1st Meeting - 59th Session of Human Rights Council

Excellence, distinguished colleagues, I have the pleasure of welcoming Volker Turk, High Commissioner for Human Rights. It is.

Also a pleasure to welcome 10 delegates. from the Special Trust Fund to provide technical assistance for the participation of LDCs and SIDS from Bangladesh, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Malawi and the Maldives. We welcome them and look forward to their active participation here today in the work of the Council. Distinguished colleagues, please first allow me to address a few organisational issues. As part of the measures for saving cash within the organisation, the Council has decided to adopt the following exceptional measures at its organisational meeting of 2 June 2025. Speaking time in the general discussion of the Council at its 60th session will be reduced to one minute and 30 seconds for all. The period for interactive dialogue and enhanced interactive dialogue at the 59th session, with the exception of the dialogue with the Higher Commissioner for the annual report and during the 60th session will be limited to one hour 30 minutes divided as follows 15 minutes for mandate holders, one hour for States, 15 minutes for NGOs. The thematic discussion, intersessional discussion relating to intensifying efforts to prevent and eliminate domestic violence, as provided for by resolution 57/18 of the Human Rights Council, is planned for 2026, before the 61st Council session. Intersessional meetings on Venezuela and Ukraine, if the latter is accredited for the session, will be grouped for around one single meeting. and each interactive dialogue will last one hour and 30 minutes. With regard to the Universal Periodic Review, the calendar of the 50th session of the working group on the Universal Periodic Review planned for 3 to 14 June 2025 will be adapted in such a way that the adoption of recommendations of each report will take place in a single meeting, the afternoon of the last day of the session. With regard to the organisation of the meeting on 2 June, I remind you that those measures are exceptional. They do not constitute a precedent, and they will be reflected in the report of this session and will serve as a reference for the future. We have also discussed the work programme for the 59th session which is available on the Council website and the extranet. It's an evolving document and I would encourage everybody to regularly check the website and the Sched application for the most recent updates. This session will last three and a half weeks following the mentioned exceptional measures adopted by the Council. I would thank you in advance for respecting speaking time so that we can finish our work as planned. As things stand, we plan to finish the session without having to organise any lunch break meetings. I would also remind you that the work programme as drafted and published by the Secretariat is based on the estimations of time that the dialogues can take place and the work program will adapt to any changes as we go forward. I would therefore suggest that the Council approve the work program on the understanding that it is an evolving document. Do members of the Council wish to take the floor with any proposals? If there are no objections, then the work programme is adopted. It is so decided. So, distinguished colleagues, the online registration list for speakers, for all speakers, opened on Wednesday, the 11th of June, and closes two hours before the meeting where the dialogue or discussion is taking place. Delegates can still register or deregister after closure of the speakers list by sending an e-mail. And the list of speakers will be closed 15 minutes after the beginning of each debate. The online registration. for the outcomes of the universal periodic review will be open to Thursday 19 June at 18:00 hours, and it will not be possible to register after that deadline. For the national human rights institutions and NGOs, registration for all debates was open on Tuesday 12 June at 10:00 am. I would ask all colleagues to download the app for registration and if it's not possible then please send your emails to the conference services and the secretariat of the Council. Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to remind you that the deadline for submitting draft resolutions for the 59th session is Friday the 27th of June at 1pm and that reviewing The written amendments is for the Wednesday at 11 and 1pm respectively. Any actions after this deadline would require the authorisation of the Council after recording by the Secretariat. No extension for amendments can be granted by the Council other than in exceptional circumstances and for a maximum of 24 hours. I would encourage authors to submit their draft proposals as soon as possible. I would also like to emphasize that, in accordance with resolution 5.1, delegations are invited to conduct informal consultations with a view to achieving the broadest possible support for their initiatives. At least one informal consultation should be organized for each draft resolution or decision before the Council considers it for a decision. In order to ensure the effective participation of all stakeholders in the work of the Human Rights Council, I would encourage the main authors of draft proposals to share draft texts with civil society organizations and other observers who are following informal consultations. Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the smooth functioning of this session of the Council depends upon a constructive environment based on respect. Quite often, the mandate holders of the Council are subject to personal attacks in the carrying out of their function. So I would like to remind you categorically that while it is absolutely legitimate to express positions on the reports presented, nothing justifies disrespectful language or personal attacks or threats against individuals. As President of the Council, I would like to reaffirm my full support to the mandate holders and firmly condemn any inappropriate attack. Furthermore, the active participation of representatives of civil society and national human rights institutions is a key pillar of the workings of the Human Rights Council. As President, I wish to ensure that any allegations of reprisals or intimidation against individuals or groups having cooperated with the Council and its mechanisms are looked into. It is up to all of us to take the necessary measures to prevent such actions and ensure that, if they do arise, they are subject to appropriate and rapid response. The United Nations, including this Council, applies a policy of zero tolerance to all forms of harassment, including sexual harassment. The director general of the UN in Geneva, is committed to implementing the code of conduct against harassment. Her Excellency Mayra McDonald Alvarez is the focal point for gender matters in the council, particularly for the cases of sexual harassment and sexist conduct in the council. I remind you that any incident of harassment, including sexual harassment, can be directly reported to the focal point of the Human Rights Council, either in person or by the reporting form online, which allows for anonymous reports. All relevant information is available on the web page of the Human Rights Council, and all complaints will be dealt with quickly. His Excellency Mr. Razvan Razun, Vice President of the Council and Chair of the Working Group on Accessibility, will be working, and there is also a focal point for accessibility in the Secretariat. Delegations are asked to upload their written statements in Word format in order to ensure that they are accessible to persons with disabilities. PDF speeches or other non-accessible formats will not be published on the extranet. I would also invite delegations to provide the provisions for accessibility in the meetings and discussions during the drafting of relevant resolutions. It's the only way of guaranteeing subtitling live and the interpretation in sign language. So Ladies and gentlemen, I now turn to item 2 on our agenda, entitled the annual report of the High Commissioner of the United Nations for Human Rights and the report of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General. This is an item that will be open throughout the session, and I now have the pleasure of giving the floor to the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Sir, you have the floor.

Monsieur le President, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates. As we meet, conflicts are spiraling. The military escalation between Israel and Iran is deeply worrying, and I join all those appealing for de-escalation and urgent diplomatic negotiations to end these attacks and find a way forward. And I call for full respect of international law by both sides, in particular the protection of civilians in densely populated areas. Meanwhile, climate chaos is raging on. And in every region of the world, economic uncertainty is taking root, while technology is developing uncontrolled and at dizzying speed. Behind each crisis, people are suffering. We must never lose sight of this fact. The United Nations was founded to end war, reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, and promote justice and international law. For 80 years, those promises helped to deliver a greater measure of peace and sustainable development. Life expectancy increased by 25%. The number of people with a basic education doubled. States agreed on a wide-ranging laws of war. They adopted treaties on women's rights, on the environment, on disarmament, on preventing genocide. Despite edging close to nuclear annihilation several times, reason prevailed. Our global agreements have proven themselves over decades, providing a vision for a better future. Today, we see dramatic steps to weaken them, creating a more dangerous world for us all. Can we sit by As global security and prosperity are undermined, will we watch the rule of law as the rule of law is eroded? Can we continue as usual while powerful countries cast aside the agreements that underpin our lives? Can we risk massive conflict based on leaders' personal assessments and agendas? is this the world the framers of the Charter imagined? And we must answer with the strongest possible defence of international law and human rights. The current trajectory of escalating conflict and blatant disregard for international human rights and humanitarian law is indefensible. Civilians are deliberately attacked. Parties to conflict starve and rape as weapons of war. Life-saving humanitarian aid is obstructed, and humanitarian aid workers are targeted. And accountability is often absent. Mr. President, Israel's means and methods of warfare are inflicting horrifying, unconscionable suffering on Palestinians in Gaza. More than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed, including many thousands of children, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, and the attacks continue unabated. Israel has weaponized food and blocked lifesaving aid. I urge immediate, impartial investigations into deadly attacks on desperate civilians trying to reach food distribution centers. Disturbing, dehumanizing rhetoric from senior Israeli government officials is reminiscent of the gravest of crimes. And Israel's refusal to allow international journalists to report from Gaza has helped its armed forces and Hamas to avoid transparency and accountability. The facts speak for themselves. Everyone in government needs to wake up to what is happening in Gaza. All those with influence must exert maximum pressure on Israel and Hamas to put an end to this unbearable suffering. In the West Bank, no day passes without attacks by Israeli security forces and settlers, killing, detaining, and forcibly displacing Palestinians. Settlements are illegal. Annexation is illegal. And attacks on Israelis by armed civilians also continue in both Israel and the occupied West Bank. All of this is deeply worrying. Only an immediate ceasefire leading to a two-state solution, with Gaza as an integral part of a Palestinian state, can offer sustainable peace. All Israeli hostages must be freed immediately and unconditionally. All Palestinians detained arbitrarily must be released. I am concerned by air and drone strikes by Israel in Lebanon, including in southern Beirut, which have killed civilians and destroyed homes and medical facilities. I urge full respect for the ceasefire to enable reconstruction and the return home of displaced people on both sides of the border. At this critical juncture, it is key for the international community to support the Lebanese government's efforts for much-needed institutional reforms and socioeconomic recovery. In Ukraine, as ceasefire talks stall, The conflict is escalating. Civilian casualties have increased significantly this year, as Russian armed forces used long-range weapons against cities and drones in frontline areas. While there have been exchanges of prisoners of war and, in some cases, civilian detainees, many are still in captivity. I urge the Russian Federation and Ukraine to commit to a full exchange of prisoners of war and for the immediate release of Ukrainian civilians detained in Russia. We urgently need a comprehensive ceasefire leading to a peace agreement in line with the UN Charter and international law. Sudan is plunging deeper into chaos and lawlessness without the attention this situation demands. Hostilities have intensified in North Darfur and Kordofan, marked by grave violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. My Office documented a tripling in the number of arbitrary killings of civilians between February and April. This was largely due to summary execution by the Sudanese Armed Forces of alleged collaborators in Khartoum. I remain deeply concerned about the situation in El Fasher, which has been under siege by the Rapid Support Forces for over a year. I am horrified by widespread sexual violence, including against children, and attacks on humanitarians. I urge the international community to press for a political solution, to stop the flow of arms, and to curb the business interests that are fuelling this conflict. All parties must be held accountable. In Myanmar, the military exploited the turmoil caused by the earthquake in March to double down on attacks against civilians, while restricting humanitarian access even further. Military operations have continued, with reports of attacks on schools, religious sites, and other protected locations. This violence must end. I urge the parties to comply fully with international law, including the measures already ordered by the International Court of Justice to protect the Rohingya. I remain deeply concerned about the human rights situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and I will provide a briefing later today. The escalating hostilities in South Sudan are extremely worrying, threatening the country's already fragile peace process. In the first quarter of 2025, My office documented that 739 people were killed, more than 650 injured, almost 150 abducted, and 40 subjected to sexual violence. I urged the parties to cease hostilities, resume dialogue, and uphold the 2018 revitalized peace agreement. I was horrified by the attacks near Pahalgam in India-administered Kashmir. The perpetrators must be brought to justice. I urge both India and Pakistan to ensure the ceasefire holds, to prevent hateful rhetoric and disinformation, and to re-establish essential water-sharing arrangements. I renew my call for the immediate and unconditional release by the de facto Houthi authorities in Yemen of personnel from the United Nations, civil society organizations, and diplomatic missions, including eight of my own staff. These detentions are an affront to the international community.

President, a certain number of crises also require close and urgent attention. Haiti is collapsing into a tumult marked by huge suffering. Over 2,600 people have been killed and 957 injured between January and May. The gangs strengthening their grip on the capital and extending their influence to the regions of the north and the south, killing and ****** people and burning houses, schools, churches and businesses. The formation of self-defence groups who are entirely unaccountable is gravely concerning. I hope very much that the judiciary meetings planned in April to fight against or campaign against sexual violence, corruption and other crimes will be established as soon as possible. And I call for a United Nations mission on a multinational basis to support security. Libya is holding by a thread. The confrontations in Tripoli last month led to many civil victims. and threaten a fragile reconciliation and peace process. Security forces and armed groups are killing and kidnapping. I am deeply concerned by the persistence of abuse and the violations of rights of migrants and refugees. And I call on the authorities to investigate the discovery of dozens of corpses in detention centres. In Syria, the announcement of Easing and lifting sanctions and the creation of national commissions for transitional justice and disappeared persons are true opportunities. However, I am deeply concerned by the persistent information of violations of rights of certain communities, and I call for a strengthening of protection and responsibility measures, leading to greater accountability. We await for the outcomes and the investigation into the violence that caused hundreds of deaths in the coastal regions earlier this year. I call on the authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are held responsible in the respect of international standards. A significant presence of my office in the country will be essential to support a transitional justice process and a victim-focused approach. The political tensions in Ethiopia are growing in Tigray. I would invite all stakeholders to undertake a constructive dialogue and guarantee the implementation of a ceasefire. I would call on the authorities to protect the civil space, which is so essential in the run-up to elections next year. It's essential that an end be put to arbitrary detentions and the intimidation of media professionals and journalists, and that there be full respect for procedural guarantees.

