STORY: UN General Assembly president urges Afghan authorities to allow girls back to school
DATELINE: Sept. 29, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:33
LOCATION: UN Headquarters
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the press briefing room
2. SOUNDBITE (English): DENNIS FRANCIS, President of 78th session of UN General Assembly
3. various of the press briefing room

STORYLINE:

UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis on Thursday urged the Afghan authorities to reconsider their decision to prohibit women from receiving proper education.

SOUNDBITE (English): DENNIS FRANCIS, President of 78th session of UN General Assembly
"Women and girls have inalienable rights -- human rights that must be upheld and honored. So I would urge the Afghan authorities to reconsider the policy and allow girls to go to school, to get an education, so that they can play a role in the development of their communities and society. They can add value to making Afghanistan a strong, cohesive state, which I'm sure they want to become, and not create this sense of hopelessness by keeping girls out of school. It is not a behavior that is going to strengthen the country. If anything, it is likely to weaken the country. So I entreat them to reconsider this policy, sooner rather than later. It is the only country in the world, I believe now, where this is happening, that girls are not allowed in education. It's inconceivable, really, that this should be the case. It is an anachronism. It is a global anachronism. And anachronisms need to be fixed."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from UN Headquarters.
(XHTV)