Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, and Australia have requested negotiations with the Taliban regarding human rights and women’s rights in Afghanistan, according to Dutch officials at a U.N. meeting on Thursday.
Katja Lasseur, head of human rights at the Netherlands’ mission to the U.N., said the request marks the first step in a potential legal process at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). If negotiations fail, she added, the countries may seek mediation, and if no agreement is reached, they could ultimately refer Afghanistan’s human rights violations to the ICJ.
“We have requested the start of negotiations. This is a necessary first step in the process. If negotiations do not resolve the issue, we may resort to mediation. And if there is no agreement on the mediation process, the matter could be referred to the International Court of Justice,” Lasseur said during a panel titled “From Afghanistan to New York: Afghan Women Calling for Action.”
At the same event, several countries called for making any diplomatic engagement with the Taliban conditional on improvements in human rights and women’s participation in talks.
“You don’t need to hear our solidarity—you already have it. What you need is action. Those negotiating with the Taliban must set this as a condition. There will be no progress in these talks unless women are present and their voices heard,” said Suela Janina, Albania’s representative to the U.N.
Afghanistan’s chargé d’affaires at the U.N., Naseer Ahmad Faiq, warned that the Taliban are systematically erasing women from public life.
“Since August 2021, we have witnessed the unprecedented rollback of women’s rights, which continues to intensify. But amid this dire situation, there is one remarkable thing: the unwavering resilience of Afghan women, both inside Afghanistan and in exile. They continue to resist oppression and advocate for their fundamental rights,” Faiq said.
Former officials and women’s rights activists strongly criticized the Taliban’s policies, warning that the country is facing a deepening human rights crisis.
“Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most complex crises, facing multiple intersecting challenges. Chief among them is the systematic and institutionalized discrimination against women, which damages their human dignity, affects their livelihoods, health, and ability to participate in society,” said Nargis Nehan, Afghanistan’s former minister of mines and petroleum.
A new U.N. report has also highlighted ongoing human rights violations and increasing restrictions imposed on women by the Taliban. However, despite mounting international condemnation, the Taliban continue to deny any wrongdoing.
