At the 15th Islamic Summit Conference, a resolution was adopted underscoring the commitment to safeguard the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, particularly focusing on their access to education and employment opportunities.

Hosted by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the summit spanned two days and marked the participation of a Taliban delegation for the first time in over two years.

The resolution stressed the “unwavering commitment to the human rights of the Afghan populace,” with a pronounced emphasis on ensuring the protection and promotion of fundamental rights for Afghan women and girls, including their rights to education and employment. It called for enhanced dialogue with Taliban to address these critical issues.

Further, the summit underscored the necessity of intensifying efforts to overcome the myriad challenges facing the country, ranging from ethnic disparities to terrorism, narcotics, and broader social concerns, aiming to foster inclusive governance and ensure lasting stability in Afghanistan.

Delegates from participating Islamic nations reaffirmed their dedication to supporting a vision of Afghanistan that is peaceful, stable, prosperous, and inclusive. They echoed the urgency of confronting the humanitarian, human rights, ethnic, security, and social challenges confronting the Afghan populace.

This collective endorsement of women’s and girls’ rights by the OIC member states emerges amidst the Taliban’s attempts to moderate its stringent policies concerning women, including engaging in international dialogues.

The Taliban’s participation was confirmed early Sunday, with the Taliban Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson leading their delegation at the OIC session. Prior reports from the Taliban-operated Arg noted a discussion between the OIC delegation and the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister on the subject of girls’ and women’s educational rights, although references to this discussion were subsequently retracted from their statement.