WASHINGTON: Former US Deputy Secretary of State Uzra Zeya has urged the United States to honour its commitments to Afghan allies, ease restrictive refugee and resettlement policies, restore humanitarian assistance and ensure Afghan women have a meaningful role in shaping Washington’s policy towards Afghanistan.
Speaking at a National Endowment for Democracy event focused on Afghanistan in Washington, Zeya described the situation in the country as one of the world’s most severe human rights crises.
She pointed to reports of extrajudicial killings, torture and the use of children in conflict, while warning that Afghan women have been systematically pushed out of education, employment, public life and wider society.
Despite increasing restrictions and pressure, Afghan women continue to campaign for their rights and seek opportunities to participate in social and public life, she said.
Zeya stressed that the international community, particularly the United States, should support the efforts of Afghan women as well as journalists, judges and human rights defenders working under increasingly difficult circumstances.
She also called for sustained US support for Afghan civil society, arguing that preserving civic space and supporting local actors remain essential to addressing the country’s worsening human rights situation.
A key part of her remarks focused on the need to include Afghan women in US policymaking on Afghanistan. Zeya said the experience of the Doha agreement demonstrated the risks of excluding women from peace negotiations, arguing that their absence can undermine the prospects for a durable and inclusive peace process.
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The former US official also criticised pressure from the US government against the International Criminal Court (ICC), which she described as the only available avenue for seeking accountability for abuses by Taliban leaders.
She backed efforts to pursue allegations of “gender apartheid” in Afghanistan, highlighting the importance of international accountability mechanisms amid continuing restrictions on women and girls.
Zeya’s remarks come as Afghanistan continues to face severe humanitarian and human rights challenges under Taliban rule, with restrictions on women’s education, employment and participation in public life remaining a major concern for the international community.
She called on Washington to reassess its approach to Afghan refugees and resettlement, maintain humanitarian assistance and ensure that Afghan allies and civil society actors are not left behind.
