UN General Assembly President calls for an end to ‘soft approach’ toward Taliban

one of the most severe violations of human rights. Speaking today at the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, she opened her remarks focusing on the rights of Afghan women and girls. Baerbock, a former German Minister of Foreign Affairs, has raised her voice regarding the violations of Afghan women’s and girls’ rights during her tenure as well. She cautioned the international community against a soft approach toward the Taliban, pointing out that some of these human rights violations could be classified as gender apartheid. Baerbock stated that the perception of the Taliban in Kabul being more moderate compared to those in Kandahar is misguided. The senior UN official also mentioned ongoing discussions on how to deliver humanitarian aid to those in need in Afghanistan, considering that Afghan women are barred from working, including in UN offices. Nasir Andesha, Afghanistan’s permanent representative at the UN, noted that the 61st session of the Human Rights Council took place with participation from the UN Secretary-General, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, the President of the General Assembly, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. Afghanistan is included in the agenda of the meeting, where two reports, a specialized dialogue, and side meetings will take place on the 26th and 27th of this month.