An international coalition made up of 26 countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands, launched this Wednesday (25) an initiative in response to the serious human rights violations committed against women and girls in Afghanistan by the Taliban regime.
Since the Taliban regained control of the country, the lives of Afghan women have been significantly affected by severe measures that exclude them from public life and subject them to forms of systematic discrimination. The nations involved threaten to appeal to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) if violations persist.
In an official statement released this Wednesday, the countries strongly condemn the Taliban regime for imposing decrees that marginalize Afghan women and girls.
“Afghanistan’s women and girls are being socially, politically, economically and legally marginalized,” says the statement, which also highlights the recently implemented “virtue” law, which aims to silence and virtually erase women from the public sphere. According to the text, Afghan women can no longer travel alone, speak publicly or show their faces in public places.
“The lives of many women and girls in Afghanistan are like being under house arrest,” the statement states, highlighting that these practices deprive women of their dignity.
The signatory countries of the statement urge the Taliban to immediately cease violations of the human rights of Afghan women, based on Afghanistan’s obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), a treaty to which the country is a member. signatory. The Taliban, as the “de facto government” of Afghanistan, is responsible for fulfilling these international obligations, as the countries recall in the statement.
“Afghanistan is responsible, under international law, for serious and systematic violations of various obligations”, they reiterate.
The initiative invoked Article 29 of CEDAW. This article allows disputes over the interpretation or application of the treaty to be resolved through arbitration, and, in the event of disagreement, referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The statement makes it clear that, if the Taliban do not respond satisfactorily, countries will consider using other legal mechanisms, whether collectively or individually, within the human rights framework.
In the statement, the countries also recognize the courage of Afghan women themselves, who have led the demand for accountability and justice despite repression.
“Afghan women have demonstrated courageous leadership in demanding accountability,” the statement said, highlighting the importance of their voices in the international debate on human rights in the country.
The exclusion of women from public life in Afghanistan has been one of the most alarming features of the Taliban regime since its return to power in 2021. With bans ranging from education to the right to work, policies imposed by the Taliban not only violate the CEDAW, but also other international agreements to which Afghanistan is a party. Despite several requests, including from the United Nations, for the country’s extremist regime to respect human rights, the situation continues to deteriorate.
The signatory countries reiterate that they do not politically recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. However, they remember that the “de facto authorities” are obliged to comply with the country’s international obligations.
“Afghanistan’s failure to fulfill its human rights treaty obligations is a key obstacle to the normalization of relations,” the statement concluded.
The statement is signed by: Albania, Andorra, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Finland, Honduras, Ireland, Iceland, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malawi, Morocco, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Australia, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands.
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