Afghanistan Peace Campaign
The 59th UN Human Rights Council session will address Afghanistan’s human rights situation, focusing on gender discrimination and apartheid.
The 59th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council will commence on Monday, June 16 in Geneva. The agenda for this session includes a review of the human rights situation in Afghanistan, based on the recent report by Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Afghanistan.
Human rights activists are urging the international community to pay special attention to the complex and critical human rights issues in Afghanistan. The session, running from June 16 to July 9, meets every four months or three times annually to address significant human rights concerns worldwide.
The latest report by Richard Bennett, titled “Access to Justice and Support for Women and Girls and the Impact of Multiple and Intersectional Forms of Discrimination,” highlights the severe situation of women and girls in Afghanistan. The report describes their condition as a form of apartheid or gender discrimination and calls for such apartheid to be recognized as an international crime.
Human rights activists expect the session to give particular attention to the critical human rights situation in Afghanistan, given its worsening state. The call for action is becoming increasingly urgent, with concerns about systemic discrimination and the oppression of women and minorities.
Sima Nouri, a prominent human rights advocate, has proposed the establishment of an independent fact-finding mission to document crimes in Afghanistan under the current regime, including gender apartheid, ethnic killings, violence against minorities, and the suppression of civil protests.
She advocates for referring Afghanistan’s case to the International Court of Justice through the UN Security Council and calls for a comprehensive political plan that genuinely includes the people of Afghanistan.
The return of the Taliban to power has been marked by severe restrictions on women’s rights, ranging from bans on work and education to limits on free movement. Many observers and activists view these measures as clear evidence of a human rights crisis in Afghanistan, reflecting the systemic nature of gender apartheid.
There is an international push for accountability and justice, as the ongoing human rights violations in Afghanistan continue to spark global outrage. The call for a collective response, involving both diplomatic pressure and legal accountability, grows louder, urging the UN to take more decisive action.
The session is expected to highlight the urgent need for intervention and strategic diplomatic engagement to address Afghanistan’s ongoing human rights violations and to ensure the protection of its citizens, particularly women and vulnerable minorities.