership of women in all spheres of life are integral to Afghan-led and Afghan-owned efforts towards Afghanistan’s development and prosperity. The economic outlook for Afghanistan continues to be bleak despite increased exports and improved regional cooperation. Food insecurity remains acute, and there is a 15 per cent rise in malnourished women and children, compared to the same period last year. Four hundred and twenty-two health facilities were forced to close during the past few months, affecting more than 3 million people. We note the World Bank’s October Global Monthly report on the impact of exogenous shocks, including reduced humanitarian aid, climate-related disruptions and earthquakes, and the influx of returnees — 2.4 million persons for this year, as of 15 November. This has placed further strain on the country’s already limited resources and overstretched services. The A3+ commends the sustained efforts and commitment of the United Nations agencies in this challenging context. We also emphasize the urgent need to address the dual threats of terrorism and drug trafficking. Combatting these scourges is paramount for stability and peace in Afghanistan and the region. In that regard, the lack of economic opportunities in Afghanistan will leave many Afghans vulnerable, creating a breeding ground for recruitment and exploitation by terrorist groups. The A3+ remains concerned by reports indicating the presence of terrorist groups on Afghan territory, including the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan and Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan, which continue to pose threats in neighbouring countries and the wider region. The 14.7 per cent increase in security-related incidents, compared to the same period in 2024, is also of concern, in particular the recent border incidents, which resulted in extensive civilian casualties. We welcome the ceasefire and call for continued negotiations towards peaceful coexistence, and we commend the mediation efforts led by Qatar and Türkiye in that regard. In closing, the A3+ reaffirms its full support for UNAMA and for the Afghan people.

I would like to welcome your presence at today’s meeting, Madam President, and I thank you for presiding over this open briefing. I would also like to thank Under-Secretary-General Tom Fletcher, Deputy Special Representative Georgette Gagnon and Ms. Negina Yari for their briefings and welcome the presence of the representative of Afghanistan. As we commemorate Human Rights Day, our thoughts are with the people of Afghanistan who are suffering severe violations and abuses of their human rights and fundamental freedoms under Taliban rule. The situation is particularly dire for women and girls, as well as for minority groups. We condemn, in the strongest terms, the restrictive decrees by the Taliban authorities, including the strict implementation of the Law on the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, and call on the Taliban to reverse them immediately. I would like to make the following three points in that regard. First, the restrictions on United Nations female national staff from accessing United Nations offices across the country, which were enacted in September and are still in effect, have had severe repercussions on the delivery of humanitarian assistance to women and on their access to healthcare. This is unacceptable, and we urge the Taliban to immediately lift these restrictions. The Internet shutdown and the communications blackout, as well as the review of the education sector by removing topics related to women’s studies and banning books by women authors, are further indications of the Taliban’s attempt to silence women and isolate them from society. In the light of these acts, we continue to call for accountability. Moreover, we welcome the recent Human Rights Council resolution establishing an independent investigative mechanism for Afghanistan (Human Rights Council resolution 60/2), which seeks to promote justice for international crimes and violations of international law committed in the country. Secondly, we are alarmed by the various cross-border incidents, clashes and air strikes that took place during the reporting period, resulting in civilian casualties and posing a threat to regional peace and security. We reiterate our position that Afghanistan must not again become a safe haven for terrorism, and we call on the Taliban to strengthen their efforts to combat terrorist activities. At the same time, the protection of civilians must remain a top priority, in line with international humanitarian law. In this context, we welcome the ceasefire between the Taliban and Pakistani security forces, as well as the mediation efforts by regional States, and call for a lasting cessation of hostilities and the resolution of differences through peaceful means. Thirdly, despite Afghanistan’s purported internal and economic stability, the humanitarian situation remains deeply worrying due to environmental disasters, food insecurity and unprecedented cross-border returns. It is noteworthy that, with almost 2.5 million people returning in 2025, Afghanistan’s population rose by 6 per cent. However, this surge in returns has placed significant pressure on the country’s limited services and protection capacities. Continuing international humanitarian support to Afghanistan is therefore of paramount importance. In closing, I would like to reiterate Greece’s full support for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and its proposed road map to foster a more coherent, coordinated and structured engagement between the international community and the Taliban. The sustainable development of Afghanistan and the normalization of its relations with the international community cannot be achieved, however, as long as women and girls — half of the country’s population — remain marginalized and deprived of their human rights.