A number of other crises also call for urgent attention. Military authorities in the Sahel have consolidated their grip on power, frustrating the democratic aspirations of their people, while the human rights situation worsens. In Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, Thousands of civilians have been killed in attacks by extremist armed groups, and we have also received reports of civilians killed by government forces and their auxiliaries in all three countries. All responses to security threats must respect international law. I am concerned by growing instability in Nigeria, which threatens to spill across borders. Armed groups have intensified killings, abductions, sexual violence and forced recruitment, while inter-communal violence between farming communities and herders is increasing. I am encouraged that the interim government and political parties in Bangladesh are making progress through dialogue. I urge meaningful advances on reforms to create an environment for free and inclusive elections. However, I am concerned about recent changes to legislation to allow the banning of political parties and organizations and all related activities. This unduly restricts the freedoms of association, expression, and assembly. My office hopes to reach agreement on our expanded presence soon. Mr. President, around the world, at least 625 human rights defenders and media workers were killed or disappeared in 2024, according to data gathered by my office. That is one every 14 hours. In many places around the world, civil society and the media are being vilified, harassed and silenced. But it is precisely civil society and the media who hold power to account and must be protected. In a troubling trend, authorities in several countries with upcoming elections, including Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Honduras, Peru and Uganda, among others, banning public gatherings, detaining opposition leaders, undermining civil society, and attacking human rights defenders. I am closely following the recent developments in Bolivia, and electoral integrity must be preserved ahead of elections in August. Dialogue and respect for the rule of law must prevail. In Somalia, the arrest and detention of journalists and media workers is undermining freedom of expression and creating a climate of fear. Some 26 journalists and media workers have been arrested in Mogadishu so far this year. My office is also documenting increased arbitrary detentions and intimidation of political opponents and media workers in Venezuela following the 2024 elections. I have serious concerns about torture and ill-treatment in detention and violations of due process, and I will provide an update on the 27th of June. In Turkey, I am concerned about mass detentions, including of opposition figures, on charges of corruption and terrorism. All those detained for the legitimate exercise of their rights must be released immediately. In Georgia and El Salvador, new laws make it more difficult for NGOs and independent media to access foreign funding. This could harm their ability to operate freely and effectively. Similar legislation is under discussion in Hungary, and I urge the government to reconsider it. In the Russian Federation, I remain deeply concerned by the ongoing suffocation of dissenting voices, civil society, lawyers, and the independent media. Criminal charges and harsh sentences for people who criticize state policy or legislation are contrary to international human rights standards. During my visit to Serbia last month, I was struck by the courage and resilience of young people who have mobilized for accountability, transparency, and the rule of law. Their voices need to be heard and respected. I continue to engage directly with China on a wide range of issues. I am concerned about lack of progress on much-needed legal reform to ensure compliance with international human rights law. I also regret that there has not yet been a resolution to the individual cases we have raised. My office continues to receive worrying reports of violations in Xinjiang, including undue prison sentences, incommunicado detention, and restrictions on fundamental rights. In Hong Kong, the continued application of national security laws raises serious concern about the shrinking of civic space. In Tibet, there are ongoing infringements on cultural and other rights. I call for the release of all individuals detained for exercising their rights and to align legislation and policies with international human rights law. Mr. President, social tensions are often rooted in systemic, longstanding discrimination based on race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, migrant status, caste, and other characteristics. Policies to tackle such discrimination have had important successes in all regions of the world. Some call these DEI policies, I call them standing up for equality. When we look at the pushback against such policies, we see it for what it is: a fundamental misrepresentation that reveals a strategic decision to scapegoat vulnerable groups. Discrimination is neither rare nor random. It is widespread. Across 119 countries, one in five people reported experiencing discrimination in the past year, according to data gathered by my office. Colonialism's brutal legacy remains. Racism remains a scourge. People of African descent continue to suffer disproportionately from excessive use of force, including deaths at the hands of law enforcement in Brazil, the United States, and beyond. Data gathered by my office shows that worldwide, women face discrimination at more than double the level experienced by men. In parts of the Russian Federation and the United States, there are severe restrictions on women's reproductive rights and rights to health care. These rights are essential to women's participation and leadership in every aspect of life. More broadly, I call on all States to implement gender quotas for women's political representation, and I regret that some countries are abolishing them. In Iran, I note the temporary suspension of the so-called hijab law, and I urge its full repeal, along with all related laws and practices that restrict the rights of women and girls. And in Afghanistan, the de facto authorities continue to enforce a systematic policy of erasing women and girls from public life. Even their voices are silenced outside the home, and women are banned from higher education and most employment. Disability rights also face pushbacks after years of progress. Some countries are reducing accessibility and cutting funding for access programs. and influential figures have openly mocked people with disabilities. LGBTIQ+ people continue to face legal restrictions, hate speech, and even violence. In West Africa, draconian laws threaten to criminalize consensual same-sex relations and restrict the work of human rights defenders supporting LGBTIQ+ people. In Argentina and the United States, government officials have made statements vilifying transgender and non-binary people while restricting their rights. Georgia, Hungary, Slovakia, and Turkey are among countries that have adopted or are considering laws that could prohibit LGBTIQ+ advocacy and ban pride marches and educational material in schools. In Uganda, the Anti-Homosexuality Act fuels systemic violence and discrimination. At least 70 cases involving 88 victims were documented in the first four months of this year. Migrants and refugees are also targeted by hate speech, unjust legal restrictions, scapegoating and other forms of discrimination in many parts of the world. In Tunisia, anti-migrant rhetoric from public officials has fueled physical attacks and online hate campaigns. close to 640,000 Afghans returned to their country from Pakistan and Iran in recent months. More than 250,000 of them were forced to do so. Regardless of legal and documentation status, Afghans forced to return may encounter serious protection risks, especially women and girls who face severe persecution. Migrant workers from Myanmar face deportation from Thailand. sometimes followed by conscription into the Myanmar armed forces. I am disturbed by reports that the immigration authorities in the Dominican Republic deported pregnant women migrants from Haiti and those who had just given birth. Here in Europe, I am concerned that several leaders recently called for changes to the interpretation of human rights law on complex issues of migration governance. I urge EU countries to put human rights at the centre of new regulations on returns and migration governance more generally, including by expanding safe and regular pathways. In the United States, the arrest and deportation of large numbers of non-nationals, including to third countries, raise serious concern over respect for their rights. As people protest against these developments, I urge the authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly and to uphold human rights in law enforcement, including by refraining from any resort to military force when civilian authorities are capable of maintaining public order. Mr. President, distinguished delegates, as disturbing as all this pushback is, we must not fall for the hype. This is not a global phenomenon. The vast majority of countries around the world continue to support the expansion of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Half the world's population now benefits from effective national human rights institutions that work with my office. That figure has tripled in the past two decades. And policies to promote equality are working. In Brazil and Nigeria, for example, Quotas for minorities and marginalized groups have contributed to greater representation in education and employment. Countries including Bolivia, Chile, Fiji, and Peru have implemented initiatives to promote the participation of indigenous peoples, including reserving seats in national parliaments. The government of Guatemala has started to hold monthly meetings with indigenous peoples and people of African descent, leading to several local agreements on territorial claims. Thailand recently became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize marriage equality. Timor-Leste recently passed a law stipulating that police must carry out their duties without discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation. Pakistan has outlawed child marriage in Islamabad, a historic legal breakthrough. The first resolution on discrimination based on work and descent adopted by the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, is an important step to address deep-seated stigma. In Somalia, the new National Disability Rights Bill provides a framework for action and inclusion. And around the world, I'm pleased to see governments working to implement their pledges under our Human Rights 75 initiative, with new laws on access to information, reforms to criminal justice systems, and stronger engagement with human rights mechanisms. Mr. President, many of the poorest people in the world are falling even further behind, with their rights to food, health, and adequate standard of living under assault. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is slipping out of reach. More than half of low-income countries are currently in or at high risk of debt distress. Many are also on the front lines of the climate crisis. And the development finance they desperately need is dwindling as major economies shift their priorities, expand defense budgets, and cut development finance. The recent imposition of soaring tariffs may seem like a high-stake poker game with the global economy as the bank. But the shock waves of a trade war will hit least developed countries with the force of a tsunami. Caribbean countries and small island developing states are among those that will suffer most. The impact on countries with large export sectors, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam, could be devastating. Higher tariffs could put health care, education, and a nutritious diet out of reach for many. Higher tariffs could also roll back gains on gender equality as they have a disproportionate impact on women working in low-paid manufacturing jobs. Many least developed countries have no social safety net, leaving people utterly unprotected. I'm deeply disturbed by approaches that treat the poorest people on Earth as collateral damage. Long-term global stability requires a fundamental shift to human rights and sustainable, inclusive development not trade wars or arms races. My office is working around the world to realize the right to development. We are supporting over 80 projects in 38 countries from Belize to Jordan and Kenya with budget analysis, advice on debt servicing, and policies that promote a human rights economy. Digital.

Technologies and artificial intelligence systems offer huge potential. But also, they have a dark side. If we don't act quickly, we might lose the battle. And there would be unpredictable consequences for the enjoyment of human rights from that. It's probable that the intelligence of artificial intelligence in military equipment has led already to loss of civilian lives. The possibility of supervised, or rather the possibility of surveillance through artificial intelligence is a grave risk to freedom of expression and privacy. The concentration of the development of AI in rich economies can perpetuate the digital divide and discrimination based on race and gender. Regulating this technology will require transparency. It will require an open mind and inclusion. Human rights point the way, reinforcing the rule of law, establishing clear legal frameworks and broad participation.

I reject the argument that human rights somehow stifle innovation. On the contrary. Innovation that ignores human rights has led to terrible consequences, from an algorithm that unjustly deprived families of social support to border screening that relies on profiling. Human rights are essential for innovation that delivers for people and planet, not just profits. I welcome steps towards mandatory human rights due diligence in the development, deployment and use of AI technologies. Brazil, the Republic of Korea and the EU are considering such legislation. In some cases, data protection authorities are stepping up. Australia, France, Italy and the Netherlands took legal action against a facial recognition company for breaching people's privacy. Momentum is also building towards protecting workers. For example, the Hollywood Actors Union reached agreement with major studios on the use of AI in filmmaking. But we need much more. Many countries lack the legal frameworks and resources to meet the challenges posed by AI and could miss out on the opportunities it offers. The coming months will see critical decisions about regulation, including the establishment of two United Nations mechanisms. For the technology we want, these decisions and mechanisms must reflect the firm human rights commitments that are not least included in the Global Digital Compact. Mr. President, distinguished delegates, populists and authoritarians are working hard with their so-called culture wars to distract people from today's very real problems. But there is an alternative. It lies in more human rights, not less. Human rights provide stability and security in our troubled times. They are a bridge between governments and people, between generations past, present and future. And they are guardrails on power, especially when it is unleashed in its most brutal forms. The painstaking work of investigating and reporting abuses and violations, supporting human rights institutions, and addressing human rights emergencies are the best tools we have to prevent and mitigate conflict and to build peace. I am therefore deeply disturbed by attacks on the international institutions that underpin our rights, including the International Criminal Court. Sanctioning judges and prosecutors at national, regional and international levels for doing their jobs is an assault on the rule of law and corrodes justice. This is only the latest in a series of attacks on multilateral institutions and mechanisms, including the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, special procedures mandate holders, and more, and they must stop. I am also deeply troubled by funding cuts to my office, to the human rights mechanisms, and to our partners in civil society. Nearly three-quarters of our partner organizations told my office They expect to lose more than 40% of their funding. That means fewer early warnings, less advocacy for people who are wrongly imprisoned, fewer investigations into abuses and violations, and less accountability. Funding cuts to my office and the broader human rights ecosystem offer comfort to dictators and authoritarians, but the vast majority and our global security will suffer. At this testing time, we need governments and societies to stand up for human rights in word and deed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. High Commissioner. I would like to remind all participants that the interactive dialogue on the annual report of the High Commissioner will begin tomorrow morning. We will now take a short break before we turn to the enhanced interactive dialogue on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan.

Excellence.

Excellencies, distinguished colleagues.

Please take your seats, colleagues. We are continuing. Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh..

We will now begin the enhanced interactive dialogue on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, in accordance with resolution 57/3 of the Council. I would like to recall that the duration of interactive dialogues is one hour and 30 minutes. However, depending on the number of delegations registered for each interactive dialogue and time permitting, the vice presidents and I myself will determine whether we can exceed the duration of an hour and a half for some dialogues so as to give the floor to more delegations. I invite the delegations on the list to be ready. Interpretation in Dari will be available as an exception during this meeting. so as to make it more accessible to those following the interactive dialogue in Afghanistan. The interpretation is available via the floor channel. Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, it is my honor to welcome Ms. Nada Al-Nashef, Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights, who will make the opening statement. Also, please allow me to welcome our distinguished speakers. Mr. Richard Bennett, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan; Mr. Maibul Atayed, the Councillor from the Permanent Mission of Afghanistan; Ms. Zahra, that is a pseudonym, a teacher and survivor of child marriage living in Afghanistan, who will address us via video message; Ms. Fatima Amiri, an activist for education for Afghan girls, a student and survivor of an attack against an education center in Kabul, and Ms. Mariam Mitra, a researcher, poet, and women's rights activist in Afghanistan. The speakers list will be closed in 15 minutes, and I have the honor to give the floor to the Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights for her statement.

