KABUL — The establishment of an independent investigative mechanism by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Monday to probe grave rights abuses in Afghanistan has drawn widespread praise from international rights organizations, Afghan activists, and justice advocates.
The decision, adopted unanimously by the Council on October 6, is being described as a historic breakthrough for accountability in a country long plagued by impunity. The mechanism will investigate serious violations committed by all actors, including the ruling Taliban, and collect and preserve evidence for future prosecutions in national or international courts.
Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, called the move “a historic milestone in pursuit of justice for the Afghan people.” He said the mechanism will investigate serious crimes and facilitate future criminal proceedings, complementing the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“Today, the Council has heard the voices of Afghan survivors,” Bennett said.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) also welcomed the decision, calling it a powerful message of international resolve to end impunity for abuses in Afghanistan.
“Countries at the UN Human Rights Council have together sent a strong message of their resolve to ensure that those responsible for serious international crimes in Afghanistan now or in the past will one day face justice in court,” said Fereshta Abbasi, HRW’s Afghanistan researcher.
Abbasi stressed the urgency of operationalizing the mechanism:
“It’s crucial for the new mechanism to get up and running quickly so that it can begin to collect, prepare, and preserve evidence, and build files on those responsible for international crimes in Afghanistan.” She added that the resolution sends a clear message to victims and survivors that their suffering “is neither invisible nor erasable.”
HRW urged the UN secretary-general to ensure the mechanism’s swift rollout and called on UN member states to provide the necessary funding to enable it to start work without delay.
Afghan human rights organizations, many of which have long advocated for such a mechanism, described the decision as a victory for years of tireless campaigning.
Rawadari, a rights group founded after the Taliban takeover, said the resolution was the result of “tireless advocacy by survivors, activists, and national and international organizations since May 2021,” following the attack on Kabul’s Sayed ul-Shuhada school.
“Rawadari welcomes the establishment of the independent investigative mechanism on Afghanistan that will collect evidence of international crimes and the most serious violations of international law,” the group said, commending the European Union for leading the resolution and calling it “a significant and historic step for justice for Afghanistan.”
The decision has also been celebrated by Afghan representatives and former officials who have long pushed for stronger international accountability mechanisms.
Afghanistan’s representative to the UN in Geneva, Nasir Andisha, noted that the resolution was adopted without opposition, a sign, he said, that “the Taliban have left no room for any country to support them in the international arena.”
“Engagements are strictly transactional and short-term,” Andisha said, congratulating all those who contributed to the creation of the mechanism. “A big day,” he added, describing the development as a collective success for Afghan and international human rights partners.
Former Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission chairperson Shaharzad Akbar echoed that sentiment, calling the resolution a rare victory for justice and survivors.
“Sometimes, there are wins for survivors, for activists, for human rights, for women’s rights, for justice, dignity, and rights,” Akbar said. “This is one of them: the establishment of an independent investigative mechanism for Afghanistan to complement other accountability efforts.”
The new mechanism is expected to work closely with the International Criminal Court, which has already issued arrest warrants for two senior Taliban officials on charges of gender persecution.
Rights experts say the move could finally begin to break Afghanistan’s long cycle of impunity, offering hope to survivors of war crimes, gender-based persecution, and decades of human rights violations.
For many Afghans and human rights defenders, the UN resolution represents more than just a procedural step, it is a long-awaited recognition of their struggle for justice in one of the world’s most repressive environments.
As one activist wrote on social media, “After years of impunity and silence, the world is finally listening to Afghanistan’s survivors.”