I thank Under-Secretary-General Fletcher, Deputy Special Representative Gagnon and Ms. Yari for their important and alarming briefings. As we mark Human Rights Day, the situation in Afghanistan stands as a painful reminder of the gap between global commitments and lived realities. Four years since the Taliban violently seized power, Afghanistan now represents one of the most extreme and systematic assaults on human rights in the world. Allow me to raise three points. First, the human rights of all Afghans must be upheld. This is a matter of peace and security, of human dignity and of urgency. Denmark condemns in the strongest terms the Taliban’s denial of women’s right to higher education and employment. These restrictions not only are cruel but also undermine the country’s own prospects for development and economic growth. Afghanistan will not attain stability, prosperity nor peace while such violations continue. We welcome the adoption of an international investigative mechanism by the Human Rights Council to ensure that serious violations are documented, evidence is preserved and perpetrators will be held to account in future. Women must also be empowered to participate fully in decision-making, including on Afghanistan’s future. Afghan women’s rights and participation must remain central in international engagement with the Taliban. We insist that the rights of Afghan women and their full, equal, meaningful and safe participation be placed at the centre of the United Nations-convened Doha political process. Secondly, we strongly condemn the Taliban’s continued obstructions to humanitarian operations in Afghanistan. The country is facing one of the most severe humanitarian crises globally, marked by rising food insecurity, widespread malnutrition, economic collapse and repeated natural disasters, including two major earthquakes this year. The return of more than 2.5 million Afghans has further strained an already overstretched humanitarian system. At such a critical moment, it is deeply alarming that the Taliban is expanding its restrictions on Afghan female United Nations and non-governmental organization staff. As we heard so clearly from Ms. Yari this morning, excluding women is not only discriminatory but operationally devastating. It weakens the reach and effectiveness of humanitarian assistance and impedes the access of women and girls to essential support. We strongly urge the Taliban to immediately reverse all of these policies, including the directive banning Afghan women personnel from United Nations premises. The Taliban must facilitate the rapid, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance throughout Afghanistan. Thirdly, the recent escalation in the border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan is deeply worrying. The developments risk destabilizing an already fragile region and diverting attention from urgent humanitarian and human rights challenges. We join the Secretary-General in welcoming the ceasefire and commend ongoing regional mediation efforts to pursue a lasting solution. The Taliban must play a constructive role in eliminating terrorism, including Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan, Al-Qaida, the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan and other groups, from Afghan soil and in ensuring that peace benefits the entire region. In closing, the Security Council cannot and must not allow the normalization of the most severe women’s rights crisis in the world. Denmark will continue to support the rights, voices and agency of Afghan women and girls. Their rights are non- negotiable; their participation is essential; and their future must remain at the heart of the Council’s work. We continue to support the work of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and look forward to working with Security Council members towards a timely renewal of the Mission’s mandate.

I thank you, Madam President, for convening this meeting today. I also thank Deputy Special Representative Gagnon, Under- Secretary-General Fletcher and Ms. Yari for their insightful briefings and stark descriptions of the situation in Afghanistan today. Today I will focus on three of the key points that were raised by our briefers: first, the appalling erosion of rights in Afghanistan; secondly, the dire humanitarian situation; and thirdly, how the United Nations process can drive progress. Today, as we observe Human Rights Day, the promise of universal rights in Afghanistan remains tragically unfulfilled. First, over the four years of Taliban rule, repression has intensified. Over 100 edicts have systematically eroded the rights of Afghan women and girls; girls cannot attend school after the age of 12; and for more than three months, the Taliban has banned women from working at United Nations offices. The Government of the United Kingdom unequivocally condemns this appalling erosion of the rights of women and girls, and we urge its immediate reversal. In October, United Kingdom officials travelled to Kabul to press the Taliban to reverse their barbaric decrees. The international community must unite against the Taliban’s assault on human rights; we must not abandon half of Afghanistan’s population. Secondly, regarding the humanitarian situation, the humanitarian needs in Afghanistan remain dire, as winter approaches. As today’s briefings have set out, an estimated 21.9 million people — 45 per cent of the Afghan population — will require humanitarian assistance in 2026. The United Kingdom continues to work to support the country’s most vulnerable, especially women and girls. We remain a major donor, allocating up to $201 million in the financial year 2025–2026 for vital life-saving and basic services. We are deeply concerned about the deteriorating food security and nutrition situation, as evidenced by the recent forecasts of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. In the context of reduced funding for Afghanistan, we collectively must do everything possible to ensure that life-saving assistance is available to the most vulnerable. Thirdly, regarding the United Nations process, the United Kingdom continues to engage with the United Nations-led process, including the comprehensive approach. Strong United Nations leadership is essential to driving that process forward. We therefore hope to see the next Special Representative of the Secretary- General appointed at the earliest opportunity. However, our support for the comprehensive approach depends on the Taliban taking meaningful steps to adhere to their international obligations, especially those related to counter-terrorism and the rights of women and girls. As our Foreign Secretary recently said, “there cannot be peace, security or prosperity without women playing their part, free from violence and free from fear. That is the principle which must underpin Afghanistan’s future”.

I would like to thank Ms. Georgette Gagnon, Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan; Mr. Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs; and Ms. Negina Yari for their briefings before the Security Council. I welcome Minister Tanja Fajon to preside over this important meeting. As we mark Human Rights Day today, it is incomprehensible that the Council should remain silent in the face of the degrading conditions imposed by the Taliban on Afghan women for more than four years. The briefings we have just heard are unequivocal: the Taliban are continuing their policy of segregation against women. They are even targeting the United Nations by intimidating the Organization’s Afghan employees and prohibiting them from going to work. France condemns in the strongest terms the Taliban’s systematic violations of the rights of women and girls and calls on the Security Council to take responsibility in the light of these intolerable practices. France expects the Taliban to make significant, verifiable progress in the implementation of the provisions set out in resolution 2593 (2021). Those conditions must guide ongoing discussions on an international road map for Afghanistan. First, the Taliban must repeal laws and measures restricting the rights of women and girls, starting with the so-called “Law on the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice”. Female Afghan employees of the United Nations must be able to return to work at United Nations offices. The rights of all Afghan women to education, employment and participation in public life must be restored. Secondly, we urge the Taliban to engage in good faith in an inclusive political process. That begins with dialogue with non-Taliban Afghan representatives, including women, at the Doha process meetings. Thirdly, all obstacles to humanitarian access must be lifted, particularly in a country affected by natural disasters, exacerbated by climate change. Once again, I denounce the Taliban’s shocking decision to restrict the access of women and girls to emergency humanitarian aid in following the earthquakes that have struck the country in recent months. Fourthly, the Taliban must provide concrete and lasting guarantees of their action against terrorism. The report (S/2025/796) of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011), published a few days ago, notes the insufficient efforts to combat terrorist groups present on Afghan territory, in particular Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant- Khorasan, Al-Qaida, and the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan. Fifthly, the fight against drug trafficking cannot be limited to the ban on poppy cultivation. The increase in the production and trafficking of synthetic drugs, in particular methamphetamine, threatens the security of the region. France recognizes the efforts of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) to maintain a channel of dialogue with the Taliban. However, we must remain clear and consistent when it comes to human rights. France supports the principle of a comprehensive approach and the idea of step-by-step engagement by the international community with the Taliban. At the same time, we expect concrete commitments from the Taliban on the rights of women and girls, in particular, and, more generally, on the implementation of the Council’s resolutions, starting with resolution 2593 (2021). If the Taliban wishes to be integrated into the international community, as it claims, it must demonstrate this through its actions and it must respect Afghanistan’s international commitments. France continues to stand by the Afghan people and provide them with humanitarian aid, in accordance with the principle of “by and for women”. I would like to thank all the United Nations agencies and their partners, which continue their work for the benefit of the Afghan people despite intimidation. Finally, we hope that a new Special Representative will be appointed promptly to head UNAMA.

