The president of the U.N. Security Council says the U.N.'s most powerful body will not take its focus off Afghanistan this month and ``the real litmus test'' for the new Taliban government will be how it treats women and girls.

Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason of Ireland said Wednesday that the protection and promotion of human rights for women ``must be at the very heart of our collective response to the crisis.''

Under the Taliban's previous rule from 1996 to 2001, women were not allowed to go to school, work outside the home or leave homes without a male escort. Though they faced many challenges in the country's male-dominated society after the Taliban's ouster, Afghan girls were not only educated but over the last 20 years women increasingly stepped into powerful positions in numerous fields including government, business, health and education.

Bryne Nason said: ``My question is, will the Taliban be different, and that's the real question. We haven't seen any evidence of that.''

She said the international community has clout because whatever form of government emerges in Afghanistan needs international support -- and human rights and respect for international law ``are red line issues.''