57th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council
Item 2: Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on Afghanistan
Oral statement delivered by Sara Nabil
On behalf of Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
9 September 2024
Mr. President,
In the past three years, I, like many other women human rights defenders, victims and survivors from Afghanistan, have come to this Council asking for some hope of justice for the crimes visited upon the people of the country by its illegitimate rulers, the Taliban.
But time and again, we have seen the rest of the world make compromises to appease the Taliban. None of the compromises by the international community has resulted in the Taliban relenting its war on human rights. They become further emboldened.
Accommodating Taliban’s demands to keep women and civil society out of the recent political consultations on the situation in the country was rewarded with a new edict silencing the voices of women and consolidating the system of gender apartheid they have imposed on women and girls in the country, and banning the Special Rapporteur from visiting the country.
Marginalised minorities communities such as Shia Hazaras, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Sikhs and Hindus are in constant fear of persecution.
The Taliban continues to maintain its grip on power through force, violently punishing any form of criticism or any expression that is perceived to be contradictory to the rulings of the regime.
Taliban has shown that any perception of a changed Taliban is nothing more than an illusion.
Yet the world is edging dangerously close to accepting Taliban rule as the new normal, while our demands for accountability remain unheard as our hopes for justice fade.
It is finally time for the Council to heed our calls and establish an independent accountability mechanism for Afghanistan to investigate, collect and preserve evidence of all past and ongoing crimes. If not now, how far does the situation need to deteriorate before the Council deems it necessary to take appropriate action.
Thank you.