I would like to begin by commending Slovenia for its presidency and skilful leadership of the Council this month. We also thank Slovenia’s delegation for their dedication and valuable contribution to the Council’s work during their two-year term as an elected member of the Council. We take note of the Secretary-General’s report (S/2025/789) and thank Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Officer-in-Charge of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Ms. Gagnon, for her briefing. We appreciate the role of UNAMA and the work it does under pressing circumstances. We also thank Under-Secretary-General Tom Fletcher for his insightful briefing on the humanitarian situation and civil society briefer Ms. Yari for her remarks. It has been more than four years since the Taliban takeover that ended civil war and offered a glimmer of hope for Afghanistan, though not without serious apprehensions and doubts. In the spirit of good neighbourliness and our long-standing commitment to and interest in a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, Pakistan engaged with the Taliban regularly throughout this period. Just this year, we conducted a series of high-level visits to Afghanistan and launched a number of initiatives, supported humanitarian relief efforts, facilitated the transportation of goods and announced trade and transit concessions. We have also remained engaged with various regional processes on Afghanistan. It is important to recall that the international community had several expectations of the Taliban, based on their own commitments, in particular not to allow the use of Afghan soil for terrorism against any country, and many colleagues around the table have referred to that. Unfortunately, the initial reservations of the international community gradually proved true, becoming more pronounced with the passage of time. Today, Afghanistan is once again a safe sanctuary for terrorist groups and proxies, with devastating consequences and mounting security challenges for its immediate neighbours, in particular Pakistan, and the region and beyond. Regrettably, instead of seeing the Taliban take concrete, effective and decisive actions against terrorist groups, we saw a steep surge in terrorist attacks against Pakistan, planned, financed and orchestrated from Afghan soil, under their watch. Just this year alone, we have lost close to 1,200 lives to terrorism emanating from Afghanistan. Since 2022, more than 214 Afghan terrorists, including suicide bombers, have been neutralized in Pakistan during counter-terrorism operations. Terrorism emanating from Afghan soil poses the gravest threat to Pakistan’s national security and sovereignty. Terrorist entities, including the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan, Al-Qaida, Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the Majeed Brigade enjoy safe havens in Afghanistan’s territory, with dozens of terrorist camps enabling cross-border infiltration and violent attacks, including suicide bombings. As corroborated by the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, the TTP, with nearly 6,000 fighters, is the largest United Nations-designated terrorist group based on Afghan soil. Pakistan has successfully thwarted multiple infiltration attempts by TTP and BLA terrorists, from across Afghanistan, confiscating significant caches of sophisticated military-grade modern equipment left behind by international forces in Afghanistan. These efforts have had a human cost: huge sacrifices by our valiant security forces and civilians. Elements within the Taliban rank and file are supporting these terrorist groups and allowing them safe passage, to operate with impunity and free will. There is also credible evidence of collaboration among these terrorist groups, through joint training, trade in illicit weapons, refuge for terrorists and coordinated attacks against Pakistan, using Afghan soil. And, not surprisingly, one detractor in the region, an opportunist and spoiler, as ever, has moved quickly to intensify its sponsorship of terrorist activity through material, technical and financial support to terrorist groups and proxies active against Pakistan from Afghan soil. We believe that UNAMA must strengthen efforts, under its mandate, to prevent the illicit trade in and destabilizing accumulation of small arms and light weapons and their diversion in Afghanistan and the region. Despite serious security concerns, we have made every effort to engage with the Taliban authorities, including during the recent rounds of talks in Doha and Istanbul. We are grateful to the Governments of Qatar and Türkiye for their sincere efforts. The Taliban must take concrete and verifiable action against terrorist groups based on their soil, failing which, Pakistan will take all necessary defensive measures for the protection of its citizens, territory and sovereignty. We also expect UNAMA to provide an objective assessment of the security situation at the border. Incidents related to border clashes are primarily an issue of terrorism and peace and security. The Taliban’s failure to honour their counter-terrorism obligations has worsened the security landscape of our region and added to the misery of ordinary Afghans who are suffering as a direct result of their inhumane policies and misplaced priorities. Sanctions, a dysfunctional banking system, diminished aid, poverty, terrorism, narcotics production and human rights violations continue to define Afghanistan’s political and socioeconomic fabric today, largely as a result of the Taliban’s own doing. The Taliban’s continued restrictions on women and girls, as we also heard today, are also inconsistent with Islamic traditions and the norms of Muslim societies, as also highlighted by Organization of Islamic Cooperation countries on several occasions. Pakistan fully shares the concerns of the international community on the issues of human rights, particularly women’s and girls’ rights, in Afghanistan. The humanitarian situation is also serious, as we heard from Under-Secretary- General Tom Fletcher. Increasing financing gaps in the humanitarian needs and response plan for 2025 also demonstrate diminishing support for a political dispensation that has failed to meet its commitments. For more than four decades, Pakistan welcomed, with open arms, millions of Afghan refugees, despite its own constraints and inadequate international support. We also had to cope with huge numbers and