Statement by H.E. Sanita Pavļuta-Deslandes, Permanent Representative of Latvia to the United Nations at the UN Security Council Quarterly Briefing on UNAMA
New York, 9 March 2026
Thank you, Madam President,
I would like to extend my utmost appreciation to Ms Georgette Gagnon, the Deputy SRSG for Afghanistan, and the staff of UNAMA for their valuable work, especially as the conditions in which the Mission operates become increasingly difficult.
Madam President, I would like to raise three points.
First, over four years the Taliban have only tightened their grip further, becoming more oppressive and showing no progress, not even on the commitments they previously said they would pursue.
The situation of women’s and girls’ rights in Afghanistan is unprecedented in its severity and is utterly unacceptable. Nowhere else in the world do we see such widespread, systematic restrictions imposed on half of a country’s population. What Afghan women face today is not a series of isolated restrictions. Since 2021, at least 118 discriminatory edicts against women and girls have been issued. It is a system of control that has become institutionalized and reaches into every area of life - education, work, movement, healthcare, public space, and even the right to speak or be seen. How can we even imagine that banning women from public space, education and healthcare would somehow let Afghanistan become a peaceful and prosperous country? There is no chance it can happen.
The Taliban are now building a legal framework that erases women’s safety and dignity. Let me illustrate this. Under the newly introduced decree on the “Criminal Rules of Courts”, even severe violence against a wife is treated as a minor offense. Article 32 of the decree makes this painfully clear.
It states, and I quote:
“If a husband beats his wife so severely that it results in a broken bone, or an open wound, or a black and blue wound appears on her body, and the wife appeals to a judge, then the husband will be considered an offender. A judge should sentence him to 15 days’ imprisonment.”. End of quote.
This tells every Afghan woman that her suffering is worth only fifteen days of punishment - and only if she can show visible wounds while being forced to cover her body, and only if she can reach a judge while being accompanied by a male guardian who may well be her tormentor. And it tells every perpetrator that violence carries almost no cost.
It is hard to imagine a starker illustration of the complete absence of access to justice, especially today, as the Commission on the Status of Women opens its 70th session with a focus on this very issue, and as we underscore the urgency of “Rights. Justice. Action.” on the International Women’s Day.
At the same time, Afghanistan is faced with one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, with more than 21 million Afghans requiring humanitarian aid. Ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access must remain a priority.
Yet even as these needs grow, the Taliban’s ban on Afghan female staff accessing UN premises is still in place and enforced since 7 September 2025 despite the very explicit condemnation of this decision by the international community. That is a clear violation of the UN Charter and a direct obstacle to aid delivery, as Afghan women’s work is indispensable to reaching women and girls.
We demand the Taliban to reverse all of these heinous policies immediately.
Secondly, Latvia supports the UN-led Doha process and the facilitation of a united approach to address the situation in Afghanistan. The process should include non-Taliban Afghans, the full, equal and meaningful participation of women, as well as civil society, allowing them to take part in setting the agenda, as it is the future of their country at stake. In that regard, a timely appointment of a new SRSG for Afghanistan to lead on the political process is crucial. And so is the renewal of a strong mandate of UNAMA, which Latvia fully supports.
Third, not only have the Taliban failed to make any progress on human rights, but we also continue to witness further backsliding in other areas.
A wide range of terrorist groups operate in and from Afghanistan, with varying degrees of autonomy and oversight from the Taliban. This situation poses a clear threat to regional peace and security. The burden is entirely on the Taliban to take concrete and meaningful steps to reverse this trajectory. The Afghan territory must not be used to threaten or attack its neighbours.
In light of the ongoing hostilities on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, we join the call for restraint. The protection of civilians should remain an absolute priority and all feasible precautions must be taken to prevent further civilian harm.
Madam President,
The world shall not look the other way as the Taliban continue to erase half of Afghanistan’s population and, frankly, they are getting away with it. We call on the international community to remain vigilant and to stand in steadfast support of the people of Afghanistan, especially women and girls. Latvia will.
I thank you.