Thank you, distinguished President, Your Excellencies, colleagues, and friends. I am pleased to represent the High Commissioner at this Enhanced Interactive Dialogue and to address this Council on a matter of urgent and ongoing concern: the state of access to justice and protection in Afghanistan, particularly for women and girls. Since the Taliban seized power in August 2021, justice in Afghanistan has undergone a dramatic and deeply troubling transformation. The legal framework established during the Republic of Afghanistan era has been effectively suspended or dismantled, with new structures put in place. They include the reconfiguration of the judiciary, including the removal of female judges, the dissolution of the Office of the Attorney General, restricted space for defense lawyers and the rights of the accused, and the removal of key protection mechanisms. In short, legal and institutional safeguards essential to upholding the rule of law have either been removed or severely compromised. These, along with the very wide range of discriminatory measures introduced by the de facto authorities, have had a profound impact on the population of Afghanistan, in particular women and girls. Last October, the Council mandated the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan to prepare a report on access to justice and protection for women and girls. This report addresses the compounded effects of multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and presents an important baseline study on the type of obstacles that women and girls face in relation to access to justice and protection in Afghanistan. It finds that across the country, while Afghans are encountering significant barriers in seeking legal recourse or redress for harms endured, the situation is particularly grave for women and girls. Their access to justice has become practically non-existent. Without a mahram, women and girls cannot access a lawyer, courts, or other institutions, and cannot seek protection or reparation from harm. By virtue of this system, women who are victims of domestic abuse, whose mahrams may also be the perpetrators of violence or exclusion, are rendered invisible, with no real hope of protection. We witness an institutionalization of the most extreme forms of gender-based discrimination and segregation. Women and girls have been systematically excluded from public life and, to a large extent, deprived of their most basic human rights, including access to secondary and higher education, health care, employment, freedom of movement, and freedom of expression. Women and girls' access to justice is so challenging, whether in the formal or the informal justice system, that it amounts to barely any access at all. This situation is especially devastating for those with intersecting and marginalized identities. And I mean women and girls from ethnic and religious minorities, women with disabilities, and from female-headed households who face heightened risks of violence, exclusion, and deprivation. They are doubly victimized in a system that already considers women and girls less deserving of rights and dignity. It is important to acknowledge that these challenges are not new. Long before the Taliban's takeover, Afghanistan's justice system suffered from structural weaknesses with entrenched corruption, limited institutional capacity, and widespread reliance on informal dispute resolution mechanisms, particularly in the rural areas. Impunity for violations committed by both national and international actors further eroded public trust and left many victims, once again, especially women and girls, without effective protection or recourse. We hope, therefore, that today's discussion will help refocus global attention on the rights of Afghan women and girls, enhance robust and sustained political engagement by the international community, along with financial support for the reforms. And I am especially pleased to welcome the Afghan women joining us today to participate in the dialogue from Afghanistan and from around the world. It is critical to ensure, dear ladies, that your voices remain at the center of this Council's deliberations. Excellencies, the credibility of our collective commitment to human rights, and especially to the fundamental rights of women and girls, is measured by our responses in situations as grave as this one. Let us act with resolve, in coordination, and with urgency.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. I now give the floor to Mr. Richard Bennett for his presentation. You have the floor.

Mr. President, Madam Deputy High Commissioner, Excellencies, delegates, colleagues and friends, I welcome and pay tribute to the women human rights defenders who will speak here today. As a Council, I ask that you hear them and the people of Afghanistan, whose demands for justice, protection, support, and solidarity are unwavering. It is our responsibility not only to listen, but also to act. My new report examines access to justice and protection for women and girls. From my extensive consultations, and from submissions from almost 200 women inside Afghanistan, it's clear that the meaning of justice can vary among and between Afghans and is shaped by different backgrounds, identities and lived experience. It involves not only legal accountability, but also the restoration of rights, access to essential services, and the creation of conditions in which women, girls, and all Afghans can live with dignity and self-determination. There is, however, a shared understanding that injustice, however understood, and the harm it causes, is profoundly felt and enduring. Today, under Taliban policies, access to justice and protection in Afghanistan has been severely compromised. It is virtually unattainable. The de facto authorities have dismantled legal and institutional frameworks and abolished crucial protection mechanisms, while support networks have either collapsed or been forced underground. The Taliban's transformation of the justice system weaponizes the legal, judicial, and social order to oppress women and girls, their allies, and LGBT persons. It is designed to enforce, entrench and sustain the group's repressive and misogynistic ideology. While all women and girls bear the brunt, those with intersecting minority and marginalized identities are especially affected. This system of gender persecution amounts to crimes against humanity and is well characterized as gender apartheid. Any talk of normalization in this context is vastly premature. Mr. President, Members of the Council, I invite you to consider the situation beyond this latest report. My 10 reports to this Council and the General Assembly since 2022 together chart an alarming trajectory of deepening discrimination and repression of the people of Afghanistan, especially women and girls, and the situation is continuing to deteriorate, whether through ever-expanding restrictions, increasing... harsh enforcement of repressive moral codes, shrinking media and civic space, the alarming increase in corporal punishment, or continuing reprisals against former members of the security forces. Against this backdrop, I am increasingly alarmed by any framing of Afghanistan as a kind of lost cause, where nothing can be done to change the situation. This is not the case, as the people of Afghanistan are showing daily. I ask When Afghanistan's future is discussed, who are the key stakeholders? The answer is, and must be, the people of Afghanistan themselves, including women, girls, and youth in all their diversity, both inside the country and in exile. It is they who will build a more inclusive, equal, and stable country. Mr. President. I also ask whether the international community, including this Council, is using all the tools at its disposal to support the people of Afghanistan, to counter creeping normalization in the face of no improvements on the ground, and to challenge the Taliban's institutionalized oppression and persecution. The answer is no. More can and must be done. including strengthening and expanding accountability measures that will tackle the pervasive impunity that continues. But there is no panacea, and effective action is needed to improve the situation on the ground now. I continue to advocate for an all-tools approach, a range of interventions that, together, exceed the sum of their parts and maximize the potential for the emergence of a safe, stable, and inclusive Afghanistan. This should include prioritizing support for Afghan-led civil society, especially women-led NGOs, providing humanitarian assistance, funding education and economic empowerment initiatives for women and girls on the ground, and assisting states who are hosting Afghan refugees. It also includes supporting men and boys, including through initiatives that empower them as positive agents of change. We, the international community, must stand firmly with the brave people of Afghanistan who continue to risk everything in pursuit of justice, dignity, and peace. I thank you.

Thank you, Richard. Je donne maintenant la parole à...

And now give the floor to the next speaker. You have the floor.

President, thank you. Let me start by thanking the Deputy High Commissioner and expressing my happiness for the presence of women and girls from Afghanistan for today's discussion. We thank the Special Rapporteur, Mr. Richard Bennett, for his last report and continued commitment. The report paints a stark but accurate picture of the situation in Afghanistan, one that Afghanistan's civil society, especially women, have been urging this Council to confront with urgency. Since the Taliban's military takeover, Afghanistan has undergone not a reform of justice, but a dismantling of it. As detailed in the report, the Taliban de facto authorities have abolished the constitution, nullified all laws protecting women and children, and replaced the legal framework with unpublished edicts issued arbitrarily at provincial or national levels. Courts are staffed entirely by Taliban-appointed male judges, often without legal training, enforcing a harsh interpretation of Sharia that lacks consistency and due process. Women and girls have been removed from every layer of the justice system as judges, prosecutors, lawyers, and complainants. The Afghanistan Independent Bar Association has been dissolved, There are no licensed female lawyers in the country today. Police units handling gender-based violence have been dismantled, and complaints of abuse, rape, or forced marriage are either ignored or lead to reprisal against the victims. The requirement of a mahram, a male guardian, to access courts, travel, even appear in public has become tool for control, silencing women by cutting them off from any form of remedy. Mr. President, since February 2025, the Taliban have escalated their repression. They have banned women from attending private medical training institutions and trained to revoke licenses of injuries that employ women. In March, the so-called Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice began enforcing bans on women's voices in public broadcasts, extending censorship to include female poets, singers, and educators. The so-called courts have overturned divorces granted under the previous government, forcing women back into abusive marriages or charging them with adultery for remarrying. Peaceful protests have been met with violence. In late February, a group of women protesting education bans in Kabul was dispersed with gunfire and several were detained at undisclosed locations. More than 40 civil society activists, including 18 minority leaders, have been arbitrarily arrested since February, with many reportedly held with change. with charge. The Taliban's general director of intelligence continue to carry out home raids, device searches, and enforced disappearances, especially targeting those suspected of dissent. Mr. President, these actions are not administrative filler. They are the core of an ideological project to enforce a gender-segregated authoritarian regime. As the last Human Rights Council resolution on Afghanistan rightly stated, this is an institutionalized system of discrimination and exclusion. As the Special Rapporteur emphasized, it may amount to crimes against humanity, including persecution on the ground of gender. Mr. President, the international community cannot cannot continue to express concern without consequences. We fully support the Special Rapporteur's recommendation to establish a new UN investigative mechanism, independent but complementary to the current mandate. It must be empowered to document violations, collect and preserve evidence, identify perpetrators, and support avenues for justice, including through the International Criminal Court and other accountability forms. Mr. President, We also stress that any engagement with the Taliban must be strictly conditioned on verifiable human rights benchmarks. These include immediate reopening of schools for girls, of all ages, removal of madam restrictions, reinstatement of women's rights to work and move freely, and the restoration of a functioning, right-respecting legal system. Empty rhetoric from the Taliban cannot substitute for measurable change. Support for Afghanistan's civil society, especially women-led organizations and excited legal professionals, must be sustained and expanded. We urge all members to act, support the creation of an investigative mechanism, strengthen international accountability, condition all engagement on human rights, and stand firmly and urgently with the people of Afghanistan, especially its women and girls.

I thank you. I now give the floor.

To Ms. Zahar for your presentation by video message.

The Taliban members of the council. My name is Zahra. I speak to you as a model, a teacher, and a woman from Afghanistan who has lived through two Taliban regimes and 20 years of hope and heartbreak. I was 13 years old when I was forced into marriage. That was the year 2000, during the first Taliban rule. The Taliban were going door to door searching for unmarried girls. My family was afraid to protect me. They arranged my marriage to my cousin. He was 20. I was still a child. I cried. My mother cried. She knew it would be painful, but believed it was safer than what the Taliban might do. I had been one of the best students in my class. All I wanted was to stay in school, but at 14, I became a mother. While other girls were holding books, I was holding a baby, my husband. did not allow me to continue my education. But I never gave up. I studied late at night and worked during the day, raising five children. Then I became a widow. I had no partner and no support. I had to be both mother and father to my children. When the Taliban were gone, Afghanistan had a period of hope. I earned my master's degree. I taught at university. became a journalist, worked for the government, and used my voice to support women. I believed we were building something better. Then, in August 2021, everything disappeared. My hopes, my job, my daughter's right to education. For 17 days, I hid with my children. Armed men came to our home with false accusations. My family helped me move from place to place. My children stopped laughing. We spoke only in whispers. There was no protection, no justice. One day, I was in a car near a Taliban checkpoint. Women were pulled out if they weren't wearing black chador and face veil. It didn't matter they were with husband. Officials from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue sat nearby with whips. They beat women on the legs and forced them to sit in the dirt. for a lesson on hijab. I watched as the men sat back in silence. Some cried. Two women refused to sit. They set their ground. Veils came down. Hands were raised. Women screamed. That day, it was not only the women who were punished. Our whole society's dignity was crushed. This is what it means when there is no justice, no system that hears us, no one to turn to, No freedom to walk outside without a mahram. No schools, no courts, no protection. The injustice continues through generations. In 2021, my daughter was 19. She dreamed of finishing school, but Taliban members began pressuring families to marry off their daughters. They sent letters offering money in a state of using force. But the message was the same, girls do not belong in a school. I faced the same nightmare my mother did. I made the same impossible decision. I married off my daughter, not because I wanted to, but because I was trying to protect her. We were lucky I chose a kind man. She is not unhappy. But many girls are not so fortunate. They are married against their will, taken out of school, and left without a future. The trauma continues. Still, I fight. My younger daughters now study in secret. Our home has become a classroom. They learn quietly, always afraid, but full of hope. To this council, I ask, where is justice for Afghan women? Where is protection for girls who want to learn? Where is the action the world once promised? We are not asking for privilege. only for rights, basic rights every human being should have. If the world stays silent, the cycle of fear and forced choices will continue. But if you stand with us, we can begin to break it. My daughter's life already mirrors mine, but I will not let the same fate reach my younger daughters. I will keep teaching them, I will keep fighting for them. I believe in them, and I ask you to believe in them too. Thank you.

Thank you very much, and I'll give the floor to Mrs. Fatima Miri for your presentation. Please go ahead.

In the name of Allah, distinguished delegates, esteemed guests, and all those committed to the values of peace, dignity, and human rights, today I speak not only with words, but with the weight of the stories, my own and those of many who cannot be here. I'm here to share a truth that must be heard. I'm just an example of many girls and women in Afghanistan who have been denied justice. I'm someone who has felt every kind of pain that girls in my country experience. I'm the girl whose school was closed. I still remember the day when they closed my school, how painful it was. I'm the student whose university was closed. After losing my eye and my ear, with all this pain that I had, I participated to my exam to study at university to show them they could not stop me, to protest against them, but they closed universities. The young woman who could no longer work in her own country, I was working and supporting my family, but they took this right from me. And in my view, justice is to have equality, to not have to fight for basic rights. After losing my eye and my ear with all the spite that I had, but they closed everything for me. Yes, I'm still standing, still speaking, still dreaming, not just for myself, but for every girl still waiting for her voice to be heard. I'm a girls' education activist. Why? Because I feel every pain that they are experiencing right now. Because when first time when the Taliban came in Afghanistan, they closed my mother's school and she couldn't continue her education. This time when they came, they closed mine. And I cannot let them to do it to the next generation. This applied every door that they has been close to us. We continue to learn and secret in the dark online through whispers, through bulk passed from hands to hand like precious treasures. Today, I do not ask for sympathy. I ask for solidarity, for support, for action. Speaking about justice and protection is not enough. We need actions. support for underground schools, protections for those fighting for the right to learn, making opportunities, amplification of voices that are being silenced every day. Education is everyone's right and shouldn't be given to a few like special privilege. And at least if the UN or other countries cannot do anything to change the policy of the Taliban, then at least they shouldn't join them. Please don't recognize Taliban. Let us ensure that the next generation of Afghan girls doesn't have to fight simply to go to school. Let us ensure that when she write her name, the world doesn't erase it. I don't want to transfer the darkness to the next generation. I want to transfer knowledge. So please be with us, and we need actions. Thank you so much.

Thank you very much.

And I give the floor to Mrs. Maryam Mitra for your presentation. Please go ahead.

