The UN Security Council will vote on Thursday on a resolution condemning the Taliban’s restrictions on women, covering everything from banning girls’ attendance at school to stopping women working for aid agencies, including the UN.
In April, the movement that ousted the western-backed Kabul government in August 2021, banned women from working for UN aid agencies. The decision expanded an existing ban of women working for NGOs, passed in December.
The UN subsequently said its operations were becoming harder and that it was unable to function effectively to deliver aid and development support for Afghans. UNDP head Achim Steiner said last month that “the entire United Nations system [was] having to take a step back and re-evaluate its ability to operate there”.
The ban on female UN staff follows widespread international anger at the Taliban’s refusal to allow girls an education beyond the sixth grade.
The draft resolution, obtained late on Wednesday by The Associated Press, expresses "deep concern at the increasing erosion of respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls in Afghanistan by the Taliban" and reaffirms their "indispensable role" in Afghan society.
It calls on the Taliban to swiftly restore their access to education, employment, freedom of movement and equal participation in public life.
The resolution, drafted by the UAE and Japan, is scheduled to be voted on by the 15-member council on Thursday afternoon. Diplomats said it is almost certain to be approved, although Russia and China might abstain.
The Taliban seized power in August 2021 as US and Nato forces were pulling out of Afghanistan after two decades of war. The militant group initially promised a more moderate rule than during their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001. But there has been growing international consternation as Taliban leaders have gradually re-imposed their harsh interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia, on women and girls.
In addition to school and aid agency restrictions, women are banned from most jobs, public spaces and gyms.
Since April 5, the 3,300 Afghans employed by the UN — 2,700 men and 600 women — have stayed home, but UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric has said they continue to work and will be paid. The UN's 600-strong international staff, including 200 women, is not affected by the Taliban ban.
Roza Otunbayeva, a former president and foreign minister of Kyrgyzstan, who heads the UN political mission in Afghanistan known as Unama, responded to the Taliban's ban on Afghan women working for the 193-nation world body by ordering an operational review of the UN’s presence in the country, which will last until May 5.
Before the review is completed, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will host an international meeting on Afghanistan in Doha, the capital of Qatar, on May 1-2. UN spokesman Mr Dujarric said last week that the closed meeting will be attended by envoys to Afghanistan from various countries with the aim of seeking a “durable way forward” for the country.
The draft resolution being put to a vote would reaffirm the UN’s support for “a peaceful, stable, prosperous and inclusive Afghanistan” and for an “inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned determination of the country’s political future and development path".
It would also recognise the many challenges Afghanistan faces, stress the urgent need to address “the dire economic and humanitarian situation” in the country, and reiterate that women are essential to the delivery of humanitarian aid.
The draft urges all other UN member nations to use their influence to promote “an urgent reversal” of the Taliban’s policies and practices towards women and girls.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Squad
Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas)
SPECS
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
RACECARD%20
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My Country: A Syrian Memoir
Kassem Eid, Bloomsbury
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
If you go
- The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
- The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
- The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday, February 8 v Kenya; Friday, February 9 v Canada; Sunday, February 11 v Nepal; Monday, February 12 v Oman; Wednesday, February 14 v Namibia; Thursday, February 15 final
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The five pillars of Islam
RESULT
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai 0 Al Ain 6
Al Ain: Caio (5', 73'), El Shahat (10'), Berg (65'), Khalil (83'), Al Ahbabi (90' 2)
