Afghan Taliban, committed to engagement after morality law outcry: UN

KABUL: A Taliban government spokesman has said the Afghan authorities were committed to engagement with the international community after a new morality law sparked tense exchanges over women’s rights.

The United Nations and the European Union have warned that the law — requiring women to cover up completely and not raise their voices in public — could damage prospects for engagement with foreign nations and international organisations.

Deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat was responding to comments by a spokesman for the UN secretary-general assuring continued engagement with the Taliban authorities after Afghanistan’s morality ministry said it would no longer cooperate with the UN mission in the country, UNAMA, over criticism of the law.

Fitrat said the authorities were “committed to positive interactions with all the countries and organisations in accordance with Islamic law”, in a voice message to journalists on Saturday.

“Interaction is the only way to achieve solutions to problems and for the progression and expansion of relations,” he said, urging nations and organisations to engage positively with the Taliban authorities.

Since taking power in 2021, no state has recognised the Taliban government, but it has made diplomatic inroads recently, including attending UN-hosted talks on Afghanistan in Qatar.

On Friday, the spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “We will continue to engage with all stakeholders in Afghanistan, including the Taliban”.

“We have always done so following our mandate and I would say impartially and in good faith, always upholding the norms of the UN, pushing the messages of human rights and equality,” said Stephane Dujarric.

“We would urge the de facto authorities to, in fact, open more avenues for diplomatic engagement,” he added.