In a powerful joint statement, a coalition of women’s rights activists, civil society organisations, and protest movements has accused the Taliban of exploiting the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan’s (UNAMA) “Comprehensive Approach” to consolidate their brutal rule and silence the Afghan people.
Signed by 54 organisations and protest groups, the statement denounces UNAMA’s decision to elevate the Taliban — a group responsible for widespread human rights violations, the systematic oppression of women, and the destruction of democratic institutions — as a “primary stakeholder.” The activists warned that legitimising a regime rooted in violence and discrimination fundamentally undermines the United Nations’ humanitarian principles.
The coalition condemned the Comprehensive Approach as a dangerous framework that grants the Taliban political rewards in exchange for empty promises. They criticised the exclusion of Afghan women, civil society actors, and victims of Taliban brutality from the process, calling it an affront to the very people the UN is mandated to protect.
“The Taliban’s crimes are not up for negotiation, and human rights must never be reduced to bargaining tools,” the statement declared, adding that the Taliban have consistently used humanitarian engagement as a cover to tighten their grip on power.
The activists called for the immediate suspension of the initiative, a complete overhaul of its framework, and the direct inclusion of authentic Afghan representatives in all decision-making processes. They reaffirmed that the Taliban must remain unrecognised as a legitimate political entity and urged UNAMA to return to its core mission: defending the rights, dignity, and aspirations of the Afghan people against tyranny and oppression.
