The European Union has called for an inclusive political process led and owned by Afghans, saying it is essential to achieving lasting peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan.
In a statement delivered during the 62nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, the EU said any sustainable political settlement must include the full, equal and meaningful participation of women, as well as representation from all sectors of Afghan society.
“Only an Afghan-led political process inclusive of all Afghans, with the full, equal and meaningful participation of women, and representation of all segments of Afghan society, can ensure sustainable peace, stability and prosperity,” the statement said.
The EU also sharply criticized the Taliban’s human rights record, saying the authorities’ treatment of women and girls could constitute gender persecution, a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, to which Afghanistan is a state party.
“The EU strongly condemns the ongoing, widespread and systematic human rights violations and abuses committed by the Taliban in Afghanistan,” the statement said. It added that the Taliban’s “systematic and systemic violations” of the rights of women and girls “may amount to gender persecution, a crime against humanity.”
The bloc expressed particular concern over recently enacted Taliban decrees governing court procedures and family matters, saying they further undermine equality before the law, fair-trial rights, freedom of religion and protections for women and children. It urged the Taliban to reverse policies that restrict human rights and to bring Afghan laws and practices into line with the country’s international obligations, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
The statement also called for stronger protections for ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, including the Hazara community, as well as other vulnerable groups and LGBTQ individuals. It urged respect for freedom of expression, media freedom and the rule of law.
The EU further emphasized the importance of accountability for victims of human rights abuses and called for adequate funding and implementation of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Afghanistan, established by the Human Rights Council to investigate serious violations of international law in the country.
The remarks came as several countries raised concerns about Afghanistan during the Human Rights Council session.
France condemned the recent detention of women in Herat and the suppression of protests that followed. Lithuania cited Afghanistan as an example of institutionalized gender discrimination, while Denmark called on the Taliban to immediately guarantee the rights and freedoms of women and girls.
Naseer Ahmad Andisha, Afghanistan’s representative to the United Nations in Geneva, urged continued documentation of human rights abuses in the country.
“Afghanistan is not legalizing child marriage; the Taliban are doing that,” Andisha said. “The actions and decrees of an informal, illegitimate and unrecognized authority should not be equated with the Afghan state or the Afghan people, who themselves are victims of these policies.”
The Taliban have consistently rejected allegations of human rights violations, arguing that their policies are based on their interpretation of Islamic law. Taliban officials also maintain that their government is inclusive, despite criticism from the United Nations and human rights groups over the exclusion of women and political opponents from public life.
The EU’s statement comes amid growing international scrutiny of Taliban policies, particularly restrictions on women and girls, who remain barred from secondary and university education and face sweeping limitations on employment, movement and participation in public life.