caseloads of illegal foreigners, including Afghans, without legal status or documents, which were a serious security threat to Pakistan. These were not meant to be indefinite stays. With conflict now ended, we expect that Afghans will now return to their country of origin in a dignified, phased and orderly manner. We will continue to extend all possible assistance to our Afghan brothers and sisters, but the international community must shoulder its responsibility and share this burden more equitably, because we see commitments long delayed, unkept and in some cases reversed. Shifting the blame for Afghanistan’s woes to the inflow of Afghan returnees does not reflect ground realities. Pakistan has also put in place a liberal visa regime that enables Afghans to visit Pakistan legally for various purposes, including education, health, business and family links. Just as an example, for medical cases alone, we have issued visas to more than 536,000 Afghans since September 2023. Pakistan has consistently advocated sustained engagement with Afghanistan and was among the first to propose a road map for normalization. We look forward to the next steps of the United Nations-led Doha process and the plan of action for its mosaic approach, which must address Afghanistan’s multifaceted challenges comprehensively, as also outlined in the independent assessment report. Pakistan desires a peaceful, stable, interconnected and prosperous Afghanistan that is at peace with itself and its neighbours. Pakistan also supports international engagement efforts with Afghanistan with well-defined objectives, reciprocal steps and a realistic road map as the only viable pathway to lasting peace in Afghanistan. We also hope that bilateral engagements are not used by countries with negative agendas as a medium to destabilize the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and the wider region. We hope that the Taliban will promote a conducive environment for sincere dialogue that is sensitive to our legitimate security concerns, stop working at cross purposes and come out of a state of denial, which serves no one’s interest. For Pakistan, Afghanistan holds particular importance. As immediate neighbours bound by geography, sharing not only a long border but having deep religious and historical ties, cultural linkages and fraternal bonds, no country desires peace and stability in Afghanistan more than Pakistan, and no country has suffered from the consequences of decades of conflict and instability in Afghanistan more than Pakistan. Pakistan will therefore continue to work for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan in the best interest of Afghans and the region.

Allow me to begin by thanking Her Excellency Ms. Tanja Fajon, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, who is presiding over this meeting. We also thank the briefers, Georgette Gagnon, Tom Fletcher and Negina Yari, for their valuable contributions. Today, 10 December, Human Rights Day, we recall that, according to UNICEF, approximately 2.2 million adolescent and young girls have been excluded from the education system in Afghanistan. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 22.9 million Afghans, including women and girls, need humanitarian assistance, 14.8 million people face food insecurity, and 14.3 million people have limited access to healthcare. These figures, while alarming, reflect only some of the multifaceted crises facing Afghanistan four years after the Taliban returned to power. Furthermore, the restrictions imposed by the Taliban by preventing female workers from entering United Nations facilities are not only acts of discrimination but also attempts to test the limits of our collective response. These actions constitute a direct attack on not only the operational integrity but also the very mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), and limiting access for local staff based on gender contradicts the founding principles of the Organization and undermines trust. It must be recalled that, amid a persistent humanitarian crisis and a significant increase in the number of returnees, the United Nations remains one of the few international actors with a sustained presence on the ground, offering impartial and reliable assistance to the most affected communities. Undermining that relationship calls into question the possibility of building sustainable solutions and does not help to address the legitimacy deficit faced by the de facto leadership. The continued presence of terrorist groups, such as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan and Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, in Afghan territory and the recent increase in armed incidents in border areas are concerning, as they are a clear sign that the repercussions of the conflict in Afghanistan are spilling over its borders and could lead to a much more complex regional crisis. In this context, we consider it essential that the Mission and the relevant mechanisms have full access to assess and report on these risks and that the preventive capacities of the system be strengthened. Afghan women are currently facing one of the most serious and painful human rights situations on the planet. The almost total restriction of their access to education, their deliberate exclusion from the workplace and the denial of their participation in public life constitute profound violations that affect not only their individual development but also the future of an entire society. Amid this adverse landscape, there is persistent silent and courageous resistance from Afghans who, with determination and hope, continue to defend their dignity, preserve knowledge and assert their right to exist in freedom. As we approach the review of the mandate of UNAMA next year, it is necessary to establish clear parameters for shared responsibility between the Taliban and the international community. The Security Council must make clear that the international presence is not unconditional. The Council has shown willingness and patience, but every mandate requires minimum conditions for its effective implementation. Persisting with these restrictions jeopardizes not only current operations but also the Council’s future ability to legitimately renew its support for the Mission. From Panama, the reality facing the Afghan people calls for ethical reflection and collective responsibility to protect fundamental rights regardless of borders or cultural contexts.