Excellencies, I stand before you today not only to speak on behalf of women in Afghanistan, but also to bear witness to the systematic elimination of their presence, their rights, and their dignity. When talking about justice, I speak from personal experience, as someone who lived through the first Taliban regime and was denied the right to an education simply because I was a girl. I lived through a time when learning was a quiet act of defiance and teaching another girl was an act of resistance. Let me be clear, women and men of Afghanistan are not passive victims. They are resisting in various forms at extraordinary personal risk. They have marched in the streets knowing they might face beatings or arrests, with no fair judicial system to turn to nor institution to protect them. They have composed poetry and sang songs, turning words into acts of defiance. They have taught girls in underground classrooms, risking imprisonment but keeping hope and knowledge alive. Many have been detained, tortured, disappeared and killed, and yet still they continue to resist. Today, I do not bring only my voice into this room. Still, I also carry with me the voices of countless women and especially the voices of oppressed writers, poets, and storytellers who can no longer speak freely or whose words remain trapped behind closed doors and on silenced pages. Let me share with you a poem I composed in Farsi in honor of the resilience and resistance of the women of Afghanistan. Hey doctor, I'm a hospital. I had a in Calamra, but I make a bad, but I'm so in Panjara Delbast. Yeah, I've heard that, but no, it takes it. I know me, it's here. And was a house that I am, Robo, are not making an in-gar, more damn in-gar, more damn. But you are my son, get so good as the day, man, to heist. I got just all host 100 rose gold. Sadai Amra and car may connect. I got your current house. Both had a Zach me and chief me. Zanam. Hi, Bob. I'm Connie. Man, who's the cause of a X? I am a stem. This is the spirit we must protect. This is the voice we must amplify. And this is why your action, our collective action, is so urgently needed. As someone who has known the silence of injustice firsthand, I urge this council to take following concrete steps to enhance justice and protection for Afghan women and girls. First, formally recognize the Taliban's policies as gender apartheid and begin the process of establishing it as crime under international law. Second, ensure that women's rights remain at the center of all diplomatic engagements with de facto authorities. No political negotiation should take place without women at the table, and no agreement should be concluded if it ignores their rights. Third, support organizations that provide protection and offer judicial support, especially for women and other vulnerable groups, including scholars, activists, educators, and students. and expand safe pathways for them through humanitarian corridors, scholarships, and relocation programs. Fourth, increase support for grassroots women's organizations, many of which continue to work in hiding. Their voices must shape our responses and guide our actions. Finally, demand accountability. Impunity must never be the reward for gender persecution. The world is watching. History will judge not only those who perpetrate these crimes, but also those who remain silent in the face of such systematic oppression. I thank you.

Thank you very much.

I now invite those delegations who wish to put questions to the speakers and make comments in their statements. I remind you that the speaking time is limited to one minute, 30 seconds. for each statement, and I'll begin with the distinguished representative of Iceland on behalf of a group of countries.

Mr. President, I speak on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic states. We remain deeply concerned about the grave human rights violations and abuses, including the widespread and institutionalized system of discrimination and oppression against women and girls in Afghanistan. Systematic gender oppression has been further expanded and institutionalized, with women facing restrictions, including by removal from the justice sector. Today, the judiciary does not have any female judges or prosecutors, and no officially registered female lawyers, leaving women and girls with fewer safe channels to report violations and abuses, restricting their access to justice and protection. Furthermore, dismantling of essential legal protections and institutions safeguarding children's rights has led to a system where girls and boys are treated as adults. This not only violates their rights, it exacerbates the vulnerability of children and youth and their ability to seek justice. Afghanistan's youth must be recognized as key stakeholders. Protecting their rights and supporting their participation will be vital for building a more inclusive, peaceful, and representative Afghanistan. We call on the de facto authorities to fulfil their responsibilities to international human rights treaties ratified by Afghanistan, including by reversing policies and practices that violate these obligations. Special rapporteur, how can we support participation of civil society and youth in protecting the rights of women and girls in the current context in Afghanistan? I thank you.

Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen.

The list of speakers is now closed, and I give the floor to the distinguished representative of the European Union.

In particular for bringing the voices of the women of Afghanistan to the HRC. The human rights and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan remains catastrophic. The EU condemns the systematic and systemic human rights violations and abuses. We particularly condemn extreme gender-based discrimination by the Taliban against women and girls, which may amount to gender persecution, a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute, to which Afghanistan is a party. The EU reaffirms its support for the international criminal justice system, for the fight against impunity, for preserving the ICC's independence and integrity. The Taliban has reshaped Afghanistan's legal system to serve their ideological and misogynistic model of governance. We call on the Taliban to render their policies and practices consistent with international human rights obligations of Afghanistan. Furthermore, many Afghans are affected by entrenched harms that arise to the intersection of multiple forms of discrimination. The EU calls for the protection of the rights of persons belonging to minorities, including ethnic and religious minorities, such as the Hazara, as well as LGBTI persons. What are the viable ways to end the cycle of impunity and ensure accountability for perpetrators of violations and abuses inside Afghanistan, especially in relation violations against women and girls.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Pakistan on behalf of the OIC.

President, the OIC group thanks the Deputy High Commissioner for her presentation and takes note of the Special Rapporteur's report. We reiterate our consistent concerns over the humanitarian, human rights, and socioeconomic conditions in Afghanistan.

We remain particularly troubled by the state of human rights for women and girls in Afghanistan.

Consistent with our longstanding position, we urge the de facto Afghan authorities to uphold the rights of all Afghans, especially women and girls, by ensuring access to education and participation in the workforce. Islamic teachings are clear on these issues. We also emphasize the importance of establishing protections for individuals belonging to ethnic, religious, and cultural minorities, in accordance with both Islamic law and Afghanistan's international commitments. The OIC Group reiterates its concern that critical humanitarian funding is declining, risking the well-being of millions. The international community must intensify its humanitarian efforts to provide essential support to the most vulnerable. We also stress that using Afghan territory for terrorist activities threatens the rights of people in Afghanistan and beyond, and this must be stemmed by the de facto Afghan authorities. Finally, while reiterating the OIC Group's clear position, we regret that several parts of the SR's report continue to delve over divisive issues such as Soggy. We consider such references unnecessary and counterproductive.

I thank you.

Thank you very much.

I give the floor now to UNIFEM.

Thank you, Mr. President. UN Women welcomes the Special Rapporteur's report and its clear recognition of the Taliban's justice system as a mechanism of gender-based oppression. Since August 2021, Afghan women and girls have been systematically stripped of their rights. The dismantling of legal protection, the exclusion of women from the judiciary, and the enforcement of restrictive edicts have created a justice system that denies them safety, dignity, and redress. This system of injustice is reinforced by exclusion from public life. Women and girls are barred from education beyond grade six, denied access to most employment, and erased from political and decision-making spaces. Their participation in the workforce is minimal, and their access to financial services remains severely limited. The prevalence of violence against women remains alarmingly high. Despite these challenges, Afghan women and women-led organizations continue to demonstrate remarkable courage and resilience, many are finding ways to advocate for their rights and pursue alternative pathways to justice, including through community-based mechanisms. We echo the Special Rapporteur's calls to establish clear human rights benchmarks for engagement with the de facto authorities to ensure Afghan women's equal, meaningful, and safe participation in all discussions regarding Afghanistan, and to scale up sustained support for women-led Justice for Afghan women and girls must be central to any future vision for an inclusive Afghanistan.

I thank you.

Thank you very much.

I now give the floor to UNICEF.

Mr. President, UNICEF welcomes the report of the Special Rapporteur and this interactive dialogue. Since 2022, UNICEF has regularly alerted this Council on the dire situation of child rights in Afghanistan, especially girls. and today yet again expresses alarm at the violations of the rights of children, especially girls, in Afghanistan, and at the systemic discrimination against girls, including their lack of access to justice. Today, 2.2 million girls have been excluded from secondary school, with the number growing each academic year. Women and girls also continue to be barred from attending higher education, which now includes medical training institutes, further limiting access to health care for women. We urge the de facto authorities to comply with their legal obligations to our children in Afghanistan, especially girls. This includes immediately lifting the ban on girls' education and resuming learning for all children. It also includes ensuring access to an effective remedy for all girls whose rights are violated. Thank you.

Thank you very much.

And I'll give the floor to the distinguished representative of New Zealand.

Thank you, Mr. President. New Zealand thanks all the speakers for their presentations, and we thank the Special Rapporteur for his comprehensive report. We strongly support the mandate of the Special Rapporteur and his critical work in ensuring accountability for human rights violations and abuses. As the speakers' presentations and Special Rapporteur's report demonstrate, the human rights situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate. New Zealand remains gravely concerned by the ongoing, systematic repression of fundamental freedoms for women and girls, including severe limitations on their access to justice and right to equal participation. The Taliban must fundamentally change its approach to human rights and must comply fully with Afghanistan's obligations under international human rights law. The Taliban must rescind all edicts and decrees that curtail these fundamental freedoms and human rights. Women and girls must be allowed access to secondary and tertiary education and work. Their freedom of movement must be respected, and they must be allowed to participate fully in public life without interference and harassment. Their access to justice must be restored. Mr. President, the situation is profoundly alarming. New Zealand continues to stand with the brave people of Afghanistan. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Albania.

Thank you, Mr. President. Albania thanks the Special Rapporteur for his comprehensive report on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, with a particular focus on access to justice and protection for women and girls. We commend the Special Rapporteur's unwavering commitment to documenting the grave and systematic violation of human rights under Taliban's rule. His report provides a sobering yet essential account of institutionalized gender-based discrimination and persecution that Afghan women and girls face daily. The report's findings on the dismantling of legal protection, exclusion of women from the justice system, and the use of the justice system as a tool of repression are of particular alarm. President, Albania condemns the policies of gender persecution that have stripped Afghan women of their most basic rights: education, employment, freedom of movement, access to justice. My country has taken concrete steps to support Afghan women and refugees. Since 2021, we have welcomed over 4,000 Afghan families, providing them with shelter, healthcare, education, and integration support. Albania stands with the people of Afghanistan, especially women and girls, and will support international accountability mechanisms, including those addressing gender-based persecution. I thank you.

Thank you.

I give the floor to Spain.

Thank you, President. Spain aligns itself with the statement of the European Union and would like to thank the report from the Special Rapporteur and the other speakers. More than focusing on describing a situation of violation and generalised oppression of women's rights, we would very much like to focus on two particular points. First, pay tribute to the dignity and resistance of Afghan women and the organizations who face huge challenges but continue to speak out to claim their rights. And secondly, underline that we cannot remain indifferent before what is happening. Spain remains unwavering in its commitment to Afghan women and believes that significant measures can be taken in the International Criminal Court and the ICJ to put an end to the violation of women's rights. We note the report of the Special Rapporteur and think that this mandate can be strengthened through an independent investigation mechanism, which would contribute to guaranteeing accountability for crimes committed in Afghanistan. Mr. Bennett, how can we ensure the inclusion of Afghan women in discussions on the future of their country and the fight against impunity? Thank.

You.

Thank you. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Slovenia.

Thank you, Mr. President. Slovenia aligns with the EU statement, and we thank the Special Rapporteur for his latest report. As we approach the four-year milestone since the Taliban enforced the widespread, systematic and institutionalized system of gender-based discrimination and exclusion, the situation continues to deteriorate further. All measures that directly and indirectly hinder women's and girls' access to justice are unacceptable and deplorable. As the reform of Afghanistan's domestic accountability mechanisms remains highly unlikely, we share the view that the alleviation of the situation of Afghan women and girls requires external facilitation. We support the efforts of the international community to address these shortcomings through international accountability mechanisms. Finally, Mr. Special Rapporteur, we strongly resonate with the words of an Afghan woman cited in the report that justice isn't limited only to seeking legal recourse and services. For Afghan women, it often reflects their goals and aspirations to fully enjoy their fundamental freedoms and protections, equal and fair treatment, to be seen and heard, and to be safe. Slovenia will continue to work towards the safety, dignity, and redress for all Afghan women and girls. I thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Austria.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Austria aligns itself with the EU statement.

We thank the Special Rapporteur for his report. The Taliban's ban on education at medical institutions for female students is deeply alarming, further depriving women and girls of their right to education and weakening the healthcare system. We are further appalled by the increase in gender-based violence, forced and early marriage, and cases of women detainees.

Being sexually abused and assaulted by the Taliban de facto authorities.

We are also concerned by the widespread and systematic human rights violations carried out in Afghanistan, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detention, enforced disappearances, and acts of torture against former government officials, security personnel, journalists, and human rights defenders. We urge the de facto authorities to immediately stop public executions and abolish the death penalty by establishing, as a first step, an official moratorium. Austria reiterates its call on the de facto authorities to abide by Afghanistan's international human rights obligations, including under the CEDAW, and to uphold the principles of non-discrimination and the rule of law.

I thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of North Macedonia.

Mr. President, Afghanistan is experiencing a grave human rights crisis. Since the Taliban's return to power in 2021, women and girls have been systematically excluded from public life. Legal protection has been dismantled, independent institutions dissolved, and access to justice has nearly vanished. Today, there are no women judges or registered lawyers. The elimination of violence against women law has been suspended. Specialized courts and shelters have been closed. Women cannot appear in court without a male guardian. And those who report violence risk arrest, public punishment, or worse. What remains is not a justice system, but a system of repression, one that punishes women for seeking safety, denies them education, and strips them of voice and dignity. Yet even under these circumstances, Afghan women continue to resist. quietly, courageously, and often at great personal risk. They are defending rights, supporting one another, and demanding international attention. We must listen to them. We must support women-led organizations, protect those at risk, and hold perpetrators accountable. Justice must be more than a word. It must be a promise kept. I thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Croatia.

