UN Resolution for Afghanistan & India's Position
On 7 July 2025, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution (A/79/L.100) reaffirming global support for the people of Afghanistan amid crisis, humanitarian fatigue, and diplomatic fragmentation.
The vote: 116 in favour; 2 against (U.S. and Israel); 12 abstentions.
The resolution does matter: It condemns the Taliban’s “institutionalized system of gender discrimination.” It calls for international accountability mechanisms like the ICC. It urges recognition of gender apartheid as a crime under international law.
Some nations are calling for pragmatic engagement. Others demand a harder line. And then there's the Afghan woman, still locked in her home, while the world debates whether to talk or walk away.
My questions to the international community: Is this resolution a turning point, or just a placeholder? Can you genuinely support Afghan women without confronting the Taliban regime directly? How long will "constructive dialogue" be an excuse for constructive silence?
As an Indian and as a human being who believes in the right of every girl to learn, grow, and lead, I find this deeply disappointing. Let’s be clear: The resolution condemned the Taliban’s institutionalized gender apartheid, called for inclusive governance, and urged holding Afghanistan accountable for its human rights violations. It was a vote not for or against a regime, but in solidarity with the Afghan people, especially its women and girls, who have been stripped of dignity, mobility, and education.
India’s explanation: “No new policy instruments have been introduced. A business-as-usual approach won't work.” Fair. But let’s ask honestly: when has abstaining ever driven real change?
We’ve invested billions in Afghan roads, dams, schools. We’ve supported humanitarian aid, medical missions, civil society. We’ve welcomed Afghan students and professionals. So why now, when Afghan women are literally erased from public life, are we going silent? We’re not just any country. We’re a regional power, a democracy, and a nation that knows the value of education, especially for girls. From Savitribai Phule to every girl studying under a streetlight today: education is not a luxury. It’s freedom. As an Indian, I ask: When the only country banning girls from school is our neighbour, how can we abstain from even symbolic support? If we don’t speak for Afghan women, who will? Does “strategic ambiguity” mean leaving human rights in the grey zone? India’s abstention was a missed opportunity. But it doesn’t have to be the end of the story. Let’s push for clarity. Let’s demand courage. Let’s be the democracy we’re meant to be.
To Afghan women and girls: We have not forgotten you, we see you, we honour your struggle, and will never stop raising our voices for you.
But is remembering enough?
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Read the text titled “The situation in Afghanistan” (document A/79/L.100).