PRESS STATEMENT High-level UN delegation led by the Deputy Secretary-General calls on Afghanistan’s de facto Taliban authorities to reverse course on recent decrees limiting women’s

The delegation met with the leadership of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Islamic Development Bank, groups of Afghan women in Ankara and Islamabad and a group of Ambassadors and Special Envoys to Afghanistan based in Doha. [...] The delegation convened with government leaders from the region and religious leaders to advocate for the crucial role and full participation of women and rally support for the Afghan people. [...] Throughout the visits, countries and partners recognized the critical role of the UN in building bridges to finding lasting solutions, as well as the urgency to deliver lifesaving support and maintain effective engagement, led by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). [...] They asked that efforts be intensified to reflect the urgency of the situation and stressed the importance of a unified response by the international community. [...] The proposal of an international conference on women and girls in the Muslim World during the month of March 2023 was also considered and agreed in principle.