Mr. President, Croatia aligns with the EU statement. We thank all the panelists and Special Rapporteur for his report. Afghanistan is experiencing a profound human rights crisis that has reshaped the lives of its people, especially women and girls, who have been deprived of their fundamental rights and arised from public life. The report undeniably shows that these deprivations are systematic and backed by the legal and justice system controlled by the de facto authorities and designed to enforce and sustain the repressive and misogynistic ideology. We strongly condemn these practices that may amount to crimes against humanity. We are deeply saddened to hear about the lack of legal and institutional frameworks and protection mechanisms for women and girls, and especially victims of sexual and gender-based violence. they're left without any support and often forced to return to their abusers. Croatia calls on the de facto authorities to abide by the obligations under the CEDAW and the CRC, to which Afghanistan is a party. We also strongly condemn the reinstatement of corporal punishment, including public flogging and executions, and urge the de facto authorities to introduce an immediate moratorium on the death penalty and with a view to its abolition. Mr. Special Rapporteur, how can international community ensure the representative, equal and safe participation of Afghan women in all discussions concerning the country's future. I thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Luxembourg.

Thank you, Mr. President. Luxembourg aligns with the statement by the European Union. We thank the Deputy High Commissioner for the introduction and the Special Rapporteur for the presentation of his report, as well as all of the panelists for their contributions. We pay tribute to the Afghan women present in this room and on our screens, whose voices have been reduced to silence in their own country. However, without them, there can be no peace or sustainable development in Afghanistan. The human rights situation in Afghanistan remains extremely concerning. Luxembourg condemns widespread human rights violations, especially the systematic persecution of Afghan women and girls. which is persecuted as a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute, Luxembourg reaffirms its support for the international criminal justice system. It reaffirmed this by aligning with the referral of the situation in Afghanistan to the ICC, alongside five other states. We call on the Taliban to abide by obligations from international conventions to which the country is party. We also call for the protection of minority members, including ethnic and religious minorities, as well as LGBTI persons. Mr. Special Rapporteur, Luxembourg supports your recommendation 111A on establishing a comprehensive accountability mechanism. We are convinced that the gravity of the situation requires a firmer response from the international community, which should open the way for accountability for the Afghan people. Thank you.

Thank you, and I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Italy.

Mr. President, distinguished Deputy Commissioner, Italy aligns itself with the EU statement and thanks the Special Rapporteur for his report. We are appalled by the ongoing deterioration of the human rights situation in Afghanistan, particularly the systematic.

And the institutionalized oppression of women and girls. They continue to face unacceptable.

Restriction on their rights and freedoms, including the dismantling of legal protections, exclusion from public life, and imposition of discriminatory practices. While underscoring the need for justice and accountability, Italy notes with concern the assessment that such systematic oppression may amount to a gender persecution, a crime against humanity under the Rome

status to which Afghanistan is a party?

We are also deeply concerned about the situation of children deprived of basic rights and services, and the women and girls from minorities and marginalized groups. Italy remains steadfast in its commitment to addressing this dire human rights situation. In that regard, Mr. Special Rapporteur, how can the international community most effectively support Afghan women and girls and promote tangible improvements in their full enjoyment of human rights?

Thank you.

I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Pakistan.

Mr. President, Pakistan thanks the Deputy High Commissioner and the Special Rapporteur for their presentations. While taking note of the Special Rapporteur's report, we reiterate our repeated concerns regarding the humanitarian crisis and ongoing human rights violations in the country. Pakistan maintains a clear stance on the importance of safeguarding and advancing human rights for all, with particular emphasis on the rights of women and girls. We acknowledge the Special Rapporteur's concerns over the exclusion of Afghan women from the Afghan judicial system and its negative impact on the enjoyment of human rights by the people of Afghanistan, especially women and girls. We underline that women empowerment remains vital for holistic socio-economic development of any society, and that the interim authorities in Afghanistan must fulfill their obligations under international law in this regard. Earlier this year, Pakistan organized an international conference focused on girls' education, reaffirming it as a fundamental right in line with Islamic teachings and international human rights law. Mr. President, Pakistan has hosted Afghan people with unmatched hospitality and warmth. However, terrorism originating from within Afghanistan continues to pose a significant threat to both our nation and the broader region. Regrettably, the TTP, Fitna al-Khwarij, continues to target innocent civilians in Pakistan, thereby threatening our citizens and undermining their human rights. We therefore urge the Afghan internal authorities to honour their commitments under international law and the Doha Agreement, and ensure that Afghan territory is not used for terrorist activities against neighboring countries. A stable and peaceful Afghanistan is essential for peace and development of the entire region.

Thank you. I give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Australia.

Thank you, President. We thank the Special Rapporteur for his latest report and all panelists for their contributions. The situation in Afghanistan is disturbing. The Taliban has effectively erased women and girls from public life, denying access to education, employment and freedom of movement. Australia is deeply concerned by your findings that the Taliban's institutionalised system of discrimination, oppression and domination amounts to crimes against humanity. Survivors of violence, particularly women and girls, have no recourse to fair or independent legal remedies, legal representation or protection mechanisms, allowing perpetrators of violence to act with impunity. Australia is deeply committed to supporting accountability for human rights abuses and violations in Afghanistan. In 2024, Australia joined with Canada, Germany and the Netherlands to invoke Afghanistan's responsibility under international law for violations of the rights of women and girls, a global first for action of this kind. We call on Afghanistan to comply with its obligations under international law and end its systemic campaign of gender-based discrimination, segregation and violence against women and girls. What more can the international community do to ensure accountability for the Taliban's actions?

Thank you.

Thank you, and I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Kuwait.

Thank you, President. The delegation of Kuwait has read the report of the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan. My delegation is deeply concerned at the ongoing deterioration of the situation in Afghanistan. There are severe restrictions imposed on women and girls, including depriving them of education, jobs, and participation in public life. This is on top of suffering that has been endured by the Afghan people due to humanitarian and economic crises. The human rights situation in Afghanistan will require a comprehensive approach based on respect for the rule of law and participation by all segments of society, especially women and girls, in the development process. In this regard, my delegation will continue to support the Afghan people and This is part of our constant efforts to mitigate their suffering and improve living conditions in key sectors such as education, health and nutrition. Finally, we call for collective international action to promote independent action of the OHCHR in Afghanistan. We must urge the de facto authorities in Afghanistan to abide by their obligations under international human rights law to stop all discrimination against women and girls, they must open up the way for international civil society to promote human dignity. Thank you.

I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Montenegro.

Mr. President, we remain deeply concerned about the unabated acute human rights and humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, in particular the unrelenting severe oppression of women and girls. As reported, the Taliban have transformed the legal and judicial system to enforce, entrench, and sustain the group's ideological, repressive, and misogynistic model of governance and to solidify their control over all of Afghan society. We strongly condemn and express systematic and institutionalized system of extreme gender-based discrimination and exclusion of women and girls under Taliban rule. This may amount to gender-based prosecution, a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute, or gender apartheid, as increasingly termed. Special Rapporteur, you make clear prospects for achieving justice inside the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan are virtually nonexistent. You therefore point To international mechanisms is the only currently available avenues to hold the Taliban accountable and to keep alive the hope of justice for Afghan women and girls. This includes the arrest warrants requested by the ICC for gender-based persecution and the launch of the accountability initiative under the CEDAW Convention, which Montenegro has also supported from the beginning. Montenegro reiterates its firm support. to the Special Rapporteur's mandate, as well as to ANAMA and other UN mechanisms in Afghanistan. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of France.

Mr. Special Rapporteur, nearly four years after the Taliban came to power by force, the situation of Afghan women has only deteriorated. France aligns with the EU statement and thanks you for your work. which documents the systematic violations that women and girls in Afghanistan are suffering at the hands of the Taliban. They cannot take public transport alone, they are obliged to hide their faces, and this deprives them of their voice and is dehumanizing. In addition to the ban on access to medical training, women are suffering many other violations. France strongly condemns this dehumanizing and reprehensible policy against women and girls. This could be characterized as gender-based persecution, constituting a crime against humanity. This is why France and five other countries referred the situation to the International Criminal Court in November 2024. No return to normal will be foreseeable without an immediate and full cessation of these violations, as called for by resolution 2593 of the Security Council, France supports any initiative to bolster the fight against impunity. Given the stubbornness and obscurantism of the Taliban, France stands in solidarity with Afghan women and will continue its cooperation with the UN and NGOs. Mr. Bennett, what, in your view, are some ways to strengthen the fight against impunity? Thank you.

Thank you, says the chair. And I give the floor to the Republic of Korea.

The President. The Republic of Korea thanks the Special Rapporteur for his comprehensive report and continued dedication. We remain deeply concerned about the systematic discrimination and oppression Afghan women and girls continue to face. Their access to education, employment, health care, and freedom of movement is severely restricted, effectively excluding them from public life. We are particularly troubled by the report's conclusion that Taliban-controlled justice system serves as a tool for further institutionalization of gender-based discrimination and domination. Dismantling protective laws and institutions, reinstating corporal punishment for so-called moral offenses, and excluding women from legal representation and due process show a system that reinforces discrimination rather than provides protection. Despite these restrictions, Afghan women, human rights defenders, and civil society continue to speak out with courage. As we mark the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, we are reminded of our collective responsibility to defend women's rights and amplify their voices. Mr. Special Rapporteur, what form of international support and cooperation would be most effective in helping Afghan women and girls reclaim access to justice and protection? I thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Belgium.

President, Belgium aligns with the EU statement and thanks the Special Rapporteur for his reports and the women human rights defenders for their important contributions. The crackdown on Afghan human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, protesters, civil society activists and minority groups continues. The rollback on women's rights in Afghanistan is unprecedented, effectively erasing women from public life. As your report points out, these human rights violations are met with impunity in a hostile legal system that is weaponized by the Taliban to oppress women, girls, LGBTQI+ persons and their allies. Belgium reminds that Afghanistan is a State Party to CEDAW and should respect the rights this Convention guarantees to women and girls. My country looks forward to the upcoming review by the CEDAW Committee. The situation in Afghanistan is also a litmus test for international commitments on gender equality, on accountability, and also regarding the women, peace, and security agenda. We all know that women's participation in peace processes and the economy is deeply interlinked with their involvement in political life and decision-making, and this should also apply to Afghan women. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Indonesia.

Thank you, Mr. President.

We took note of the Sr. report on restriction of access to justice and protection for women and girls in Afghanistan. We remain deeply concerned by the continued derogation of human rights in Afghanistan, which disproportionately affect women and girls. suspension of laws and regulations that once have guarded their rights, and imposition of discriminatory policies that severely limit their participation in public life. We urge the de facto authority to reverse these regressive practices. Ensuring women's access to justice and their representation within legal system is essential to building an inclusive and just society. Mr. President, we are also alarmed that WFP WFP's nutrition program this year faced a 60% cut, leaving over 30,000 women and children suffering from acute malnutrition without assistance. As basic rights, food, health, and education serve as a strong foundation for Afghan women and girls to claim all their rights and secure a better future. Indonesia remains committed to the empowerment of Afghan women and girls, including through provision of educational scholarships. We will continue to support the restoration of fundamental rights of Afghan women and girls, as well as the whole people of Afghanistan.

Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of the United Kingdom.

Thank you, Mr. President. Special Rapporteur, we welcome your dedication to highlighting the grave human rights situation in Afghanistan. The UK fully supports your mandate. As you have outlined, as we approach the fourth anniversary of Taliban rule, women and girls are denied their right to education, employment, freedom of movement and expression. Discrimination against so many is compounded by the lack of accessible, affordable and impartial judicial institutions. The Taliban must reverse these inhumane restrictions to ensure a brighter future for all Afghans, including minorities such as LGBT+ individuals and people from ethnic Hazara communities. 23 million Afghans are in need of humanitarian assistance. The UK continues to provide assistance, working with the UN and others. We remain committed to working constructively with Afghanistan for an Afghanistan at peace with itself, its neighbors and the international community. Afghanistan cannot achieve long-term stability and prosperity while half its population is systematically excluded from society. The international community must remain united in ensuring accountability and in urging the Taliban to change direction. Special Rapporteur, what are the short and long-term consequences of this erosion of justice for Afghan society as a whole?

Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Czechia.

Thank you, Mr. President. Czechia aligns itself with the EU statement. We thank the Special Rapporteur for his comprehensive and deeply concerning report. The systemic dismantling of Afghanistan's legal and institutional frameworks has rendered justice inaccessible, particularly for women and girls. Justice and access to justice are fundamental rule of law elements. Denial of justice undermines trust in the institutional framework. It is the state's key role to ensure justice and accountability for human rights violations in line with its international legal obligations. Human rights of the individual holder must be in the center of the system of justice, and no concept, not even the family honor, can surpass it. We urge Afghanistan to hold the perpetrators of human rights violations accountable and ensure that women are guaranteed the right to a fair trial. Czechia supports the establishment of an independent investigative mechanism with a comprehensive mandate to document and address violations and abuses of international human rights and humanitarian law. Mr. Special Rapporteur, how do you see Afghanistan's prospects for achieving the path to stability and democracy and a resilient and democratic governance structure? I thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Qatar.

Thank you, President. At the outset, we wish to thank the Special Rapporteur for his efforts and take note of his report presented to the Council. Afghan people suffered for decades from conflicts, natural disasters, and from terrorism. Afghanistan is currently facing social, humanitarian, political, and economic challenges, which in its turn affect protection and enforcement of human rights. Countering the challenges requires further efforts in order to engage with all Afghan stakeholders in order to reach resolutions that achieves development and stability. Qatar lived up to its commitment as an international partner through mediation and through hosting, together with the UN, meetings of special envoys on Afghanistan in order to reinforce international consensus on various key issues. Add to that Qatar's support, humanitarian support in order to alleviate humanitarian suffering of Afghan people. In the same light, Qatar was keen to include human rights issues. in its negotiations with Afghan partners, particularly support women's participation in peacemaking and peacemaking, and ensuring their right to education and labor, and ensuring the rights of all Afghanis. In closing, we call upon the international community to provide technical and financial resources and to finance the humanitarian response plan in order to ensure dignity for Afghanis.

