Representatives of 56 countries have issued a joint statement condemning what they describe as the Taliban’s systematic and widespread violations of human rights in Afghanistan. The declaration, released on Wednesday (December 10), says the Taliban’s discriminatory policies have produced “one of the most alarming human rights records in the world.”
The countries highlight, in particular, the situation of women and girls, who they say are facing entrenched gender segregation, denial of basic freedoms, and a sustained erosion of their dignity. According to the signatories, the Taliban’s sweeping restriction on education, employment, freedom of movement, and participation in political and public life not only strip women and girls of their future, but also deprive Afghanistan of essential social and economic development.
In a key section of the declaration, the countries state: “Today, the Council will address the situation in Afghanistan – a country with immense human potential on one hand, but also a country where the Taliban’s ongoing discriminatory policies and practices have resulted in one of the most dire human rights records globally, marked by deep inequalities and persuasive discrimination.”
The statement also raises concerns about the suppression of journalists and civil society, the targeting of ethnic and religious minorities, public executions, corporal punishment, and arbitrary detentions. All of these abuses, the countries note, are taking place with complete impunity.
The signatories warn that such actions not only violate Afghanistan’s international obligations but also undermine any prospects for lasting peace, stability, and prosperity in the country.
They call on the Taliban to immediately halt and reverse all violations, including the restrictions imposed on women and girls, and to allow independent national and international monitoring mechanisms to operate without interference.
Sine regaining control of Afghanistan, the Taliban have faced sustained accusation of violating human rights – particularly the rights of women and girls – by barring them from schooling, employment, and public life, and by repressing minority communities and former officials.