I thank all our briefers today. As we just heard, the people of Afghanistan continue to endure significant hardships, including human rights abuses, poverty, unemployment, limited access to basic services and unconscionable restrictions on women’s rights. The Taliban are responsible for these hardships and suffering because of the policies that they have adopted. Quite simply, the Taliban are not good-faith interlocutors, and they do not care about the well-being of the Afghan people. They impede and manipulate support from the international community. The Taliban continue to engage in hostage diplomacy, ignoring the basic needs of the Afghan people, impeding the functionality of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and demonstrating little willingness to meet their international commitments. This includes the Doha process, in which the Taliban are not participating in good faith. Meanwhile, we have to bear in mind the lack of results from international assistance and engagement in Afghanistan. As the Security Council considers the future of UNAMA, it must be sceptical of the Taliban. All special political missions, including UNAMA, need to adapt to changing conditions on the ground. If the conditions under the Taliban prevent UNAMA from carrying out these tasks, then the Council should consider realigning its mandate to these realities. In the future, it should focus on core peace and security issues, guided by clear and achievable benchmarks. The United States top priority in Afghanistan remains the protection of United States citizens and the homeland, which includes mitigating terrorist threats emanating from Afghanistan and securing the release of all of those unjustly detained. The Council must continue to call out the Taliban for its lack of progress on its counter-terrorism commitments, its engagement in hostage diplomacy and its disregard for the well-being of the people of Afghanistan.

I now give the floor to the representative of Afghanistan.

I would like to congratulate you, Madam President, on assuming the presidency of the Council and thank you for convening today’s important meeting and the joint stakeout held earlier. As this will be the last meeting on Afghanistan for the outgoing members of the Council, we would like to express our appreciation for the leadership of all those members, in particular Slovenia, the Republic of Korea, Guyana, Sierra Leone and Algeria, their continued support for the people of Afghanistan and their principled position. They have left a great imprint. I also want to thank Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General Gagnon, Under-Secretary-General Fletcher and the civil society representative, Ms. Yari, for their compelling and sobering presentations. We are grateful to all the previous speakers for their expressions of support for the Afghan people, in particular Afghan women and girls. We also thank donors, humanitarian partners, non-governmental organizations, United Nations agencies and front-line humanitarian personnel for continuing to provide life-saving support under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. Nearly five years have passed since the Taliban’s takeover. In this period and despite repeated appeals from the Afghan people and the consistent calls of the Council, the Taliban’s policies have not changed. Instead, Afghanistan has further descended into a crisis defined by institutional repression, economic collapse, acute humanitarian need, forced displacement, shrinking civic space and rising regional tensions. The Secretary-General’s report (S/2025/789) confirms what Afghans endure daily: deliberate and systematic violations of fundamental rights. Public executions, corporal punishment, arbitrary detention, media censorship and extrajudicial killings continue without accountability. Space for civil liberties continues to shrink drastically, and access to information, including the Internet, is increasingly restricted. But it is the women and girls of Afghanistan who face the most extreme persecution and systematic gender-based discrimination. Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls are banned from secondary and higher education, where women are barred from most forms of employment and where even female United Nations staff cannot carry out their duties. The banning of books written by women, the exclusion of female students from medical education and the prohibition on training future female medical professionals have already generated serious consequences, the long-term impact of which will be devastating, especially for maternal health, women’s access to healthcare and the country’s human capital. The policies are not rooted in Afghan culture, Islamic values or social tradition. They are deliberate decisions taken by the Taliban, which amount to gender persecution on a scale such as to constitute crimes against humanity. These are violations that take lives, erase identities, deprive half of the population of their dignity and existence and, ultimately, pose a serious danger to the future of a nation. Afghanistan faces a profound humanitarian emergency. More than 23 million Afghans require assistance. Poverty, unemployment, drought, food insecurity and Taliban-imposed restrictions on livelihoods have deepened the level and scope of suffering. Yet, humanitarian funding continues to decline. In 2025, more than 2.5 million Afghans were forced to return from Pakistan and Iran. These mass returns disproportionately affect women, girls and minorities, many of whom are sent back to areas where they face persecution, insecurity or a lack of shelter and basic services. We call on our neighbouring States and countries, in particular Pakistan and Iran, to uphold, in the spirit of brotherhood, the principle of non-refoulement and to ensure that any return occurs voluntarily, safely and with dignity. The security environment remains volatile and increasingly alarming. Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team reports indicate that terrorist groups, including foreign terrorist fighters and international organizations affiliated with Al-Qaida and Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan, continue to operate, recruit and train inside Afghanistan. The proliferation of extremist madrasas further endangers Afghan youth and regional stability. This validates what has often been stated, namely that an unstable Afghanistan will have dangerous security implications, regionally and globally. On the other hand, recent escalations between the Taliban and Pakistan, including shellings and air strikes, have resulted in more than 500 civilian casualties, including women and children inside their homes. We strongly condemn any targeting of civilians inside or outside Afghanistan, whether committed by terrorist groups or carried out under the pretext of counter-terrorism. For more than four decades, Afghanistan has been a front-line victim of terrorism sustained by regional dynamics and cross-border sanctuaries. Genuine, coordinated and non-selective counter-terrorism efforts are essential to address these root causes and ensure Afghanistan is never again used for proxy violence. The key question now is how to proceed towards the path of progress. The Taliban have failed to adhere to their commitments, including those that they made under the Doha agreement endorsed by resolution 2513 (2020) in relation to counter- terrorism, respect for human rights and the pursuit of a political process, none