And thank you.

Ireland aligns with the statement of the EU and we thank the Special Rapporteur and all the speakers for sharing their experience.

The presentations provide an abhorrent description of the situation facing women and girls due to the Taliban's actions, which overtly aim to undermine access to justice and protection.

We are appalled by the Taliban's continued attack on women and girls' human rights, including access to education, employment, health and justice.

This continued targeting of women.

And girls by the Taliban may amount to gender persecution, a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute. The Taliban's ongoing pursuit to undermine the human rights of marginalised communities is unacceptable.

This includes the targeting of the Hazaras, members of the LGBTIQ+ community and other vulnerable groups.

Ireland condemns in the strongest terms the Taliban's ongoing gross, widespread and systematic human rights abuses in Afghanistan.

And we call for accountability of those who are responsible.

We also call on the Taliban to ensure the immediate reversal of all decrees.

Undermining the inalienable human rights of Afghans, including the rights enshrined in the CRC and CEDAW, to which Afghanistan?

Is a State party. Special Rapporteur, how best can the international community support efforts to ensure justice and accountability in Afghanistan?

Thank you.

Thank you very much. I now give the floor to Switzerland.

Thank you very much. Switzerland would like to thank the speakers for this morning and the Special Rapporteur. We are still deeply concerned by the human rights situation in Afghanistan, which is marked by persistent institutionalized oppression. In particular, the rights of women and girls are still being systematically violated. Exclusion from public life, a ban on access to education and employment, as well as restrictions on freedom of movement. These discriminatory measures can be deemed to be gender-based persecution, as per the definition of international law. We categorically condemn public executions. The number of these has recently worryingly increased. These practices are in counter to human rights and violate the absolute prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatments which are incompatible with international law. We're also extremely alarmed by the continued shrinking of civil society, and that includes the suppression of critical voices, journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society. Switzerland would call on the Taliban to put an end to these violations and respect international obligations and reestablish a safe, inclusive environment based on the rights of the entire population. Special Rapporteur, how do you envisage enhanced cooperation between your mandate and the United Nations Mission for Assistance in Afghanistan?

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Canada.

Thank you very much. Canada warmly welcomes the report of the Special Rapporteur. Violence and discrimination on a persistent, systematic basis perpetrated by the de facto authorities in Afghanistan, including sexual violence and gender-based violence, are extremely concerning. The exclusion from women and girls from education, employment, political participation, and the judiciary system is unprecedented. These measures constitute not only a flagrant violation of their fundamental rights, but also imperil peace and security on a long-term basis in Afghanistan. The alarming reports reflect gender-based violence, notably sexual violence in detention. These are cases that should be considered as a matter of urgency. All of the victims and all of the survivors of violations of individual rights require accountability and justice. We support international efforts to investigate and demand accountability from the authorities, including under the CEDAW Convention. We remain unwavering in our calls for the protection of protectors of human rights in Afghanistan, who continue to plead for justice despite the huge risks to their life. How can the international community support the documentation of gender-based crimes in Afghanistan? Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. And I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Japan.

Thank you, Mr. President, and all distinguished speakers for your powerful, well-reasoned briefing.

Japan.

Remains deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Afghanistan, particularly the institutionalized gender oppression faced by women and girls. The exclusion of women from the justice system and the resulting barriers to legal access have long been alarming. The Special Rapporteur further highlights that for vulnerable groups such as ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, and refugees.

Access to justice and protection is often completely out of reach.

Japan expresses its deep concern over these multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and underscores the importance of ensuring justice and protection for all Afghans. As noted in the report, civil society remains a vital source of hope. We are seriously concerned that many NGOs face growing restrictions, surveillance, and arbitrary detention. The international committee must stay engaged with Afghan people. The denial of education, economic hardship, and social stigma are worsening the situation for women and marginalized groups. For its part, Japan will continue to provide support for returnees, internally displaced persons, maternal and child health services, and women's empowerment.

We will continue to urge the.

Taliban to reverse its oppressive policies and reiterate our continued commitment to peace, stability, and human rights in Afghanistan. I thank you. Thank you very much.

And I give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Netherlands. You have the floor.

Do we have microphone for the Netherlands?

Yeah, now it works. Thank you, President. The Kingdom of the Netherlands aligns itself with the EU statement and thanks all speakers for their powerful interventions. The human rights situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate from an already disastrous level. Millions of Afghans are suffering daily. Since August 2021, we have witnessed systematic violations of human rights and discrimination of minority groups. In particular, Afghan women and girls have been systematically stripped of their most fundamental rights. The Special Rapporteur clearly points out in his report that the Taliban's policies of gender persecution have serious implications for women's access to justice. The basic right of equality before the law is not even respected. The systematic discrimination and exclusion of 50% of Afghans' population from all aspects of life has serious implications for Afghanistan's future. What will this future look like if women, for example, can't even go to a doctor? As the international community, we must continue to insist that Afghanistan adheres to its obligations under CEDAW, and we must continue to insist on the inclusion of the voices of women and girls in all aspects of Afghanistan's future. There can be no steps towards normalization of diplomatic relations without significant improvements in the human rights situation. Mr. Special Rapporteur, how do we ensure accountability for the serious human rights violations in Afghanistan?

Thank you.

Thank you very much, and I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Bulgaria.

Mr. President, Bulgaria aligns with the EU statement, and we thank the Special Rapporteur for his presentation. Bulgaria remains deeply concerned about the systematic human rights violations and abuses which continue to take place in Afghanistan. We are alarmed by the ongoing pursuance of measures and practices that strip women and girls in Afghanistan of their rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular the so-called law for the promotion of virtue and the prevention of vice. We call for the elimination of the institutionalized system of discrimination, segregation, and exclusion of women and girls, which denies them the right to education, freedom of expression, movement, work, and access to justice, and thus precludes their full, equal, and meaningful participation in all spheres of public and political life in Afghanistan. Bulgaria joins others in condemning the continuing gender-based discrimination in Afghanistan, which may amount to persecution of women and girls on grounds of gender, a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute. Furthermore, we remain deeply concerned over the dismantling of key legal safeguards and institutions protecting children from violations and abuses of their rights. We therefore call upon the de facto authorities in Afghanistan to abide by the international obligations of the country, including those under the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. I thank you.

Thank you very much.

I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Malta.

Thank you, Mr. President. Malta aligns itself with the statement of the EU and thanks the Special Rapporteur for his report. Since the Taliban's return to power, women and girls have faced systematic exclusion from public life. Over 70 edicts and directives have been issued that severely restrict their rights to education, employment, freedom of movement, and access to justice. We are alarmed by the dismantling of legal protections for survivors of gender-based violence and the closure of women's shelters. Access to justice is a cornerstone of human rights. A society that excludes half its population cannot prosper. The systematic denial of the human rights of women and girls in Afghanistan is not only a grave injustice, it is a barrier to any form of sustainable peace, stability, or development. We call on the de facto authorities to restore women's and girls' access to justice and to ensure their equal participation in all aspects of society. In conclusion, we reiterate our support for the Special Rapporteur and all other UN structures and mechanisms assisting Afghanistan. I thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of South Africa.

Mr. President, today is Youth Day in South Africa, where we commemorate the struggles waged by the students of 1976, many of whom were women and girls who took to the streets on the 16th of June, ushering in an unprecedented wave of protest over the decades that followed, which ultimately served to bring the apartheid state to its knees. In so doing, the women and girls of '76 were fighting for equality for women and girls, not only at home, but everywhere. As such, South Africa cannot turn a blind eye to the cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment being borne by women and girls in Afghanistan, nor their valiant resistance on the front lines, which we are duty-bound to support. Already stripped of their human rights and fundamental freedoms simply because they are women and girls, they are similarly being denied access to justice and protection as a tool to further institutionalise the widespread systematic gender-based discrimination and exclusion being perpetrated against them. This misogyny is intentional and as such may amount to the crime against humanity of persecution on grounds of gender. Accordingly, South Africa believes that those responsible must be held accountable. As part of this process, any accountability mechanism must, however, adopt a comprehensive approach covering both past and ongoing violations, building on the basis laid by HRC Resolution 57/3. I thank you.

Thank you very much, and I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Greece.

Thank you, Mr. President. Greece aligns with the EU statement and thanks the Special Rapporteur for his report. We remain gravely concerned by the continued erosion of fundamental rights in Afghanistan, particularly the systemic discrimination against women and girls and their exclusion from public life and justice mechanisms. This is a crime against the whole Afghan people and its future. As reflected in the report, access to justice for Afghan women is virtually non-existent, as discriminatory policies prevent them from approaching courts or legal institutions. Furthermore, the Taliban's restrictive policies have institutionalized gender-based discrimination in all aspects of life: education, movement, appearance, and participation. We stress the urgent need for a transitional justice process that is inclusive, survivor-centered, and grounded in international human rights law, a process that ensures full and meaningful participation of Afghan women and girls, regardless of ethnic and/or religious background, and developed in close cooperation with relevant UN mechanisms, including the OHCHR. We strongly support all efforts to explore international accountability avenues, to address serious violations, and to uphold the rights of Afghan women and girls. In this vein, the Council's role to maintain close monitoring of the situation and to ensure the protection of human rights in Afghanistan is crucial. I thank you.

Thank you very much.

I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Romania.

Mr. President, Romania aligns itself with the EU's statement and welcomes the speakers for their interventions today. We know the focus of a report presented that, unfortunately, lays bare the catastrophic erosion of the access to justice for Afghan women and girls under the Taliban regime. The erasure of Afghan women and girls from all spheres of public life continues unabated. Your report, Special Rapporteur, underscores well that the Taliban's justice system is a tool of systemic oppression where all due process or form of transparency are lacking, and where laws, edicts, and decrees are strictly directed at depriving women of their rights to education, health care, movement, legal protection, or public participation. Challenging oppressing policies is met with public floggings, arbitrary detention, coupled with acts of torture and sexual violence. Romina stands firmly in condemning the Taliban's institutionalized and systemic discrimination of women and girls, and echoes the global call to ensure proper pathways for accountabilities for the crimes committed. Special Rapporteur, while women face legal proceedings conducted entirely by men with no right to self legal representation or appeal, do you see any specific safeguards or international interventions that could help mitigate these violations in the absence of functioning legal institutions in Afghanistan? without endangering the fragile civil society in the country.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Sierra Leone.

Sir President, we do not seek to take the floor this time.

Thank you very much.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Thank you, Mr. President. The current paralyzing challenges in Afghanistan are the legacy of endured years of extra-regional interference in this country, with their inconsideration of human rights and long-lasting consequences. Afghan women and girls have been the primary victims of such situation that suffered the most and require proportionate attention the most. Bearing this in mind, we believe that the problems in Afghanistan does not limit to situation of women and girls. A holistic approach to all dimensions of the current situation with consideration of root causes should be taken into account. Mr. President, Iran shares a historical neighborhood enriched with deep cultural, linguistic, and social ties with Afghanistan. All challenges in Afghanistan, mainly the destructive presence of foreign forces in Afghanistan during last decades, had its spillover and continuous negative effect on Iran. For decades, we have kept our doors open to people of Afghanistan, and today around 5 million of them live in our country in a well-integrated manner in all segments of our society. The illegitimate and unjustified act of occupier Israel on starting war against Iran Attacking civilian areas, breaking food and water resources, and blindly killing innocent people is both impacting Iranian civilians and our...

Thank you. I remind the delegates that you are invited to speak to the agenda item being discussed. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Chile.

Thank you very much, President. We would like to thank the Special Rapporteur for the report and very much value the mandate being carried out to document rigorously the grave situation of human rights in Afghanistan. We are deeply concerned by the normative framework imposed by the de facto authorities. It is tantamount to a structure of domination over women and children, with possible implications for crimes against humanity. The report shows how the state apparatus has been used to impose systematic restrictions, exclusion from public space of women, a ban on secondary and higher education, the dismantling of the Human Rights Commission and the denial of guarantees of due process. Chile reaffirms its commitment to substantive equality with a feminist foreign policy, which promotes the use of international law as a tool against institutionalized discrimination. We value the proposal to open a serious debate on how gender apartheid can be conceived legally. We recognize that this is something that can be used to effectively combat gender segregation. The international community cannot allow such structural, serious violations. The principles of universality of human rights require concerted and sustained response. In your experience, Mr. Special Rapporteur, what would be the technical and legal key elements which multilateral actors and states could consider to drive and possible codification of gender apartheid?

Thank you very much. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Malaysia.

Malaysia thanks the Special Rapporteur for his report and aligns itself with the statement of the OIC. We reaffirm the importance of ensuring access to justice for all, especially for women and girls, including the right to education, which is a fundamental component of the rule of law, human dignity and sustainable peace. Justice systems should be accessible to all and provide protections against discrimination, violence and exclusion. We appreciate the role of the special rapporteur in undertaking a series of consultations and dialogues with relevant stakeholders in the hope to achieve a sustainable solution for human rights issues related to the rights of women and girls. While the call for the establishment of an accountability mechanism to undertake a comprehensive investigation on the human rights issues is important, we are also mindful of the potential budget implications of such a mechanism. Given the UN liquidity crisis, we encourage the identification of practical approaches focusing on delivering tangible support for the Afghan people, while ensuring that resources of the organization fit the purpose and address the needs of the situation concerned. Finally, Malaysia remains steadfast in its support to the Afghan people by providing necessary humanitarian assistance and capacity-building programs through the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Program. Thank you.

Thank you very much. And I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ukraine.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Ukraine expresses its sincere appreciation to the Special Rapporteur, Mr. Richard Bennett, for his comprehensive report. We remain greatly concerned about the widespread, systematic and institutionalized discrimination against women and girls in Afghanistan, which may amount to crimes against humanity and has been.

Described as have been described in Afghan women as gender apartheid.

