Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi has discussed with various representatives in New York, the United States, support for women’s education in Afghanistan as well as Indonesia’s candidacy for membership in the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2024-2026 period.

One of the representatives met by the minister on Thursday was the United States Special Envoy for Afghan women, girls and human rights Rina Amiri. 

The two officials discussed the follow-ups to the International Conference on Afghan Women’s Education (ICAEW), according to the ministry’s press release.

The conference was hosted by Indonesia in Bali in December, which produced political commitment and concrete support for the education and empowerment of Afghan women.

Retno said that it was important to consider alternative educational methods for Afghan women, such as online education or women empowerment through informal education, while holding dialogues among religious leaders from Muslim countries and Afghanistan.

The minister also met with the permanent representatives of nations at the UN that are influential in the issue of Afghanistan, such as Security Council permanent members like the US, the United Kingdom, Russia and China, Muslim countries such as Pakistan and Turkey, as well as donor countries such as Germany and Switzerland.

In addition to discussion about humanitarian aids and support for women’s education in Afghanistan, Minister Retno also shared about Indonesia's priority in its 2023 ASEAN chairmanship, including on the latest developments in Myanmar and the Asia-Pacific region.

Retno also met with the deputy executive director of UNICEF to make sure that international society would still provide vital humanitarian aid for the people of Afghanistan.

The minister also met with permanent representatives of Botswana, Burundi and Rwanda at the UN to discuss Indonesia’s candidacy at the UN Human Rights Council for 2024-2026, highlighting bilateral closeness of Indonesia with each country and Indonesia’s track record on human rights issues.

Retno hoped for the support from all of those countries in the voting for UN Human Rights Council membership at the UN General Assembly in October this year.

The Taliban in Afghanistan increasingly put restraints on women, stopping women and girls from attending school and university and most recently banning most female aid workers in the country.

The UN deputy secretary-general Amina Mohammed met with Afghanistan acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul on Wednesday to discuss women’s rights in Afghanistan.

Deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq said that the deputy secretary-general also met with UN staff, aid groups and Afghan women "to take stock of the situation, convey solidarity and discuss ways to promote and protect women's and girls’ rights," Reuters reported.

Some international aid organizations such as the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Save the Children and CARE had resumed operation in some programs primarily in health and nutrition.

"Last week, the Ministry of Public Health offered assurances that female health staff, and those working in office support roles, can resume working. Based on this clarity, IRC has restarted health and nutrition services through our static and mobile health teams in four provinces," Nancy Dent, a spokesperson for IRC, said, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

Save the Children said that a small number of its health, nutrition and some education programs had been restarted after it had received guidance from local authorities that female workers could safely operate but were still limited.

"The activities we're working to restart will provide vital assistance, but these activities are only the tip of the iceberg of what's required," said Save the Children spokesperson Samantha Halyk.

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