The Taliban's overthrow of a democratically-elected government in Afghanistan has spillover effects in the region and the UN Security Council would like to hear from the people in the region, according to Ireland's Permanent Representative Geraldine Byrne Nason, who heads the Security Council this month. Nason said that the international litmus test for the Taliban regime will be how it upholds human rights - particularly of women and girls - and stands by the assurances it has given.

“A democratically elected government (has been) overthrown by the Taliban and we're waiting to see what the outcome of that is,” Nason told reporters on Wednesday. She said the development “is clearly one that has destabilised the country and indeed has spillover effects in the region. That's why I underlined that we want people to hear from countries in the region.”

She said that the Council sent a very strong message on terrorism on Monday in its resolution on Afghanistan, she said.

The resolution adopted under the presidency of India's Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla demanded that Afghanistan not provide support or safe haven for terrorists.

Nason took over the leadership of the Security Council from India's Permanent Representative T. S. Tirumurti on Wednesday under the system of the presidency rotating alphabetically every month.

“We will judge the Taliban by their actions, not by their words. I say that absolutely specifically in relation to the vague assurances that we've had around the treatment of women and girls,” she said.

The international community has leverage with the Taliban because it will need the support of the international, she said. “The partnership will have to be earned.”

The recognition of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan would hinge on a robust commitment to human rights and “particularly that means the full, equal and meaningful participation of women is respected,” she said.

Earlier, Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN's humanitarian coordinator, warned that Afghanistan was facing a serious shortage of food and about a third of its population is facing a crisis. He said that international assistance was needed to stave off a crisis.