Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said he brought together all five former presidents of his Central Asian nation in an unprecedented move as a show of unity that was supported by the former leaders, some of whom had been convicted of crimes and were living in exile.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has urged the de facto leadership of that country to "take immediate steps to end violence against women and the broader deterioration of women's rights as a vital part of efforts to establish a meaningful and sustainable peace."
The United Nations' new special representative for Afghanistan Roza Otunbaeva has met with high-ranked officials of the Taliban-led government to discuss a "broad range of issues, including international assistance, drug abuse, and the importance of girls' education," the UN said on October 16.