US: Any Move to Recognize the Taliban Must Be Avoided

Shea made these remarks on Wednesday (September 18) during the Security Council meeting on Afghanistan, adding that with each new decree issued, the Taliban further distance themselves from the people of Afghanistan and the international community.

Referring to the Taliban's newly enacted "Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice" law, she emphasized that this law challenges the global community's engagement with the Taliban.

The U.S. diplomat described the Taliban's new restrictions as "gender oppression" and stressed that the U.S. continues to engage with various Afghan groups, including the Taliban, to address the needs of the Afghan people.

However, she noted: "Frankly, the worsening human rights situation in Afghanistan raises many questions about the effectiveness of such engagement with the Taliban."

Shea also urged the UN not to overlook Resolution 2721, which calls for the appointment of a special representative for Afghanistan to address human rights violations by the Taliban.

These remarks were made during the Security Council meeting, which focused on the situation in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Earlier, UNAMA chief Rosa Otunbayeva had said that the enactment of the Taliban's "Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice" law jeopardized efforts for renewed international engagement with the group.