of which have been implemented. These commitments must be upheld, and the Taliban must be held accountable for non-compliance. After nearly five years, there is no political road map, no institutional reform, no credible intra-Afghan dialogue. Instead of inclusion, exclusion has intensified. Instead of reconciliation, repression has deepened. Instead of legitimacy, unilateral control persists. Afghanistan cannot stabilize through isolation, coercion or imposed authority. Humanitarian aid alone cannot sustain our nation. Sustainable development, economic recovery and lasting peace require legitimate and accountable governance, grounded in respect for national and international obligations — conditions that Afghanistan currently lacks. The independent assessment mandated by the Council (see S/2023/856) provides a principled pathway. It calls for a coherent international strategy, clear political benchmarks tied to progress, the appointment of a Special Envoy and the launch of an inclusive political process reflective of Afghanistan’s diversity and the will of its people. We call on the Council to reach the consensus that is needed to address these outstanding issues. Moreover, the very source of Afghanistan’s crisis remains political, and the solution can be an inclusive, representative Government that ensures Afghanistan’s political stability and national unity. The international community must use the leverage in its possession to influence the Taliban’s decision on accepting political dialogue and negotiations with a cross section of Afghan democratic forces for a settlement resulting in an inclusive and legitimate government that is based on the will of the people. Such a political process under United Nations supervision will mark a breakthrough in the current impasse. The Doha platform must no longer remain symbolic or serve as a tacit endorsement of unilateral rule. It must become the mechanism through which a credible political process begins with all credible Afghan representatives, including the Taliban, women, civil society and youth, meaningfully engaged. This is what the people of Afghanistan expect and await. The role of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan is indispensable not only for humanitarian operations and monitoring, but also for facilitating structured political dialogue. The appointment of a Special Representative of the Secretary-General with deep knowledge of Afghanistan and an unwavering commitment to human rights and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations is essential. We welcome the extension of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur and the establishment of an independent investigative mechanism, as their continued work is crucial for documenting violations and advancing accountability, and we call for adequate funding to ensure these mandates can be implemented effectively. Afghanistan stands at a defining moment. Its people have suffered from decades of imposed conflicts and especially its women have endured systemic exclusion, economic hardship, fear and displacement. Yet they continue to show remarkable resilience, courage and hope. They ask only for principled international support: support for their rights, their voice and their rightful place in their own country and within the international community. For that future to remain possible, the Council can and should act with unity, coherence and urgency. We therefore present the following priority actions. First, the Council should hold the Taliban accountable for measurable commitments under the Doha agreement and the Security Council resolutions. Second, the Council should adopt a coordinated and benchmark-based international engagement framework. Third, the Council should support an inclusive intra-Afghan negotiation process leading to legitimate governance. Fourth, the Council should place the rights of women and girls at the centre of all engagement. Fifth, the Council should sustain humanitarian support at adequate and predictable levels. Sixth, the Council should pursue accountability for grave violations, including gender-based persecution. Lastly, and seventh, it should ensure counter-terrorism efforts are lawful, consistent and non-selective. In conclusion, a stable Afghanistan requires legitimate and representative governance, full respect for fundamental rights, effective regional cooperation and reintegration into the international community. It is our shared responsibility to ensure that the path towards such a future remains open. The people of Afghanistan have not abandoned hope. The international community must not abandon them.

I now give the floor to the representative of India.

I congratulate Slovenia on assuming the presidency of the Council. I thank the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Officer-in-Charge of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Ms. Gagnon, for her briefing at this meeting. We also note the comments made by Under-Secretary-General Fletcher and the civil society briefer, Ms. Yari. As Afghanistan’s contiguous neighbour, India deeply values its civilizational relationship and centuries-old bonds of friendship with the country, and this history continues to guide our actions in forging deeper ties with the people of Afghanistan. Over the years, India has been a strong advocate for peace and stability in Afghanistan. Coordinated regional and international cooperation on key issues concerning Afghanistan is paramount as is strongly engaging the relevant parties for promoting peace, stability and development in the country. We have accordingly participated in all rounds of the Doha working group meetings and in other regional forums. The provision of humanitarian assistance and building the capacities of the Afghan people have always remained India’s priorities. We already have more than 500 development partnership projects across all provinces, and, as decided during Foreign Minister Motaqi’s recent visit to India, India will further deepen its engagement in development cooperation projects, particularly in the sectors of healthcare, public infrastructure and capacity-building. We will continue working with United Nations agencies in critical areas such as health, food security, education and sports. The visit of Mr. Azizi, the Afghan Minister of Industry and Commerce, to India also helped further cooperation on connectivity, trade facilitation and market access. Healthcare is a particularly important need, especially now, for the Afghan people right now. In this regard, India has undertaken the establishment of a thalassemia centre, a modern diagnostic centre and replacement of the heating system at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health in Kabul. Additionally, India will construct a 30-bed hospital in Kabul’s Bagrami district, an oncology centre and a trauma centre in Kabul, and five maternity health clinics. Approximately 75 prosthetic limbs have been successfully fitted to Afghan nationals. India also continues to extend medical assistance and provide high-quality healthcare treatment to Afghan nationals. During Mr. Motaqi’s visit, India also gifted 20 ambulances to the Afghan people. Healthcare cooperation will be further augmented during the upcoming visit of the Afghan Minister of Public Health to India. India was among the first countries to provide humanitarian assistance in the aftermath of the earthquake in Afghanistan and continues to assist in reconstructing residential buildings