UN Security Council expresses deep concern over Taliban’s “Morality Law” amid worsening human rights situation in Afghanistan

In a joint statement released on September 6, members of the United Nations Security Council, including Ecuador, France, Guyana, Malta, Mozambique, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Japan, have expressed profound concern over the Taliban’s recently announced “morality law.”

This directive is seen as an extension of the regime’s ongoing systemic discrimination against women and girls in Afghanistan. The Security Council condemned the Taliban’s actions as a significant setback for human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country.

The new law not only reinforces existing restrictions but also grants inspectors broad powers of enforcement, further threatening the personal liberties of Afghan citizens. The Council emphasized that these measures would have detrimental effects on various aspects of daily life for all Afghans.

Since the Taliban’s takeover three years ago, the Security Council has been vocal about the deteriorating human rights situation in Afghanistan. In April 2023, it unanimously adopted Resolution 2681, which called for the full and meaningful participation of women and girls in all facets of Afghan society.

The Council urged the Taliban to reverse all policies that infringe upon the rights of women and girls, emphasizing their right to education, work, and freedom of expression and movement, underscoring that respecting these rights is essential for achieving a stable and prosperous Afghanistan.

Furthermore, the international community was called upon to leverage its influence to promote an urgent reversal of these oppressive policies. The Security Council highlighted that such actions by the Taliban undermine global efforts to engage with them in pursuit of a peaceful and reintegrated Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is a signatory to several international human rights treaties, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and has obligations under international law that must be upheld.

The Security Council reiterated its support for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, expressing concern over the Taliban’s ban on the Special Rapporteur’s entry into the country, asserting that he should be allowed to fulfill his mandate without obstruction.