Richard Lindsay, the UK’s special envoy for Afghanistan, has called on the Taliban to rescind a recently issued regulation that has drawn criticism from the United Nations and rights advocates over concerns that it could facilitate child marriages.
In a statement posted on social media, Lindsay said he shared concerns raised by senior UN officials and others regarding what the Taliban call “Decree No. 18.”
“This is yet another oppressive measure that must be rescinded,” Lindsay wrote. “The women and girls of Afghanistan deserve equality in all areas of life.”
His remarks came days after British lawmaker Hamish Falconer, a minister in the UK Foreign Office, said he was “appalled” by reports that new Taliban laws could permit child marriages in Afghanistan.
The criticism follows a statement issued by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), which expressed “grave concern” over the promulgation of Decree No. 18 by the Taliban.
UNAMA said the regulation raises serious concerns about the rights of women and girls and called on Taliban to ensure that domestic laws and policies comply with Afghanistan’s international human rights obligations.
Taliban have defended the decree as being issued based on the Sharia law.
Over the past four years, Taliban have barred girls from secondary schools and universities, restricted women’s employment in many sectors, limited their freedom of movement, and imposed a series of regulations affecting public life. UN officials and human rights organizations have described the measures as one of the world’s most severe systems of gender-based discrimination.
