The foreign ministers of twelve Western countries and the European Union issued a joint statement Thursday to urge the Taliban to reverse the decision to ban Afghan women from non-governmental organizations and international organizations.
The top diplomats who signed the statement are from the governments of Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States, as well as the High Representative of the European Union, Josep Borell.
The leaders are «gravely concerned about the Taliban’s reckless and dangerous order» and call for its immediate revocation, as it «endangers the survival of millions of Afghans who depend on humanitarian aid,» the joint statement said.
«Women are absolutely critical to humanitarian and basic needs operations. Unless they are involved in delivering aid in Afghanistan, NGOs will not be able to reach the most vulnerable people in the country,» they said in the statement.
Similarly, this decision also directly affects international organizations, as they rely on the work of NGOs to deliver basic materials and services to the most needy areas.
«The Taliban continue to demonstrate their disregard for the rights, freedoms and welfare of the Afghan people, especially women and girls,» the leaders added, while affirming their collaboration with the United Nations to address the situation.
The Afghan Taliban’s Ministry of Economy issued a decree on Saturday ordering all NGOs, whether national or international, to suspend women’s employment contracts until further notice.
In the decree, reported by TOLO News, the Economy Ministry also warned that any organization that does not abide by this directive may see its license to operate in the country suspended.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
