Speaking at the UN Security Council on 9 March 2026 in New York, the United Kingdom condemned the intensification of Taliban repression and the continued exclusion of Afghan women and girls from public life. Delivering the statement, The Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern highlighted the ban preventing Afghan women from entering UN premises and aligned the UK’s position with the opening of the Commission on the Status of Women, stressing women’s full, equal and meaningful participation. The intervention also referenced remarks by Afghan student Sunbul Reha at the CSW opening session. (gov.uk)
UN entities have reported that, since September 2025, Afghan women national staff and contractors have been blocked from entering UN compounds and operational sites, a measure UNAMA warned is disrupting life‑saving operations, including earthquake response and services for large‑scale returnees from Iran and Pakistan. (ungeneva.org)
The UK also flagged the Taliban’s new criminal procedures directive. Independent legal analyses find that the “Criminal Procedure Regulation of the Courts” authorises corporal punishment, allows property destruction as a penalty, weakens fair‑trial guarantees, and recognises domestic violence only where a woman presents visible injuries or broken bones. The same assessments highlight discriminatory treatment by social rank and the targeting of religious minorities through the exclusive privileging of Hanafi jurisprudence. (amnesty.org)
On regional security, the UK called for immediate de‑escalation following months of armed exchanges between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Border closures and clashes in October 2025 were followed by cross‑border strikes in February 2026, with Pakistan’s defence minister describing the situation as “open war”. Aid agencies caution that insecurity on frontier routes is again jeopardising access. (washingtonpost.com)
London said it was “deeply dismayed” by what it described as the Taliban’s refusal to allow essential health and nutrition consignments over the border into Afghanistan, warning of immediate operational impacts. UN briefings in February reported border blockages that impeded pharmaceutical imports, and contemporaneous reporting indicated a Taliban ban on medicine imports from Pakistan amid the dispute. (gov.uk)
Humanitarian need remains acute. UNICEF projects that 21.9 million people, including 11.6 million children, will require assistance in 2026; recent Security Council briefings referred to nearly 22 million Afghans in need as donor funding tightens. The World Food Programme has warned that without fresh resources its emergency operations could run out of funding by April 2026. (unicef.org)
The UK described itself as a longstanding major donor and said it will provide over $200 million this financial year for life‑saving and basic services with a focus on women and girls. For context, ministers told Parliament in October 2025 that £151 million had been allocated for Afghanistan in 2024/25. (gov.uk)
The statement linked progress to meaningful Taliban engagement with UN processes, pointing to UN Security Council Resolution 2721 (29 December 2023) as the pathway toward an Afghanistan at peace with itself and its neighbours, reintegrated internationally and meeting its obligations. Resolution 2721 requested the Secretary‑General to appoint a Special Envoy with strong human‑rights and gender expertise and encouraged consideration of the 2023 independent assessment’s recommendations; Taliban authorities publicly objected to such an appointment, and UN reporting noted that no envoy had been named as of late 2025. (press.un.org)
The legal baseline for humanitarian operations is set by Resolution 2615 (2021), which created a humanitarian exemption under the 1988 sanctions regime and called for full, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian actors regardless of gender. Continued restrictions on female staff or cross‑border consignments therefore run counter to the Council’s stated intent and risk slowing critical services such as immunisation and treatment for acute malnutrition. (press.un.org)
Analysis: For officials and implementers, three priorities follow. First, secure a practical border regime that permits immediate passage of medical and nutrition consignments while political talks continue. Second, use Resolution 2721’s track to restore structured engagement that includes Afghan women and civil society. Third, plan for constrained funding by prioritising high‑mortality interventions and systematically documenting access denials for Security Council reporting.