KABUL, Afghanistan — On International Human Rights Day, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) called on the Taliban to adhere to global human rights standards as a key to the protection and prosperity of current and future generations of women, men, girls and boys across the country.
This year’s theme, “Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now,” underscores the transformative potential of human rights in addressing societal challenges. UNAMA stressed that these rights provide a pathway to solutions, fostering protection and empowerment for communities worldwide.
“Regrettably, we continue to see the opposite unfold in Afghanistan. Despite improvements in security and a reduction in armed violence, there is an ongoing, dangerous erosion of human rights protections, with women and girls bearing the brunt,” said Roza Otunbayeva, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA.
The UN criticized the Taliban’s “de facto government” for its systemic exclusion of women and girls from education, work, and other facets of public life—a pattern that has drawn widespread international condemnation.
“With authority comes responsibility,” Ms. Otunbayeva said. “If the de facto authorities wish to be recognized as legitimate representatives of the Afghan people within the United Nations, they must demonstrate a genuine commitment to upholding shared values and norms.”
Afghanistan was among the original supporters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on Dec. 10, 1948. Yet, U.N. officials warn that current policies undermine this legacy.
“Human rights instruments are designed to help communities build better futures,” said Fiona Frazer, the U.N.’s human rights representative in Afghanistan. “Denying women and girls their fundamental rights constitutes a profound failure to protect the well-being of all Afghans.”
The U.N.’s appeal comes amid severe human rights violations in Afghanistan, including multiple bans on women’s education in the country.
