UN Rapporteur: Taliban and Poverty Are Afghanistan’s Two Major Challenges

Kokcha News Agency – During a meeting at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, highlighted the Taliban and poverty as the two most pressing issues facing Afghanistan. The meeting, initiated by several countries, focused on mechanisms for accountability and holding the Taliban regime responsible for its actions.

Bennett stressed the importance of protecting the rights of women and ethnic and religious minorities in Afghanistan. He called for urgent action to address the dire humanitarian and economic situation in the country, which has been exacerbated by the Taliban’s rule.

The Deputy Representative of Canada to the UN stated that “women and girls must be at the center of political decision-making to restore their rights.”

Sange Seddiqi, a political activist present at the meeting, told *Afghanistan International* that participants also emphasized the need for immediate attention to the situation of earthquake victims in eastern Afghanistan.

Seddiqi added that political will is essential for accountability and achieving justice in Afghanistan, something that has been lacking so far.