French Prez Macron wants G20 to pressure Taliban to let girls study in schools, colleges again

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday he wants the Group of 20 major economic powers to set conditions for recognising the Taliban, including ensuring women's and girl's rights. So far under the Taliban, young Afghan girls have been allowed to return to primary school but older girls have been barred from going to high school and most women have not been allowed to return to work.

Macron said on France-Inter radio that global powers should tell the Taliban, “You must absolutely give young girls in your country a future, and that is one of the things that we will look at before recognising you.” He said that allowing all girls back to school is one of his concerns.

Macron also told France-Inter radio that he would raise the issue at the upcoming G20 summit in Rome later this month. Among other conditions for recognition, he said, should be that the Taliban allow continued humanitarian operations, and condemn and refuse to cooperate with “Islamist terrorist groups” in the region.

Macron said it shouldn't be only Western powers setting such conditions, but they should also “convince regional powers, powers that don't necessarily have the same values as we do on all issues, to act together.” At a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last month, G20 powers discussed sending a unified message to the Taliban before granting it global legitimacy.