“We need to make sure that Afghan institutions are truly inclusive, that all ethnic groups are represented and that all sectors of society are represented,” he said, calling this “a basic condition for the consolidation of peace”.
Addressing a high-level briefing on the Counter-Terrorism Early Warning Network for Central Asia on Friday, Chinese Ambassador to the UN Sun Lei said that while the Central Asia region remained broadly stable, it continued to be affected by cross-border terrorism.
“Currently, the Central Asia region remains generally stable, yet is still deeply affected by the spillover effect of terrorist threats,” he said, citing recent attacks in Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan that “deserve our high vigilance”.
On women’s rights, the UN chief expressed concern over restrictions limiting women’s ability to work. “[UN Undersecretary General] Rosemary DiCarlo managed to guarantee the possibility for our female staff to work in the field, but not in our headquarters, and we are very frustrated by that.” He described the Taliban’s failure to meet the expectations of the international community as “unacceptable”.
