Geneva– Afghan women’s advocates, joined by UN experts and international rights bodies, urged the Human Rights Council today to establish an independent investigative or accountability mechanism for Afghanistan, warning that without such a tool the Taliban’s escalating abuses will continue unchecked.
At the Council’s 60th session in Geneva, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, said such a mechanism would be vital for accountability. “One tool that would play an important role in ensuring accountability and in deterring further violations is an independent investigative mechanism,” he told delegates, stressing it would complement his mandate, the work of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), and the International Criminal Court.
Maryam Safi, CEO of Afghanistan’s research group DROPS, echoed this appeal, citing extensive surveys of Afghan women that revealed systemic violence and denial of justice under Taliban rule. She urged Council members to build on resolution 57/3 and establish an independent international accountability mechanism with powers to investigate violations, preserve evidence, and advance prosecutions. Safi noted that 108 Afghan, regional, and international organizations have already united behind this call.
Zubaida Akbar, Afghanistan Program Manager at Femena, described the Taliban’s 131 edicts as designed to erase women from public life. She demanded that governments “push for the establishment of an independent accountability mechanism to complement the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan.”
Nahla Haidar, Chair of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), also supported stronger monitoring and accountability. CEDAW, she said, backs the creation of a dedicated UN Special Mechanism for Afghanistan to address systematic violations amounting to “institutionalized gender persecution” or gender apartheid. She emphasized that Afghanistan remains bound by its obligations under the Convention, regardless of political changes, and that the international community must strengthen accountability through international justice mechanisms.
Nada Al-Nashif, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, underlined that accountability in Afghanistan must be pursued through multidimensional and complementary tracks, “including truth-seeking, justice, reparation, guarantees of non-recurrence, and memorialization.” She stressed that international support is essential for independent investigation and prosecution of violations committed in Afghanistan during decades of conflict.
The calls come amid growing international legal efforts: in July, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for senior Taliban leaders on charges of crimes against humanity, while four states – Australia, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands – initiated proceedings against Afghanistan under CEDAW at the International Court of Justice, backed by 22 other countries.
Despite the grim picture, speakers emphasized that Afghan women continue to resist with courage. Safi warned that without decisive action, they remain trapped in a system of “gender apartheid,” while Haidar said the international community must match their resilience with “sustained action.”
