Dhaka, Aug. 16 -- The United Nations urged countries Thursday to maintain diplomatic pressure on the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan, saying their ban on girls' education has left millions shut out of classrooms since the group retook power four years ago.

"At a time when some are seeking to normalise relations with the Taliban, I urge the international community to remain more mobilised than ever for the full and unconditional restoration of Afghan women's right to education," said Audrey Azoulay, chief of the UN's cultural and educational agency UNESCO. Around 2.2 million girls are barred from schooling beyond the primary level, according to UNESCO.

"Afghanistan sadly stands out as the only country in the world where secondary and ...