The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) which is now under the Presidency of India, will meet on Friday (August 6) to discuss the security situation in Afghanistan as the Taliban continues to commit human rights violations.

On Thursday (August 5), Afghanistan Foreign Minister Mohammed Haneef Atmar spoke with India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to discuss convening an emergency UN Security Council Session.

“UN #SecurityCouncil will meet on Friday, 6th August, under Indian Presidency to discuss and take stock of the situation in #Afghanistan,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN and Security Council President for the month of August, Ambassador TS Tirumurti, said in a tweet.

In a tweet, Afghan Foreign Minister Atmar stated emphatically that the UN and the international community must play a stronger role in stopping Taliban brutality and atrocities that threaten to plunge Afghanistan into turmoil, saying, “Appreciate the lead role of the current UNSC President.”

Following the withdrawal of US and NATO soldiers from Afghanistan, fighting between the Taliban and government forces has intensified, with the Taliban now controlling huge swaths of land and have started to enforce Sharia law.

In response to a question about the situation in Afghanistan and what the UN Security Council can do to prevent further escalation, Ambassador Tirumurti told reporters at the UN Headquarters that he expects “probably the Security Council will be looking at this aspect sooner rather than later” on Afghanistan.

It’s also worth noting that India’s election as Security Council President for the month of August is particularly advantageous for the Afghan government because it underlined the urgency of the current situation in Afghanistan within the first week of its presidency. Aghanistan is a matter of deep concern for all members of the Security Council, according to Ambassador Tirumurti, and “we have observed that the violence is only rising in recent days.”

India’s stated position was very clear and Tirumurti said, “we want to see an independent, peaceful, democratic and a stable Afghanistan. India has supported every opportunity that can bring peace, security and stability in Afghanistan.”

“We are convinced that…we should address the question of violence and the targeted attacks and these are very serious concerns and all violence must come to an end. Ties with international terrorism should also be cut. We cannot have terrorist camps once again moving back into Afghanistan. And this will have a direct impact on India,” Tirumurti had said.

He also emphasised the importance of safeguarding the advances made over the last nearly two decades, as well as respecting the aspirations of Afghan women, youth, and minorities.

On Tuesday, the Security Council condemned the “deplorable” attack on the UN compound in Herat, Afghanistan, and expressed “deep concern” about the high levels of violence in the war-torn country following the Taliban’s military offensive, making it clear that the Council will “not support the restoration of the Islamic Emirate.”

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