“Human rights in Afghanistan are in a state of collapse,” he informed the Human Rights Council, earlier than sounding the alarm over ongoing stories of extrajudicial killings, torture and ill-treatment and arbitrary arrests and detentions, in addition to critical violations towards former Authorities officers, as documented in a brand new human rights workplace (OHCHR) report.
“Compounding all of it is a deeply troubling lack of accountability for perpetrators of human rights violations,” he mentioned.
Ladies cancelled out
Highlighting the “devastating precedent” set by Afghanistan as the one nation on the planet the place girls and women are denied entry to secondary and better training. Mr. Türk underscored the “lengthy checklist of misogynistic restrictions” confining the nation’s girls “to the 4 partitions of their properties”, earlier than asking: “What can probably come subsequent?”
The Excessive Commissioner insisted that any prospect of a steady, affluent Afghanistan rests on the participation of women and men.
“Denying girls and women’ rights to take part in every day and public life not solely denies them their human rights, it denies Afghanistan the good thing about the contributions they’ve to supply,” he mentioned.
Structure on maintain
Mr. Türk mentioned that the suspension of the Afghan structure and of legal guidelines defending girls from violence or guaranteeing media freedom, in addition to the dissolution of the nation’s Impartial Human Rights Fee, had been parts of the “systematic erosion of the establishments that when offered some safety for human rights”.
The Excessive Commissioner known as on the de facto authorities to “change course” and produce Afghanistan again to the worldwide fold with full respect for its worldwide human rights obligations.
He insisted that the UN Help Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) will proceed to observe and report on the scenario, in addition to “elevate particular person instances and urge compliance with worldwide legislation by the de facto authorities” to the best extent attainable.
Mr. Türk paid tribute to the work of his human rights colleagues on the bottom, particularly Afghan feminine workers.
He additionally exhorted the worldwide neighborhood to not “flip its again on Afghanistan” at a time when rights had been being eroded and two-thirds of the inhabitants had been in want of support, whereas humanitarian operations had been hindered by the ban on girls working for the UN and NGOs.
‘Feeling betrayed’
Mr. Türk’s feedback got here a day after the Particular Rapporteur on Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, delivered a sombre replace to the Council.
Many Afghans dwelling overseas “say they really feel ‘betrayed’ by the worldwide neighborhood”, the Particular Rapporteur defined. They’re calling for concrete motion and a few have even began a starvation strike “calling for recognition of gender apartheid”.
In June, Mr. Bennett had mentioned that since systematic and institutionalised discrimination towards girls and women was on the coronary heart of Taliban ideology and rule, Afghanistan’s de facto authorities “could also be accountable for gender apartheid” which, though “not but an express worldwide crime”, required “additional research”.
Repression of minorities
Mr. Bennett additionally briefed the Council on Monday on the “collapse of civic area” and “absence of rule of legislation” because the Taliban takeover, the long-term impacts on kids’s improvement and psychological well being, and the repression and lack of illustration of minorities comparable to Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks and Turkmen.
“I’m involved concerning the impact [that the] sturdy sense of discrimination and exclusion held by giant elements of the inhabitants might have on the steadiness of Afghanistan,” he mentioned.
Particular Rapporteurs are usually not UN workers and are unbiased from any authorities or organisation. They serve of their particular person capability and obtain no wage for his or her work.
