KABUL (SW) – The UN Human Rights Council has began its annual meeting on the human rights situation in the world and the Covid 19 pandemic.
The meeting, which began on Monday and lasts for four weeks, is scheduled to discuss the human rights situation in Afghanistan as well.
In the meanwhile, the Human Rights Watch has called the human rights situation in Afghanistan, especially the situation of women and girls, a matter of concern.
Heather Barr, Associate women’s rights director and former senior Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch, told Salam Watandar that women’s rights in Afghanistan have been seriously violated. She added that the annual meeting of the UN Human Rights Council should prioritize the human rights of Afghan women and girls.
She called on the international community to take action and put pressure on the Islamic Emirate to change the human rights situation in Afghanistan. “What we want to see in this meeting is it take serious steps for practical plans,” said Heather Barr. “What will be the fate of the Islamic Emirate in the wake of the human rights violation, and how will countries send a message to the Islamic Emirate that human rights violations in 2022 are not tolerable?”
She also criticized the international community for not having the means to put pressure on the Islamic Emirate and change their behavior, and for the international community to have no means of exerting more influence. According to her, many statements are issued by countries and international officials, but what is important is to change the behavior and actions of the Islamic Emirate.
She stated that as long as the Islamic Emirate continues to violate human rights, especially the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, it will not be recognized and the expectations from the international community will not be met.
However, the Islamic Emirate dismisses concerns about the human rights situation in Afghanistan.
Inamullah Samangani, one of the deputy spokesmen for the Islamic Emirate, told Salam Watandar that they respect all human and religious rights. He called on the UN Human Rights Council to make a fact-based decision on the human rights situation in Afghanistan.
It has been ten months since the Islamic Emirate took power in Afghanistan, and during this time, domestic and foreign institutions have always been concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation, especially the rights of women and girls in the country.
The closure of schools for girls above the sixth grade is a prominent case of human rights abuses in Afghanistan, which has drawn sharp domestic and foreign criticism.
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