By John Ikani
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) passed a resolution on Monday that called for the Taliban to facilitate safe passage for people wanting to leave Afghanistan, allow humanitarians to access the country, and uphold human rights, including for women and children
The resolution – drafted by the United States, United Kingdom and France – was passed with 13 votes in favour and no objections. China and Russia abstained.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US Representative to the UN in a statement on Monday shortly after the adoption of a UN Security Council Resolution on Afghanistan, disclosed that three clear expectations were established in the UNSC resolution.
The US rep in her statement, said that the UNSC expects the Taliban to facilitate safe passage for individuals wanting to leave the war-torn country, adding that everybody must be allowed to leave whenever they want to.
The resolution refers to an August 27 Taliban statement in which the group said Afghans would be able to travel abroad, and leave Afghanistan any time they want to, including by any border crossing, both air and ground.
The Security Council “expects that the Taliban will adhere to these and all other commitments,” the resolution said.
Reiterating its commitment to assist those that want to remain in Afghanistan, the UNSC emphasized the need to facilitate humanitarian assistance, adding that humanitarian actors must be given full, safe, and unhindered access to continue service delivery to those in need.
The council further stressed the need to tackle the serious threat of terrorism in the country, warning that rights of Afghanistan’s people, including its women, girls, and minorities must be respected.
The resolution comes as international efforts to airlift foreign nationals and vulnerable Afghans out of the country come to an end after the Taliban swept back into power on August 15, with the US withdrawing from the country after 20 years.
France ended its evacuation efforts on Friday and the UK followed suit on Saturday, while the United States completed theirs on Monday.
