Twelve countries and the European Union demand in a joint declaration to abolish the Taliban ban on women in NGOs

Dec. 29 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The foreign ministers of twelve Western countries and the European Union have issued a joint statement on Thursday to urge the Taliban to revoke the decision to ban the presence of Afghan women in non-governmental organizations and international organizations.

The highest diplomatic positions that have signed the declaration correspond to the governments of Germany, Australia, Canada, Denmark, the United States, France, Italy, Japan, Norway, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the Netherlands, as well as the High Representative of the European Union , Josep Borell.

The leaders are “gravely concerned by the reckless and dangerous order of the Taliban” and call for its immediate revocation, as “it endangers the survival of millions of Afghans who depend on humanitarian aid,” according to the joint statement.

“Women are absolutely critical to basic needs and humanitarian operations. Unless they are involved in delivering aid in Afghanistan, NGOs will not be able to reach the most vulnerable people in the country,” they said in the statement.

In the same way, this decision also directly affects international organizations, since they use the work of NGOs to deliver basic materials and services to the most needy areas.

“The Taliban continue to demonstrate their contempt for the rights, freedoms and well-being of the Afghan people, especially women and girls,” added the leaders, while affirming their collaboration with the United Nations to address the situation.

The Ministry of Economy of the Taliban authority in Afghanistan issued a decree on Saturday ordering all NGOs, whether national or international, to suspend the employment contracts of women until further notice.

In the decree, collected by TOLO News, the Economy portfolio also warned that any organization that does not comply with this guideline will be able to see their license to operate in the country suspended.