As part of strengthening coordination and communication efforts between organizations working in Afghanistan, the delegation of Ummah scholars visiting Afghanistan met with a number of UN agencies working in Afghanistan on the evening of Thursday 14 Safar 1445, corresponding to August 31, 2023, at the delegation’s residence in the capital, Kabul.

H.E. Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, Secretary General of IIFA, welcomed ladies and gentlmen who oversee the various international humanitarian agencies active in Afghanistan, praising their efforts to bring support to the Afghan people who have suffered for decades from the scourge of war and fighting, noting the importance of coordinating efforts on a number of vitally important issues such as women’s education, women’s rights and minority participation.

His Excellency briefly introduced the delegation and the purpose of the visit, which he described as a continuation of the first visit by the delegation of scholars, noting the paramount importance of intensifying efforts and strengthening cooperation to enable Afghan girls and boys to return to schools and universities, and to ensure the participation of Afghan women in the efforts to build and rebuild their country. His Excellency asked the participants in the meeting to inform the delegation of their views on the developments and changes witnessed recently on the Afghan scene, and to submit any proposals they deemed appropriate to enable the delegation to achieve the objectives of the visit, given their daily contact with the Afghan people.

For his part, Ambassador Takashi Wakada, Japanese Ambassador to Afghanistan, welcomed the delegation and thanked them for their visit, praising the good results achieved during the first visit, and expressed his wish to see the delegation contribute to the development of the school curricula that the ruling authority is considering adopting, so that these curricula are not limited to religious subjects. He expressed his confidence in the delegation’s ability to persuade the governing authority to resolve the above three issues wisely and competently. Next, His Excellency Mr. Daniel Andres, Deputy Special Envoy of the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs in Afghanistan, underlined the concern of all UN agencies to coordinate efforts and integrate measures to provide the support, aid and assistance that some twenty million Afghans need daily in terms of food and medicine, noting the scarcity of resources, in order to avoid the emergence of new humanitarian crises similar to those in Ukraine and other countries in turmoil. He expressed confidence in the delegation’s ability to persuade the governing authority to tackle the outstanding issues raised by the Japanese ambassador as soon as possible. He also pointed out that there had been a marked improvement in the security situation, which had become stable, and that most officials resident in Kabul were clearly open to the education of girls and boys. A small group at government headquarters in Kandahar stands in the way of this openness for primarily religious considerations, but after the delegation’s first visit, the authority began to talk about logistical and customary considerations. He also pointed out that women’s work is developing, since the ruling authority has approved their work in the fields of health, agriculture, commerce and education, and that with the exception of these areas, there is still work to be done due to logistical and customary considerations.

At the end of the meeting, His Excellency expressed his sincere thanks to the agencies and his appreciation for their continued support to the Afghan people, underlining the commitment of the OIC and IIFA to resolving all the problems and issues raised by the agencies in the near future.