Afghanistan Human Rights Center Calls for Inclusive and Human Rights-Centered Agenda regarding the upcoming UN meeting of special representatives and envoys on Afghanistan in Doha, Qatar, 31 June 2024
The Afghanistan Human Rights Center (AHRC), a dedicated human rights NGO, welcomes the United Nations’ initiative to convene a meeting of special representative and envoys on Afghanistan. The AHRC would like to call for compliance of the meeting with the Security Council resolution 2681, which emphasizes the full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation of women and girls in Afghanistan. This meeting, with the expected attendance of the Taliban, raises concerns that might help Taliban to extend their political reach to international community without complying with the international norms, human rights law and UN security council resolutions. The AHRC hopes that this meeting will present an effective roadmap towards addressing peace, human rights, and dignity for Afghan citizens especially women.
The AHRC urges the UN that the following considerations be taken into account:
- Inclusivity and Adherence to Human Rights Norms: The meeting’s agenda and participation must be inclusive and based on UN resolutions, human rights norms and values. It should not facilitate the normalization of the Taliban regime but rather demonstrate a united and strong international stance supporting Afghanistan’s peace, security, democracy, and human rights for all its The International community must demand for an inclusive and democratically elected government, and reject the rationalization of Taliban policies as cultural artifacts and societal norms.
- Explicitly Address Human Rights Violations: The international community must unequivocally condemn the ongoing violations of dignity and human rights, the Taliban’s Gender Apartheid policy, and the persecution of minority groups such as the Hazaras. The International community must demand for an inclusive and broad based government.
- Strategic Restoration of Sovereignty and Rule of Law: Participants should identify a strategy to restore Afghanistan’s sovereignty, constitution, democracy, rule of law, and respect for human rights. This strategy should address the severe restrictions imposed on women and the human rights concerns of the Afghan people.
- Representation of Women, civil society and Persecuted Groups: The majority of participants in the Doha conference should be women, members of civil society, victim groups and persecuted ethnic groups. This representation is crucial to ensure that the voices of those most affected by the Taliban’s policies are heard.
- Humanitarian Assistance and Management: The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is dire, with absolute majority of the population living in poverty and 28 million people in need of assistance. Humanitarian aid should be managed in a way that improves the human rights situation, including the return of women to work and special attention to disenfranchised and persecuted minorities. The Taliban must be pressed to lift the ban on women’s work and education. Any discussion on economic development and cooperation should be conditioned on the restoration of equal rights of women before the law and emphasize a human rights based approach.
- Opposition to Taliban Legitimization: The international community must not use engagement strategies as an excuse to legitimize relations with the Taliban or invite sanctioned individuals to their A united agenda is crucial in effectively confronting the Taliban.
- Recognition of Growing Opposition: The resistance of Afghan people in major cities, rural areas, and the uprising of women against the Taliban should be highlighted as a sign of growing opposition to the regime’s harsh and violent This underlines the need for the broad participation of Afghan women, civil society, human rights defenders, media and persecuted ethnic groups.
The AHRC emphasizes the urgent need for the international community to remain united in their approach to Afghanistan. It is essential to confront the Taliban’s policies that contravene international law and violate Afghanistan’s obligations under international human rights law. The world must stand together to demand respect for international law and the United Nations Charter.