Hamish Falconer, Britain's Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan, has said that the Taliban's treatment of women and girls is unacceptable and defending their rights is one of London's top priorities.

Falconer said that the UK would continue to hold the Taliban accountable for their actions against women and girls.

The British Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan on Wednesday, January 22, said in a video posted on the social media platform X that the country will not allow Afghan women and girls to be forgotten.

In the video at the UN headquarters in New York, Falconer stressed that he raised the UK's concerns about the "appalling" situation of Afghan women and girls with key representatives, regional partners and the UN.

"Afghanistan is the only country in the world that has banned secondary education for girls," he said. "The UK condemns in the strongest terms the Taliban's decision to ban women's medical education and their renewed efforts to ban women from working in non-governmental organisations."

The British official stressed that his country will continue to work to hold the Taliban accountable for their actions and support a better future for the Afghan people together with its partners.

"The Taliban can never expect support or engagement from the international community unless they change their position," Falconer stressed.