Ireland faces 'division' in security council over Afghanistan

Ireland assumed its one-month tenure as president of the council, also based in New York, on Wednesday, the day after the formal deadline of the US departure from Afghanistan. File picture: AP /Khwaja Tawfiq Sediqi

The challenges facing Ireland as president of the UN Security Council in navigating stark differences among members towards the Taliban regime in Afghanistan is set out in a new report.

Documents compiled by a New York think-tank Security Council Report points out a divergence between countries, including Ireland, that are pressing human rights obligations on the extremist group and superpowers, like Russia and China, which it said were on more “friendly” terms with the militia.