KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, is scheduled to visit Canada to discuss the ongoing human rights crisis in Afghanistan with various stakeholders.
In a statement on Friday, October 18, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights announced that the visit is scheduled for October 20 to 26, 2024.
According to the statement, during his visit to Ottawa and Toronto, Mr. Bennett will engage in discussions with Canadian officials and groups of Afghans living in the country, including refugees resettled there after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
“He will meet Afghan human rights defenders, including women human rights defenders, journalists, experts, and organizations supporting those who have fled Afghanistan, as well as Canadian civil society organizations,” the UN said.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mr. Bennett stated that during his visit to Canada, he will meet with a range of stakeholders to discuss rights abuses in Afghanistan and ways Canada can continue to advocate for the human rights of the Afghan people.
The visit comes a week after the UN extended Mr. Bennett’s mandate for another year, requesting him to prepare and present reports on the human rights situation in Afghanistan at upcoming UN sessions.
Mr. Bennett was appointed to the role in April 2022 amid the worsening human rights situation in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Since his appointment, he has openly criticized the Taliban for its policies, particularly those impacting women and girls, saying that they amount to crimes against humanity and gender apartheid.
The Taliban, however, has recently barred Mr. Bennett from visiting Afghanistan, accusing him of providing “inaccurate and misleading” information about the human rights situation in the country to the UN and the international community.
The human rights situation in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan has continued to deteriorate over the past three years, with widespread violations committed by the regime, particularly against women and ethnic minorities.
The UN, rights groups, and activists all say that the Taliban’s repressive measures against Afghans, particularly women, are unparalleled in today’s world, amounting to systematic gender persecution and jeopardizing the country’s future.
