Afghanistan Peace CampaignHe also reported that, according to UNAMA, more than 512 Afghan civilians have been killed and 1,200 others injured in clashes with Pakistan.
Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, said at a meeting of the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly that his report examines human rights developments in Afghanistan over the current year and the past five years, with a particular focus on the situation of children.
He also reported that, according to UNAMA, more than 512 Afghan civilians have been killed and 1,200 others injured in clashes with Pakistan over the past year, with women and children among the victims.
Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, said: “Civilians are suffering as a result of cross-border clashes with Pakistan. According to UNAMA, more than 512 civilians have been killed and 1,200 injured over the past year. Many of the victims were women and children who were inside their homes.”
Regarding the rights of women, girls, and children, France and Canada emphasized the need to lift the restrictions imposed by the Islamic Emirate on education, employment, and the participation of women and girls in public life. Germany’s representative also stressed the importance of Afghanistan fulfilling its obligations under the relevant convention and using international legal mechanisms to improve the situation of women and girls.
Nicola Gilhoff, Germany’s representative at the UN Human Rights Council, said: “Germany calls on the de facto authorities in Afghanistan to comply with the country’s international obligations to ensure the necessary accountability for human rights violations.”
Kristina Woinarowicz, Canada’s representative at the UN Human Rights Council meeting, said: “The continued exclusion of women and girls from secondary and higher education, including medical education, combined with restrictions on women’s participation in public life, is reducing the number of female healthcare professionals.”
Regarding the humanitarian crisis, Italy, South Korea, and Malta warned about the consequences of the large-scale return of migrants, declining humanitarian funding, and difficulties in accessing basic services.
Randolph De Battista, Malta’s representative to the United Nations, said: “We call on the international community to make the necessary investments to provide the humanitarian assistance needed in Afghanistan and to support the rights of women and girls who have been marginalized.”
Geng Shuang, China’s representative to the United Nations, said: “China believes that the international community should assess the situation in Afghanistan comprehensively and objectively and provide more constructive guidance. We call on all parties, particularly traditional donor countries, to take immediate action to address the humanitarian funding shortfall.”
Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has previously described such meetings, held without a representative from Afghanistan, as ineffective for the Afghan people.