This archive report was first published on 19 November 2021.
Published on November 19, 2021, Kenya and other members of the UN Security Council, including India and the UK, have called on the Taliban to act urgently on promised reforms to save Afghanistan and its people.
The African group, known as A3 Plus 1, which includes Kenya, Tunisia, Niger, and the Caribbean island of St Vincent and Grenadines, emphasized the need for a proper security 'architecture' to prevent the country from becoming an active cell of terrorists.
However, the group also highlighted the immediate crisis in Afghanistan, which includes food shortages and a lack of amenities for the displaced, as well as a government that has excluded women.
Kenya's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Mike Kiboino, underscored the importance of women's participation in all aspects of Afghan life, including at the grassroots and leadership levels.
The UN Security Council has debated whether to engage with the Taliban, a group sanctioned by the Council and its permanent members, including the US. The Council has also discussed exemptions to sanctions for humanitarian supplies.
India's Permanent Representative, TS Tirmurti, emphasized the need for direct access for humanitarian suppliers without hindrance, while the UK's Deputy Permanent Representative, James Kariuki, called on the Taliban to address concerns regarding terrorism, humanitarian access, and human rights.
The UN Secretary-General's Special Representative in Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons, warned that poverty and extremism will grow if the international community does not engage creatively and flexibly with Afghanistan.
