The foreign ministers of the Group of 7 nations issued a joint statement on Monday, denouncing what they described as “continued and systemic abuses” of human rights in Afghanistan.
The statement expressed particular alarm over the escalating restrictions targeting women and girls.
“We are appalled by the ongoing violations of human rights and the growing limitations imposed by the Taliban on the people of Afghanistan,” the ministers said, calling these actions violations of Afghanistan’s international obligations as a State Party to multiple treaties.
Despite the deteriorating situation, the G7 members affirmed their commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to alleviate the severe crisis facing the Afghan population.
The statement outlined the G7’s vision for Afghanistan’s future, emphasizing the importance of an inclusive and representative political process to achieve lasting peace and reintegration into the international community. Such a process, they said, must ensure the “full, equal, safe, and meaningful participation of Afghan women,” echoing recommendations from the United Nations’ independent assessment of the country.
Mounting restrictions
The statement comes as the Taliban continue to tighten restrictions on the Afghan population, particularly women. Recent measures include a ban by the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice prohibiting women’s voices from being broadcast in public spaces, among other limitations that effectively exclude women from public life.
The G7 ministers — representing Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along with the European Union’s High Representative — reiterated their commitment to upholding international law and promoting human rights, dignity, and gender equality.
“Our goal remains an Afghanistan at peace with itself and its neighbors,” the ministers said, underscoring the need for international engagement to protect the rights of all Afghans.
