AHRC Background

In today’s tragic political, economic, and human rights situation impacting Afghanistan unlike no other situation in the world, the Afghanistan Human Rights Center pursue the mandate of promoting and protecting human rights in Afghanistan and stands as a vital institution committed to addressing the critical human rights issues facing the nation. Established by the Afghanistan’s dedicated human rights advocates who were forced to live in exile and in response to the tumultuous events following the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul on August 15, 2021, the Center represents a window of hope in the contemporaneous darkness of the Taliban ruling and violence. Operating from the United States, it brings together dedicated Afghans human rights activists, lawyers and defenders and global allies, all driven by a shared mission to advocate for freedoms, democracy and the protection and promotion of human rights.

The country context in which the Center operates is accompanied by and filled with complexities. The abrupt shift in power dynamics in 2021 led to the erosion of two decades’ worth of progress in human rights, governance, and social development. Amidst this backdrop, the Afghanistan Human Rights Center emerges not only as a monitor of human rights but as an active participant in the struggle against the regression of rights, particularly the rights of women, minorities, and civil society and political activists, while also addressing issues like civil and political, child rights, enforced disappearances. Tortures and extrajudicial killings.

The Afghanistan Human Rights Center was founded in 2023, two years after the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul, a tragic event that drastically altered the human rights landscape in Afghanistan. This initiative was driven by a coalition of renowned human rights leaders from Afghanistan, notably including former chair executive director and key member and   personnel from the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC). These individuals, with their profound experience and expertise in human rights advocacy, sought to create a platform that could continue and expand upon the critical work they had undertaken in their previous roles.

The founding principles of the Center are deeply rooted in the desire to respond to the deteriorating human rights situation in Afghanistan post-2021. Key motivations include:

• Continuing to build on the achievements were made for two decades: Building on the human rights achievements were made in Afghanistan, especially in monitoring human rights situation, advocating for justice, and promoting democratic values.
• Monitoring, investigating, documenting, and reporting about human rights violations: Tackling the emerging challenges and human rights violations following the change in government, particularly focusing on the rights of women, minorities, children and civil and political and social, economic and cultural rights.
• Global Advocacy: Establishing a global voice for Afghanistan human rights issues, leveraging the experience and networks of its founders to influence international policy and support.

As a newly established organization in 2023, the Afghanistan Human Rights Center is in the nascent stages of its development. However, it has already marked several significant milestones:

• Establishment by Esteemed Leaders: The formation of the Center by well-known former leaders of the AIHRC, bringing credibility and a wealth of experience to the initiative.
• Initiation of Key Programs: Launching essential programs focused on monitoring human rights, advocating for promotion and protection of human rights and protection of minorities and marginalized groups, and documenting abuses under the new regime.
• Strategic Partnerships: Building strategic alliances with international human rights bodies and organizations, leveraging the founders’ extensive networks.
• Advocacy and Awareness Campaigns: Commencing advocacy and awareness campaigns to highlight the critical human rights situation in Afghanistan post-Taliban takeover.
• Foundational Research and Reporting: Initiating foundational research and reporting activities to document human rights violations and provide a basis for future advocacy and policy interventions.

The Center, energized by the expertise and dedication of its founding members, is poised to make continues efforts to promote and protect human rights, and conduct advocacy, both within Afghanistan and on the international stage, as it continues to grow and develop.