The dismantling of legal protection, the imposition of repressive edicts, and the exclusion of women from public and professional life have critically undermined access to justice. Particularly alarming are the intersecting forms of discrimination affecting minority, LGBTQIA+, disabled, rural, displaced, and female-headed households. Ukraine strongly condemns the return of corporal punishment and the instrumentalization of the justice system to reinforce repression. We are deeply troubled by the persecution of former female security personnel, civil society members, and the.

Complete removal of women from the judiciary.

We urge the Taliban to immediately cease all human rights violations, restore protection for women and girls, and end its defiance of international human rights law and the principles of the UN Charter. Ukraine calls on the international community to support efforts to ensure accountability, including through international legal mechanisms such as the International Criminal Court.

We stand firmly.

The Afghan people in their pursuit of justice, dignity and freedom.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Very much, and I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Malawi.

Malawi thanks the Special Rapporteur for the comprehensive report, which details the overall situation of human rights in Afghanistan, particularly the access to justice and protection of women and girls and the impact of multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. We note with concern the continued curtailment of women's and girls' enjoyment of their fundamental rights and freedoms through a succession of restrictive edicts, orders and practices that have effectively arrested opportunities for women and girls in public and political life. We call upon the authorities to rescind discriminatory edicts and decrees that deny the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls and enable their access to education and work. respect their freedom of movement and cease interference with other aspects of their daily lives. We note the recommendations made by the Special Rapporteur and urge the international community to play its critical role in ensuring that Afghanistan returns to full observance of the rule of law and human rights.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you very much. We now move on to the list of national Human Rights Institute and NGOs Anagh, the Vultamala and Corporate.

Mr. President, Special Rapporteur and distinguished delegates, good afternoon. The Gender Persecution in Afghanistan Accountability Working Group and the Afghanistan LGBTIQ Organization, ALLO, welcome the UN Special Rapporteur's report. We agree that the Taliban weaponizes the legal, judicial and social order to oppress women, girls and LGBTIQ people. The Taliban subject women, girls and LGBTIQ people to arbitrary detention, sexual violence and other torture. Its systematic rights deprivations amount to crimes of gender persecution and should also be called gender apartheid. We insist on Afghan victims' meaningful participation in negotiations on Afghanistan's future, whether in Doha, with UNAMA or elsewhere. We echo the UN Special Rapporteur's call for the international community to: 1. Establish a comprehensive, independent, international investigative mechanism to document past and ongoing crimes against women, girls, and LGBTIQ people; and 2. Support the International Criminal Court's efforts to hold the Taliban accountable and the State's efforts to bring Afghanistan before the International Court of Justice for rights violations under CEDAW. And three, expand humanitarian aid, protection and asylum pathways for Afghan women, girls and LGBTIQ people and those with disabilities and support their organizations to provide aid and document rights violations. Thank you so much for your attention.

Thank you. We'll give the floor to Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development.

Mr. President, the Taliban regime has left no doubt about the kind of society it seeks to impose in Afghanistan, one defined by the complete subjugation and domination of women and the erasure of fundamental human rights. Women and girls are stripped of all freedoms under a system of gender apartheid. As the Special Rapporteur highlights, this is not merely discrimination. It is an institutionalized violence enforced through so-called judiciary designed to uphold misogyny and silence dissent. This system enables atrocities with impunity against religious minorities and ethnic communities such as Hazaras, LGBTQs, HRDs, journalists, and critics. The Taliban has made its intention clear, yet the international community continues to fall short, offering words of condemnation while quietly inching toward normalization and engagement with a regime that has shown no willingness to meet its human rights obligation. Worse still, Afghanistan women and girls are being systematically excluded from conversations about their own country's future, sidelined in the name of political expediency. We re-emphasise the urgent need for an independent international accountability mechanism with a comprehensive mandate to investigate, establish facts, collect and preserve evidence, identify perpetrators and support future prosecutions. Such a mechanism is not optional. It is essential if we are to ensure that the people of Afghanistan are not denied justice once Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to Outright Action International.

Mr. President, Special Rapporteur, and distinguished delegates, HAMRAH welcomes the Special Rapporteur's report and echoes his findings on the devastating consequences of the dismantling of justice and protection frameworks by the de facto authorities. In today's Afghanistan, women and girls are deliberately and systematically prevented from accessing justice. Complaints, especially in cases involving domestic and sexual violence and forced marriage, are routinely ignored or dismissed. Without protection, survivors of gender-based violence must remain in abusive households. Additional layers of discrimination for those with disabilities and with diverse sexual orientation or gender identity make justice and protection inaccessible to them. Yet civil society groups are navigating the highly restricted space to provide some protection. HAMRAH therefore underscores the need to invest in grassroots organisations in Afghanistan and in exile to enable them to respond to the needs of women and girls in all their diversity. Recognise that for LGBTIQ people and others, protection requires safe, secure asylum pathways. increase pressure on the Taliban to reverse discriminatory laws and policies, and to ensure support for international accountability processes.

I give the floor to Action for Development.

Mr. President, we thank the special reporter for his important work and the report today. We should speak of the couple of justice system and the independence of courts. I want to say honestly, what you read in the reports and see in media, it's only a small part of the big picture. The situation in Afghanistan is much worse than it seems. Today, not only women, but also men are also facing violence and torture. I'm one of the women who protested in Afghanistan. I paid a huge price. I was arrested and tortured by the Taliban. But those women who to escape for this violence, especially protestor women living in fear in the neighbors countries like Iran and Pakistan. We, the women of Afghanistan, ask the Council and the members of the State, first, create independent accountability mechanism; second, recognize gender apartheid as a crime against humanity; and the third, do not normalize the human rights violation under any excuse. And the end, We ask for justice. Without justice, there can be no unanimity and peace. Thank you for your attention.

Thank you. We'll give the floor to the Minority Rights Group.

Mr. Chair, Mr. Special Rapporteur, Minority Rights Group and Bloc Analyst Network express alarm at the ongoing and systematic persecution of the Hazaras in Afghanistan. Hazaras face total political exclusion under de facto authorities. This marginalisation is coupled with policies that threaten their survival and dignity. Across Hazara-populated districts, we are witnessing the forced displacement of families, seizure of ancestral lands, and resettlement of Taliban-affiliated individuals. In Khost, where we've gone alone, at least 14 Hazaras have been arbitrarily killed by Taliban-backed groups from neighboring areas, forcing many families to flee, with their homes and land subsequently confiscated. The Law on Personal Affairs of Shia Muslims has been revoked, removing essential legal protection linked to Hazara religious identity. Equally alarming is the confiscation and redistribution of humanitarian aid, aid collected by the Hazara community is diverted by local and channeled to Taliban supporters. In education, Hazar academics are being systematically removed and replaced with Taliban-aligned religious clerics. We are particularly concerned by rising reports of gender-based violence against Hazar women and girls, including sexual violence, forced disappearances, and arbitrary detention. Those who formerly served in Afghanistan's security forces are especially at risk, having been abandoned by the international community, left vulnerable to Taliban reprisals. We urge this Council to establish an independent investigative mechanism with a comprehensive mandate, able to thoroughly investigate past and ongoing violations and crimes committed in Afghanistan, including against the Hazaras. We also call on all stakeholders to ensure the full and meaningful inclusion of the Hazaras in all policies and processes concerning Afghanistan. I thank you.

Thank you. I'd like to remind all the speakers to be careful about the speed of their interventions. It may have an impact on the quality of interpretation. Thank you for that. I give the floor to Afghanistan Democracy and Development Organization.

Mr. President, on behalf of the Afghanistan Democracy and Development Organization, OMCT, HRD+, and CCHR, we remain gravely concerned about the ongoing systematic institutionalized discrimination, target violence, and exclusion of minority groups from education, healthcare, and political participation. Credible reports constantly document the forced conversion of Ismailis in Badakhshan, which is deeply alarming. According to our documentation, at least 16 journalists are currently in prison. in 17 provinces, with causing image of living beings prohibited. Further shrinking freedom of expression and access to information, media outlet and instructed on what to cover and what to suppress. In clear violation of journalistic independence and international standards, we call Afghanistan, and UNAMA to urgently communicate their release with the de facto authority. We respectfully ask the Human Rights Council to respond to our long-standing call even recommended in the SRS report to establish a comprehensive accountability mechanism one with the capacity and resources to monitor document preserve and follow up on the human rights violations and abuses in Afghanistan we also call on the international community to support our consensual society and media actors to by safeguarding their rights and ensuring they can operate in safe and enabling environment thank you.

Thank you I give the floor to human rights research league.

Thank you, Mr. President. Almost four years after the Taliban's seizure of power in Afghanistan, the humanitarian and human rights situation in the country remains dire. Hunger is widespread, with more than a third of the population facing acute food insecurity. The exclusion of women from work and public life and of girls from education beyond sixth grade further exacerbates this precarious situation and will have a lasting negative effect not only on the mental health of those deprived of opportunities for personal growth, but on the development of the country. As the Special Rapporteur outlined in his report, widespread illiteracy already limits women's and girls' understanding of the few remaining rights available to them, a situation even further aggravated by the Taliban's restrictions on education, stripping future generations of the knowledge necessary to assert their rights. Even male scholars and others trying to stand up for women's rights face severe consequences for speaking up, as recent cases in Panshir and Helmand provinces demonstrate. We therefore reiterate our strong support for Mr. Bennett's call upon States not to commence any normalization of engagement with the de facto authorities unless and until significant improvements in human rights, especially for women and girls, have been achieved. I thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to Women's International League for Peace and Freedom by video.

Throughout Afghan history, women and girls have experienced systematic discrimination, but the Taliban's return to power has dramatically deepened this inequality with an institutionalized framework of gender apartheid. this statement we focus on the situation of women and girls with disability who now faces heightened multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and a protection crisis characterized by economic collusion, social isolation and the systematic neglect of disability rights. This include unequal access to humanitarian assistance due to factors such as lack of disability inclusive planning of a distribution and exclusion from the beneficiary list. These concerns are allowed incorporated in a recent submission to CEDAW Committee, which draws from the finding of a study by a partner organization. The study found that women and girls with disability are the most marginalized underserved group in the population. As the Special Rapporteur has indicated, they are also among the groups of women and girls for whom access to justice and protection is often completely out of reach. We call for urgent and coordinated action by States, humanitarian actors, agencies and donors to uphold the rights of women and girls with disabilities and ensure their full and effective participation. We also reiterate the call for the creation of an accountability mechanism to complement the Special Rapporteur's mandate. Thank you.

Thank you. Agathe Flori, International Federation for Human Rights Leagues.

Mr. President, FIDH, its member organizations, Arman Shah, Open Asia, and ADVO welcome the Special Rapporteur's report on access to justice and protection for women and girls in Afghanistan. Once again, his report highlights the gravity of human rights violations faced by Afghan women and girls. As we have documented, the Taliban's policies systematically exclude women from all aspects of public life, including education and most sectors of employment. Survivors of gender-based violence are left without access to justice, and the few remaining protection mechanisms have been dismantled. This system of oppression amounts to gender apartheid. Mr. President, Over 2 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran continue to face serious human rights violations and remain at risk of forced return. Additionally, recent U.S. travel restrictions on certain Afghan nationals risk further endangering asylum seekers and complicating resettlement efforts. We urge all UN member states to uphold the internationally recognized principles of non-refoulement and non-discrimination based on race or nationality. We repeat our call to the Council: establish an independent international accountability mechanism to investigate, collect, and preserve evidence of the human rights violations in Afghanistan. Afghan people, especially women and girls, cannot afford to wait.

I give the floor to the International Commission of Jurists for a joint statement.

Special Rapporteur, the ICJ and IBAJI concur with your main findings, including that Afghan women, girls, and LGBTIQ+ persons are systematically denied access to justice and human rights protection under Taliban rule. The Taliban-administered justice system is a tool of repression, entrenching discrimination, punishing survivors of violence, and eliminating pathways to redress. Women and girls, particularly those with disabilities, from minority backgrounds, or facing other intersecting forms of discrimination are particularly at risk, often rendered invisible or entirely excluded from what remains of the domestic justice system. As you make clear, this is a pivotal moment for States to take action on their commitment to gender equality. Justice cannot be delivered by those perpetrating abuses. We call on the Council to establish an independent international investigative mechanism with a comprehensive mandate for past and present violations and abuses, to collect, preserve, and analyze information and evidence with a gender-sensitive and intersectional lens, and make it available to accountability bodies acting in conformity with human rights. This Council must not allow gender persecution in Afghanistan to be met with silence and impunity. The world is watching. Without decisive action, Afghan women and girls and LGBTIQ+ persons will be abandoned to face widespread and systematic human rights abuses, including crimes against humanity. These crimes must not go unanswered. I thank you.

Thank you. This was the last speaker that we could accommodate, and I now return the floor to the panelists for their final comments. You all, each of you has two minutes, three minutes. Ms. Mitri, you have the floor.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, As we draw this session to a close, let us be reminded that the right to justice and protection is not a privilege. It is a fundamental human right. For women of Afghanistan and girls, however, this right remains increasingly elusive. Dismantling of legal safeguards, the exclusion from public life, and the climate of fear and impunity have placed millions of women in a state of acute vulnerability. We have heard courageous testimonies and reviewed disturbing evidence. Women are arbitrarily detained for seeking education, denied access to courts, and subjected to violence without recourse. They are not isolated incidents. They reflect a systematic erosion of rights and a profound failure to protect them. But we must not let despair breed inaction. The international community has both a moral obligation and a legal duty to act. We must amplify the voices of women, support women-led civil society organizations, and use every diplomatic, legal, and humanitarian tool available to press for accountability and restore access to justice. The report of the Special Rapporteur on access to justice and protection provides further evidence that women and girls in Afghanistan face one of the most widespread, institutionalized, and deliberate forms of gender-based oppression and persecution in the world today. This is not merely gender discrimination; it's gender apartheid, a term that must be recognized, named, and acted upon by the international community. Justice for women in Afghanistan is not just about laws on paper. It's about restoring dignity, agency, and safety in their daily lives. It's about ensuring that no woman is invisible and no abuse goes unanswered. Let us reaffirm, here and now, that the rights of women in Afghanistan are not negotiable. Let us ensure that our commitment to justice is not spoken in Geneva, but felt in Kabul, Herat, and every province where women continue to resist with courage, grace, and unyielding belief in their worth. Thank you.

