The US on Wednesday appointed an envoy to defend the rights of Afghan women, signalling a key priority as the Taliban ratchet up restrictions.
Rina Amiri, an Afghan-born US scholar and mediation expert who served at the State Department under former president Barack Obama, will take the role of special en-voy for Afghan women, girls and human rights, State Secretary Antony Blinken announced.
Months after the US ended its 20-year war in Afghani-stan, Blinken said that Amiri will address issues of “critical importance to me” and the rest of US President Joe Biden’s administration. “We desire a peaceful, stable and secure Afghanistan, where all Afghans can live and thrive in political, eco-nomic and social inclusivity,” Blinken said in a state-ment.
In a tweet, he added that Amiri brings “over two decades of expertise and specialised knowledge that will advance our vital work toward a more peaceful, stable, and se-cure Afghanistan for all”.