in the earthquake-affected areas. India’s comprehensive humanitarian support includes the supply of food grains, social support items, school stationery, disaster relief materials and pesticides. It also includes providing crucial material aid to address the urgent needs of forcibly repatriated refugees in Afghanistan. We have taken note of the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Afghanistan (S/2025/789), especially the difficult humanitarian concerns expressed therein. The involuntary return movements of more than 2 million Afghans this year, contributing a population increase of 6 per cent for Afghanistan in 2025, have created significant vulnerabilities necessitating enhanced protection, improved access to shelter and food security and a need for durable solutions for sustainable reintegration. The Secretary-General’s report also highlights the severe humanitarian and economic impact resulting from recent border clashes and border-crossing closures, displacing hundreds of families inside Afghanistan, disrupting vital trade, causing financial distress and widespread losses for farmers during the critical fruit harvest season and threatening the livelihoods of the Afghan people. Member States this year adopted the Awaza Political Declaration (General Assembly resolution 80/3) to address the unique challenges faced by landlocked developing countries (LLDCs). It is incumbent on all not to weaponize trade and transit vulnerabilities. India echoes UNAMA’s concern about airstrikes and condemn the killing of innocent women, children and cricketers in Afghanistan. We add our voice to calls for paying full respect to the Charter of the United Nations and international law, with particular attention to the protection of innocent civilians. We also note with grave concern the practice of trade and transit terrorism that the people of Afghanistan are being subjected to by the cynical closure of access for a landlocked country whose people have been suffering numerous debilitating conditions for many years. These acts are in violation of World Trade Organization norms. Such open threats and acts of war against a fragile and vulnerable LLDC nation, trying to rebuild in difficult circumstances, constitute a blatant violation of the Charter of the United Nations and international law. While we condemn such acts, we also strongly support the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Afghanistan. India continues to closely monitor the security situation in Afghanistan. The international community must coordinate efforts towards ensuring that entities and individuals designated by the Security Council, Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and Al Qaida and their affiliates, including Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-i- Mohammed and proxies of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba such as the National Resistance Front, along with those who facilitate their operations, no longer indulge in cross-border terrorism. India calls for a pragmatic engagement with the Taliban. A coherent policy of engagement should incentivize positive actions. A focus on only punitive measures will only ensure that a business-as-usual approach continues, as we have been seeing for the past four and a half years. We call on the United Nations and the international community to adopt nuanced policy instruments that help bring sustainable benefits for the people of Afghanistan. In conclusion, I reiterate our commitment to meeting the development needs of the people of Afghanistan. My Government’s recent decision to restore the status of our technical mission in Kabul to that of an Embassy underscores this resolve. We will continue our engagements with all stakeholders to augment our contribution to Afghanistan’s comprehensive development, humanitarian assistance and capacity- building initiatives, in keeping with the priorities and aspirations of Afghan society.

I now give the floor to the representative of Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan warmly welcomes you, Madam President, and congratulates Slovenia on assuming the presidency of the Security Council. We thank Ms. Georgette Gagnon for her comprehensive briefing on the activities of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). We also appreciate the valuable insights shared by today’s briefers. The stability, peace and socioeconomic progress of Afghanistan remain critical priorities for Kazakhstan and for the wider Central Asian region. We fully align ourselves with the Security Council’s position on the issue of international recognition of the Taliban and reiterate our unwavering commitment to international humanitarian law and the fundamental rights of all Afghans. Kazakhstan consistently advocates for the meaningful participation of women in public life and for the protection of ethnic and religious minorities. As a close neighbour and long-standing partner, Kazakhstan continues to provide humanitarian assistance and essential supplies to Afghanistan, particularly to support food security in the most vulnerable communities. At the same time, we remain committed to strengthening economic cooperation with Afghanistan. Over the past years, bilateral engagement has intensified through high-level visits, trade missions, business forums and sectoral consultations. We are working together to expand trade, advance agricultural and industrial cooperation and develop partnerships in digitalization and geology. We also note the resilience of Afghanistan’s small- and medium-sized businesses, which continue to function despite challenging circumstances. This emerging entrepreneurial sector holds real potential to support economic recovery, and the international community should help create conditions for its further growth. Kazakhstan attaches great importance to improving regional connectivity as a foundation for long-term stability. Enhanced transport corridors and modern infrastructure are essential for resilience and sustainable development. In that regard, Kazakhstan supports key regional initiatives, including the development of new transit routes and improved logistics links between Central and South Asia. We have committed up to $500 million to railway infrastructure designed to facilitate direct access to seaports and global markets, helping Afghanistan integrate more effectively into regional and international supply chains. Strengthened connectivity, in our view, is fundamental to creating economic opportunity and fostering lasting peace across the region. Kazakhstan firmly believes that sustainable development is indispensable for Afghanistan’s long-term stability. We therefore welcome the broad support with which the General Assembly adopted resolution 79/268, establishing the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan, in Almaty. Institutionalization of the Centre is progressing steadily, in close cooperation with the Secretariat. We are convinced that it will serve as an important platform for addressing transboundary issues, strengthening regional cooperation, enhancing policy coherence and ensuring more effective delivery of international assistance. We also see significant value in close coordination between the Regional Centre and UNAMA. By aligning development and political efforts, these two United Nations mechanisms can generate meaningful synergies that can contribute to stability, resilience and sustainable growth in Afghanistan and the surrounding region. Kazakhstan calls on the international community to continue supporting Central Asia’s initiatives aimed at assisting Afghanistan. The Doha meetings have reaffirmed the importance of sustained dialogue, including in the areas of economic development, humanitarian assistance and regional cooperation. In conclusion, Kazakhstan remains firmly committed to a peaceful, self-reliant and prosperous Afghanistan. We stand ready to work with all partners in pursuit of this common objective.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

