Afghanistan Envoy, UN Rapporteur Warn Against Normalizing Taliban Rule

DID Press: Afghanistan’s representative to the UN Human Rights Council and the UN’s special rapporteur on Afghanistan warned on Monday that efforts by some states to normalize relations with the Taliban risk deepening human rights abuses.

Afghanistan envoy, Nasir Ahmad Andisha, said legitimizing the Taliban has worsened conditions for women, girls and minorities, urging coordinated international action to halt the trend.

UN rapporteur, Richard Bennett, said Afghanistan is “not a lost cause” but a test of global commitment to human rights. He warned that pragmatic engagement with the Taliban for security or commercial interests only fuels repression.

Bennett called for sustained pressure, support for civil society, and the establishment of an independent investigative mechanism to complement existing UN and international justice efforts.