NOVA Staff Member Presents to the United Nations Security Council

Yalda Royan, the Office of DEI’s coordinator for community engagement, addressed the United Nations Security Council on Thursday, June 23, to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, with particular attention paid to the implications on peace and national security. Yalda Royan’s testimony focused on women and human rights in Afghanistan since the Taliban regained power in 2021.

“Afghanistan,” said Ms. Royan at the start of her testimony, “is the worst country in the world for women, and the only country where girls over grade six are not allowed to attend school…Afghan women warned this Council that the Taliban’s promises to respect women’s rights were false. You ignored us, and now we are paying the price for the negligence of the international community, including all those sitting at this table.”

Her testimony also discussed the efforts of UNAMA, the aid effort from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, and it’s multiple, glaring failures to hold the Taliban responsible for its transgressions, including whitewashing executions and allowing the diversion of funds for aid. “In March, this Council took an important step of renewing UNAMA’s mandate, and putting human rights, including women’s rights, at the core of its work,” Royan said. “While UNAMA has failed us in the past, it now has the potential to meaningfully serve the Afghan people going forward.”

Yalda Royan called on the Council to:

• end all exemptions for sanctioned Taliban leaders if there is no progress on women’s rights in 60 days;
• call on UNAMA to prioritize facilitating an inclusive intra-Afghan dialogue as soon as the new special representative to the secretary general (SRSG) of UNAMA has been appointed.

A tireless and courageous advocate for women’s rights, Yalda Royan left Afghanistan after the Taliban took over in August 2021. She also serves as a consultant for VOICE Amplified and is a founding member of the Afghan Women’s Advocacy Group. This was her second appearance before the United Nations Security Council. Visit womenpeacesecurity.org to read her full comments, and you can view the session at UN Web TV.

Submitted by:
Ed Aymar, DEI Communications Coord., EAymar@nvcc.edu