I congratulate Slovenia on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for this month and I thank you, Madam Minister, for presiding over this meeting. I thank Ms. Gagnon, Deputy Special Representative, and Mr. Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General, for their briefings. We have taken note of the views shared by Ms. Yari. We take note of the Secretary-General’s latest report (S/2025/789), which confirms that, despite the tireless efforts and work of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and United Nations agencies, the Afghan people continue to face severe humanitarian and security challenges, persistent restrictions against women and girls and threats from terrorism and narcotics, particularly synthetic drugs. In the light of the report, I wish to underline the following points. First, we express deep concern about the worsening humanitarian situation, particularly as winter approaches and in the aftermath of recent earthquakes. The severe underfunding of the 2025 humanitarian needs and response plan threatens to intensify food insecurity, restrict access to basic services, worsen malnutrition and deepen inequality, especially for women and children. We echo the Secretary- General’s call, in his report, on donors to provide increased, predictable and flexible funding to sustain life-saving operations. In that context, we believe that meaningful and pragmatic engagement with the de facto authorities remains indispensable to addressing the humanitarian and economic crises that threaten Afghanistan and regional stability. We reiterate that humanitarian assistance must never be politicized. Sanctions must not impede economic stabilization or development, and Afghan national assets frozen abroad must be released, without delay, to meet the urgent needs of the Afghan people. Secondly, the situation of women and girls remains a matter of grave concern. Systematic restrictions on education, employment and public participation are incompatible with the teachings of Islam and with human dignity. We call on the de facto authorities to reverse these measures. Despite serious concerns, constructive engagement remains the most effective path to promote responsible conduct and uphold human rights, including the rights of ethnic groups and women. In the meantime, the establishment of a truly representative and inclusive Government is essential for achieving lasting peace and stability, preventing renewed conflict and large-scale refugee flows, and ensuring security, economic recovery and respect for human rights, especially the rights of women and girls. Thirdly, the threat posed by terrorist groups, including Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan, remains alarming and demands sustained international vigilance and collective action. The Islamic Republic of Iran firmly supports the emergence of Afghanistan as an independent, sovereign, united and peaceful State, free from terrorism, conflict and narcotics. Afghanistan must be supported for comprehensive and effective measures to dismantle all terrorist groups and to prevent the use of its territory to threaten or harm other States. We are deeply concerned about recent security and border incidents between Afghanistan and its neighbours. Iran shares nearly 2,000 kilometres of border with Afghanistan and Pakistan, and our security is inseparably linked to that of both neighbours. Afghan territory must not be used as a base for terrorism or violence against neighbouring countries, and the de facto authorities must bear full responsibility for preventing any form of support to terrorist entities. Iran’s Minister for Foreign Affairs has engaged with his Pakistani and Afghan counterparts, during which he stated that Tehran stands ready to assist in de-escalation efforts between Kabul and Islamabad. He has also proposed convening a regional meeting of foreign ministers to provide a platform for consultation and the development of a coordinated regional approach. Fourthly, given our long-shared border and the presence of millions of Afghan nationals, developments in Afghanistan have a direct and immediate impact on Iran. Engagement with the de facto authorities is therefore not a matter of choice but a strategic necessity to manage risks, reduce costs and prevent future challenges. Iran has maintained sustained dialogue and constructive cooperation with Afghanistan, including facilitating trade, strengthening border coordination, delivering humanitarian assistance and supporting education and health services, to promote regional stability and safeguard its legitimate interests. As the only viable transit corridor providing Afghanistan with direct access to the high seas, Chabahar port has served as a critical humanitarian lifeline, facilitating the delivery of essential cargo to Afghanistan. The imposition of restrictive measures under the pretext of so-called unilateral coercive measures or sanctions would have only serious and detrimental consequences for Afghanistan’s economic stability and humanitarian situation. Iran seeks to fully utilize the capacity of Chabahar port to support Afghanistan’s economic recovery and humanitarian needs. Fifthly, Iran has borne a disproportionate burden for decades by hosting millions of Afghan refugees while itself being subjected to severe unilateral sanctions. This responsibility has imposed immense economic and security pressures, with annual costs reaching nearly $10 billion, in the absence of adequate international support. It is deeply regrettable that the international community has failed to meet even its most minimal obligations to support Afghan refugees in Iran. This failure is clearly reflected in a significant reduction of allocated assistance for 2026 — a cut of more than 60 per cent. This represents a serious breach of the principle of international responsibility-sharing. Iran has repeatedly and unequivocally stated, including from this very Chamber, that it cannot and will not continue to shoulder alone the disproportionate burden of hosting more than 6 million Afghan nationals without genuine international solidarity, equitable burden-sharing and tangible financial support. The return of undocumented Afghan nationals has been conducted in full conformity with international law and humanitarian principles, with strict respect for human dignity. Finally, UNAMA continues to play a vital and indispensable role in addressing Afghanistan’s complex and multidimensional challenges. We reaffirm our support for its mandate and the effective and impartial implementation of that mandate. The Islamic Republic of Iran stands ready to continue close cooperation with the United Nations, regional countries and mechanisms and all relevant stakeholders to promote stability, security and a better future for Afghanistan.

There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers. I now invite Council members to informal consultations to continue our discussion of the subject.