The United Nations Human Rights Council is set to convene its 61st session on Monday, with the situation in Afghanistan high on the agenda.
According to a statement from the council, members will review the annual report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, along with reports from the commissioner’s office and the UN secretary general.
Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, is expected to present a report on Feb. 25, focusing on the rights of women and girls in the country. Following his presentation, the council will hold what it described as an “enhanced interactive dialogue” on Afghanistan.
The session comes after the council voted in Resolution 60/2 to extend Bennett’s mandate for another year. In the same resolution, the council decided to establish an independent and ongoing investigative mechanism to examine “international crimes and the most serious violations of international law” committed in Afghanistan.
The council also requested that the UN secretary general provide an updated oral briefing at the current session on the progress made toward establishing that independent investigative mechanism.
The discussion unfolds amid growing international concern over human rights conditions in Afghanistan, particularly restrictions affecting women and girls under Taliban rule.
