Roza Otunbayeva, the UN's special representative for Afghanistan, told the Security Council on June 21 that the Taliban's continued restrictions on women made it "nearly impossible" for the international community to recognize it as a legitimate government. In particular, Otunbayeva referred to an April edict banning Afghan women from working with the UN—a follow-up to an earlier ban on them working for local or international NGOs. However, the Islamic Emirate, as the Taliban prefers to be known, continues to push for international recognition, most recently at a meeting of stakeholders in Oslo.

Meanwhile, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid—acting defense minister and son of Taliban founder Mullah Mohammed Omar—gave a first interview to a private broadcaster, TOLO TV. "I hope that in five years, we will have progress in all areas [including] the issue that has been raised by our countrymen now and that friends are asking about, regarding [women's] education," he said. Asked directly whether he realizes how such restrictions are affecting the Islamic Emirate's chances at international recognition, Mujahid skirted the issue.

From The New Humanitarian, June 23

See our last report on the Taliban's anti-woman crackdown.