The Kabul Tribune (KT)— A coalition of Afghan and international human rights organizations is urging U.N. Human Rights Council members to renew the mandate of the special rapporteur on Afghanistan and expand international scrutiny of the country’s treatment of women, girls and marginalized communities.
In a joint appeal ahead of the Human Rights Council’s 63rd
session, the organizations called for continued dedicated reporting on the rights
of women and girls, along with an enhanced interactive dialogue that includes
Afghan women. They also urged the council to request a separate report on
ethnic, religious and linguistically marginalized groups and hold an
interactive dialogue on their situation.
The groups further called for the swift implementation of an
Independent Investigative Mechanism for Afghanistan, established by Human
Rights Council Resolution 60/2 in October 2025.
The appeal comes five years after the Taliban returned to
power, with the organizations saying Afghanistan’s human rights situation has
continued to deteriorate. They cited restrictions on women and girls, arbitrary
detention, enforced disappearances, torture and other ill-treatment, executions
and corporal punishment, as well as discrimination and violence against
minority communities.
The groups said the Taliban’s system of decrees and laws has
increasingly formalized restrictions on fundamental rights and freedoms.
They pointed to several developments in 2026, including a
new criminal procedure code, a law governing preachers and changes affecting
judicial separation of spouses. The organizations said the measures raise
concerns about due process, equality before the law, religious freedom and
protections for women and girls.
The organizations also highlighted what they described as
continuing discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities, including
Hazaras and Ismaili Shi'a, as well as other marginalized groups.
The humanitarian and economic crisis has also worsened, the
groups said, while large numbers of Afghans have returned or been deported from
neighboring countries and elsewhere. They urged governments to ensure that
people facing a risk of persecution or serious human rights violations are not
returned without adequate protection safeguards.
Women and girls remain a central concern in the appeal.
Girls remain barred from secondary schools and universities
under Taliban policies, while women face restrictions on employment, movement,
public participation and access to various public spaces. The organizations
cited recent measures they say further restrict women's legal rights and
protections against forced and abusive marriages.
The U.N. special rapporteur on Afghanistan and other U.N.
experts have described the treatment of women and girls as gender persecution.
The special rapporteur has also used the term "gender apartheid" to
characterize the system of discrimination.
The organizations said maintaining dedicated reporting and
an enhanced interactive dialogue on women and girls is important to ensure
Afghan women, including women human rights defenders and women inside
Afghanistan, can participate directly in international discussions about their
rights and the country's future.
During the special rapporteur's interactive dialogue at the
Human Rights Council on Sept. 7 and 8, governments expressed concern about
Afghanistan's human rights situation, according to the appeal. The
organizations said many delegations asked what further measures could be taken
in response.
The coalition said continued U.N. scrutiny is particularly
important as diplomatic and economic engagement with the Taliban increases and
governments negotiate issues including the return of Afghan nationals.
The groups also urged the council to reaffirm its commitment
to accountability for alleged human rights violations and violations of
international humanitarian law.
In October 2025, the Human Rights Council adopted Resolution
60/2 by consensus, establishing the Independent Investigative Mechanism for
Afghanistan. The resolution said accountability for gross human rights
violations and serious violations of international humanitarian law was an
essential element of long-term peace, development and reconciliation in
Afghanistan.
The organizations are calling for the mechanism to be fully
operationalized without further delay and given adequate and sustained funding.
They also urged the mechanism to incorporate gender and
children's rights perspectives and use an intersectional, victim- and
survivor-centered approach. The groups said victims, survivors, their
representatives and Afghan and international civil society should be able to
engage safely and meaningfully with the mechanism.
The coalition wants the Human Rights Council to request an
update on the mechanism's operationalization at the council's 64th session,
including an enhanced interactive dialogue involving the special rapporteur and
the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The appeal also calls for continued support for the
International Criminal Court and for the special rapporteur to have sufficient
resources to investigate developments, engage on individual cases and undertake
country visits or obtain equivalent access.
The organizations said the special rapporteur's
documentation and analysis can contribute to international accountability
efforts, including proceedings involving Afghanistan before international
courts.
The appeal was backed by dozens of Afghan civil society and
women's rights organizations, as well as international groups including the
World Organisation Against Torture, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and
Development, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.
The organizations said they remain ready to provide
additional information to governments as delegations consider the resolution
during the Human Rights Council session.
