UNITED NATIONS — Nine countries, including France and UK, in a joint statement ahead of the UNSC meeting on Monday expressed support for an International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor’s request to issue arrest warrants for Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and the Taliban’s chief justice, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, citing systematic gender-based persecution in Afghanistan.
In their joint statement, the governments of France, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Panama, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom condemned what they described as the Taliban’s “ongoing and systematic gender-based discrimination against women.”
The statement emphasized that Afghan women and girls have been effectively erased from public life under Taliban rule.
“The Taliban have issued more than 80 decrees and directives specifically targeting the autonomy, rights, and daily lives of women and girls,” the countries said.
The nine nations said the Taliban have institutionalized a system of discrimination, harassment, and gender-based oppression. They pointed to policies such as the enforcement of PVPV law—the so-called morality code—along with bans on female education in medical institutions and restrictions on women working for the United Nations and NGOs.
“We welcome measures to hold the Taliban accountable for the widespread and systematic violations of women’s and girls’ human rights,” the statement read. “Among other initiatives, we recall the ICC prosecutor’s request for arrest warrants against two senior Taliban leaders and the commitment to pursue accountability for gender-based crimes, including sexual violence and persecution.”
Call for women’s inclusion in Afghanistan’s future
The countries reaffirmed that women in Afghanistan must play a central role in the country’s future, warning that their exclusion threatens long-term stability and development. They underscored that U.N. Security Council resolutions—particularly 2593 (2021) and 2681 (2023)—have made it clear that women’s full and equal participation is essential for peace and prosperity in Afghanistan.
“We call for the full participation of Afghan women and girls in the country’s future and in all efforts to maintain and promote peace and security,” the statement said.
They also stressed that this inclusion must extend to diplomatic efforts, including the U.N.-led Doha process and recent initiatives such as the Central Asian Women Leaders’ Caucus.
The signatory nations reiterated their support for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and other U.N. agencies operating in the country. They urged all U.N. bodies to adopt a coordinated approach to protecting Afghan women’s rights and called for the full extension of UNAMA’s mandate.
“We reaffirm our support for the continued presence of UNAMA and other U.N. agencies, funds, and programs across Afghanistan in support of the Afghan people, particularly women and girls,” the statement read.
The statement follows an ICC prosecutor’s recent request for arrest warrants against Akhundzada and Haqqani on charges of “gender persecution and crimes against humanity.”