Thank you. Mrs. Amiri, you have the floor, please.

Yeah, thank you so much for all this peace, all the being the voice of Afghan woman. I have just one comment, the comments that it's four year that we are speaking, all of us, but speaking is not enough. Please, once again, we need actions. Thank you so much.

Thank you, Mr. Councillor, please.

Thank you, Mr. President. Let me to Again, thanks all the panelists today and delegates who took the floor and make statements. What we have been heard today and what we have been read through the report of the Sr. the Lats report, it clearly shows that we are facing one of the gravest, most institutionalized human rights crisis of our time. What we, what is unfolding in Afghanistan is not only a national tragedy, it is a taste of the, this Council's credibility. We must not let the Taliban, the Taliban's authoritarian model become normalized. Beside the immediate establishment of a UN mandate mechanism for Afghanistan, We call on the international community to support the establishment of an inclusive representative government, which includes every aspect of the society, especially women and girls, in an equal manner. I thank you.

Thank you very much. Mr. Bennett, please.

Mr. President, many thanks. to States and NGOs for your interventions, several of which asked about what can be done to challenge Taliban policies and support the people of Afghanistan. I continue to advocate for an all-tools approach, one that may relieve suffering in the short term and tackle entrenched impunity in the long run. Accountability is central to this strategy. In addition to political and financial support for processes before the ICC and potentially the ICJ, I reiterate my call for the codification of gender apartheid as a crime against humanity, and I also support the establishment of an additional complementary international accountability mechanism with a comprehensive mandate. However, addressing the ongoing human rights crisis will require more than legal accountability, which time. A meaningful response must also seek to improve the situation on the ground now, including full funding of the humanitarian response, efforts to expand education and economic empowerment opportunities for women inside Afghanistan, and increased support for countries hosting Afghan refugees. And we must respond to demands for restoration of rights, recognition of past harms, redress for inequality, meaningful inclusion in decisions affecting people's lives and futures, and the transformation of violent and discriminatory structures. I reiterate the importance of establishing clear human rights benchmarks for engagement with the Taliban, stressing again that there must be no normalization without genuine progress on all on human rights. Despite much appreciated support from this Council, due to severe resource constraints, the Special Rapporteur mandate has not reached its potential. At present, the staff and other support provided to me is only 30% of what has been agreed. I recognize the seriousness of the liquidity crisis. but stress that without sufficient resources, it is increasingly difficult for me to discharge my mandate. I want to conclude by stressing again the critical importance of ensuring that Afghan women and girls, in all their diversity, are front and center of all discussions on Afghanistan. They and youth are the future. And leaving them out, as desired by the Taliban, whether from political discussions, accountability processes, or other initiatives, including limiting their ability to access international forums and processes, will not only perpetuate their exclusion, it will take us further away from the end goal, a safe, stable, inclusive, and rights-respecting Afghanistan. I thank you.

Thank you very much.

I understand that the Deputy High Commissioner does not wish to speak at this time. This brings us, therefore, to the end of this enhanced interactive dialogue. I would like to thank all speakers for their participation. We will turn directly to the interactive dialogue on Eritrea. Please do not leave the room. Thank you. Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, we will now begin the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea. It is my pleasure to welcome Mr. Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea to present the report. Mr. Special Rapporteur, you have the floor, please.

Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies And gentlemen, I am honored to address you in my capacity as Special Rapporteur to present my report. I take the opportunity to thank Member States, civil society organizations, human rights defenders and survivors who have contributed to this report with courage and conviction. In my report, I acknowledge and welcome Eritrea's recent engagement with some human rights mechanisms. In December 2024, Eritrea took a positive step with the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Eritrea also actively participated in its fourth Universal Periodic Review in May 2024, and it is reviewed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child in January 2025. However, I remain deeply concerned over the actual human rights situation on the ground. While the government of Eritrea frequently expresses commitment to economic, social, and cultural rights at the international forum, in practice, the authorities routinely violate even the most basic obligations under core human rights treaties to which Eritrea is a party. This approach is selective, instrumental, and deeply inconsistent with international norms the the authorities of of.

Colleagues please continue your conversation outside the room conference services please make sure that we have the conditions to continue our work thank you very much thank you apologize please continue.

Thank you the authorities of Eritrea invoke sovereignty and development to reflect criticism while they continue to systematically violate civil and political rights and deny the due process to thousands of Eritreans who remain in arbitrary detention or subjected to enforced disappearance. Freedom of expression, association, assembly, religion, and the right to participate in public affairs are effectively non-existent, as they are only granted upon the government approval and to those who align with the positions of the authorities. The government of Eritrea continues to subject the population to a system of indefinite military, or civilian service that goes far beyond civic duty, far beyond the government's proclaimed goals of promoting nation building and development, and undoubtedly beyond the limitations imposed by international human rights law. Eritrea argues the national service program is limited to 18 months by law, but the government has never respected its own legislation. The reality is that the national service programme is a system of social control and indoctrination, where coercion and grave human rights violations are widespread. The length of an individual national service is arbitrary and left to the discretion of the authorities, with most Eritreans being forced to flee to serve for periods spanning from several years to over two decades. in both military and civil roles. The system has had profound social, economic, and developmental impacts and has left generations unable to envision or to work towards a future of their own choosing. Imagine having no control over your life. Imagine having no choice over your education or career. Being separated from your loved ones and not being granted leave to spend with your family for months, often for years. Imagine being forced to work under threat of imprisonment in inhumane conditions, under threat of torture, working for a meagre pay that is not sufficient to sustain your life, being afraid for your life, for your family. Now imagine living like this for years, sometimes for decades, and not knowing when or if you will ever be released. Imagine risking your life to escape only to be treated as a traitor or a criminal, to be imprisoned without any process, tortured and mistreated. How can the authorities call this a civic duty? How can this ever be justified in the name of development? How can the arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance of dissidents for 20 years be necessary for a nation building, isn't it? Human rights obligations are not a menu for governments to pick and choose from. Human rights are universal, indivisible and inevitably intertwined. As detailed in my report, the continued militarization of education and forced conscription of students had negative impact on the right to education and led to high dropout rates, child marriage and early pregnancy. The indefinite conscription of teachers and medical personnel severely undermines vital public services and contributes to a shortage of essential professionals as they continue to flee the country. Dams and other development infrastructure should not be built with conscripted forced labour. Eritrea's selective engagement with human rights reflects a deeper unwillingness to accept accountability and rule of law. Nearly A decade has passed since the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea concluded that crimes against humanity may have been committed in a context of widespread and systematic human rights violations, yet no meaningful progress has been made towards accountability. As detailed in my report, there have been no investigations, no prosecutions, and no truth-seeking processes initiated by the Eritrean authorities. Patterns of gross human rights violations, including the widespread use of arbitrary and incommunicado detention and enforced disappearances, persist unabated and constitute a government policy. Hundreds of Muslim teachers, religious community leaders and mosque imams have been forcibly disappeared since 1991, when the Eritrean authorities targeted and closed Muslim religious schools and institutions. Their whereabouts are unknown to this date. They represent only a fraction of the thousands who have vanished into the vast network of detention sites across the country. This complete impunity cannot be normalized. In this context, the lack of accountability is not a side effect; it is a central mechanism of rule within an entrenched system of repression. In the absence of domestic mechanisms, the responsibility to pursue accountability lies with the international community, which must be We must act decisively to ensure that impunity does not prevail. As of June 2024, Eritrea was the 10th largest country of origin for refugees and asylum seekers globally, with 18% of its population having fled the country, according to UNHCR. Eritrea has the third highest rate worldwide of nationals who had fled the country relative to its population size. Over the reporting period, the situation of Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers globally continued to deteriorate, compounded with xenophobia, restrictive migration policies, and the proliferation of conflict and violence in important and destination countries, such as Sudan, Ethiopia, and Libya. I am gravely concerned over the continued arbitrary detention and deportation of Eritreans from Egypt and Ethiopia without adequate legal safeguards. upon return to Eritrea, deportees were reportedly subjected to arbitrary detention, forced conscription, and in some cases, enforced disappearance. In Israel, Eritrean asylum seekers continue to face legal uncertainty and to be denied protection under the state's restrictive asylum frameworks and policies. Despite widespread recognition of the human rights violations that compel Eritreans to flee, many States are failing to provide the adequate protection they are entitled to under international refugee and human rights law. I urge all States to uphold the principle of non-refoulement and ensure access to fair asylum procedures. The Eritrean Government continues to engage in transnational repression. Targeting members of the diaspora. As outlined in my report, Eritrean activists and even ordinary community members face intimidation, surveillance, and in some cases, indeed have been subjected to attack or harassment by pro-government actors abroad. I urge host countries to recognize these acts as violation of fundamental rights. and exercise due diligence to protect Eritrean communities from foreign interference, while upholding their rights to organize, advocate, and live free from intimidation. Your Excellencies, the endear and courage of the Eritrean people, those inside the country, those in exile, and those still searching for forcibly disappeared loved ones, must be met with more than words. It must be met with action. The situation in Eritrea is not static. It is entrenched. Violations are systemic. And the need for accountability is urgent. To the families of the disappeared, I say you are not forgotten. To those detained without charge or trial, who have not been heard from in decades, your names will continue to be spoken. To Eritrean youth who remain in the country, as well to those who continue to risk their lives to flee. You are deserving a future free from fear and persecution. Ten years after the Commission of Inquiry warned this Council of crimes against humanity, not a single step has been taken by the Eritrean authorities to acknowledge wrongdoing, deliver justice, dismantle the machinery of repression. The silence of the State must not be mirrored by the silence from the international community. Now. It is time to reaffirm that no State is beyond scrutiny and that the rights of the Eritrean people are not a matter of negotiation or political convenience. They are universal, inalienable and long overdue. I thank you.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Eritrea.

You have five minutes. And I thank the interpreters for their flexibility. You have the floor.

Mr. President. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, as the report just presented shares the same motive, content, methodology as previous reports from the Special Rapporteur, I will not waste your time refuting it. This report, like the ones before it, relies on unverifiable claims and biased assessments from anonymous sources outside Eritrea. These sources, whose identities, affiliations, and motives remain undisclosed, avoid any form of scrutiny. The report therefore lacks objectivity, transparency, accountability and balance. It is worth noting that this report directly contradicts the verifiable and comprehensive reports regularly submitted by the various UN agencies operating within Eritrea. As we commemorate the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, I would like to take this opportunity to provide the Council with a cursory background on how Eritrea came to be subjected to this mandate. Mr. President, we must confront an uncomfortable truth: our international system often falters when faced with power dynamics and political expediency. Eritrea is one good example where the UN's founding ideals have been inconsistently applied or outright denied. This pattern of injustice began in 1952, when Eritrea's right to decolonization was subverted under the auspices of the UN. Instead of granting independence, Eritrea was forcefully federated with another country, violating the UN Charter. When this federation was unilaterally dissolved and Eritrea forcefully annexed in 1962, the UN's silence amounted to complicity. This inaction set the stage for decades of conflict and suffering. In 2002, despite the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission's final and binding decision, the UN Security Council failed to enforce it. This failure of responsibility, not capacity, left Eritrea enduring years of military tension, economic hardship, and regional instability. In 2009, the Security Council imposed sanctions on Eritrea based on unsubstantiated, politically motivated allegations. Ignoring due process and denying Eritrea the right to reply, these unjust sanctions and political isolation persisted for nearly two decades. Since 2012, the human rights machinery followed suit with country-specific resolutions, commissions of inquiry, and the appointment of special rapporteurs, which have subjected Eritrea to deliberate and consistent campaigns of vilification for the last 13 years. Throughout this period, Eritrea's call for engagement, dialogue, and technical cooperation were consistently dismissed, our sovereignty was disregarded, and our dignity trampled. Despite facing immense challenges, Eritrea remains unwavering in its dedication to enhancing the lives of its citizens. We continue to prioritize investment in critical sectors such as education, healthcare, gender equity, and sustainable development. Eritrea is also fostering opportunities for meaningful dialogue with all states and partners who approach us in good faith, mutual respect, and shared interests. We have actively participated in universal periodic reviews, African Union human rights mechanisms, and technical cooperation within UN agencies. Just last week, we hosted in Asmara a retreat of regional directors of various UN agencies, including the regional director of the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights. In closing, Mr. President, Eritrea supports constructive international engagement through legitimate multilateral channels. based on mutual respect and equality. However, we reject politically motivated mechanisms driven by hostility and double standards. Eritrea does not reject human rights; we reject their instrumentalization as weapons to undermine the sovereignty of UN member states. As the UN turns 80, this Council must not condone mandates that bypass consent, ignore context, and discard objectivity to accommodate the prerogatives of certain powerful Member States. To this end, Mr. President, Eritrea has tabled a draft resolution calling for the termination of this mandate. We therefore call on We call on all members of this Council to terminate the Special Rapporteur mandate on Eritrea, a mandate that has strayed far from its legal foundation, failed to produce credible findings, and does a disservice to the cause of human rights. And I thank you.

Thank you.

Very much, Excellencies, distinguished colleagues. That brings us to the end of this sitting, and we will meet again this afternoon at 3:00 p.m. in order to continue the interactive dialogue on the human rights situation in Eritrea, and then begin the interactive the enhanced interactive dialogue on the human rights situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. We now close the first sitting of the 59th session of the Human Rights Council. Thank you and enjoy your lunch.