Richard Bennett: The World Must Decisively Defend Human Rights in Afghanistan

Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, warned the UN General Assembly on Thursday in a report that Afghanistan is witnessing “the most severe and systematic attack on gender equality in modern times,” adding that the Taliban should not be normalized and the world should decisively defend human rights in Afghanistan.

Referring to the severity of the human rights crisis in Afghanistan, Bennett said: “We must not exaggerate the severity of this situation. To dismantle the institutionalized system of gender oppression by the Taliban and address the widespread human rights crises in Afghanistan, urgent, principled and sustained action is needed from the international community, not the normalization of Taliban rule.”

He stressed that the rights, voices of women and their role in decision-making should be at the center of any political process.

In his report, Bennett warned about the worrying increase in corporal punishments, disappearances and mistreatment of members of the former government and security forces, and the more limited space for media and civil society activities.

He has described this situation as the humanitarian crisis in the country has intensified with the reduction of international aid.

He said: “Reducing humanitarian and human rights budgets eliminates the last lines of defense to protect a population at serious risk.”

He called on donor countries to resume their commitments to sustainable funding, especially for indigenous and women-led Afghan institutions.

The UN rapporteur said that the Taliban’s bans on female employees of humanitarian organizations have exacerbated the crisis situation and that “preventing the presence of female Afghan staff of the United Nations in offices is an unprecedented and unjustifiable action.”

Bennett has also warned that the Taliban’s strict ideology may radicalize a new generation of young people in conditions of poverty, oppression and radical despair.

He said: “What is happening in Afghanistan today will not be limited to its borders. The consequences of inaction will be felt on a wider scale.”

While condemning the forced mass return of migrants from neighboring countries and expressing concern about expulsions from European countries, he called on countries to respect the principle of non-refoulement, which is one of the fundamental principles of international law.

Despite the critical conditions, Bennett emphasized that Afghanistan should not be considered a “closed case” or a “hopeless case”. He said that gross human rights violations are not inevitable and should not be tolerated.

He has pointed to some progress in the field of international accountability. These include the issuance of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court, the establishment of an independent investigation mechanism, and efforts to recognize gender apartheid within the framework of the draft treaty on crimes against humanity.

Mr. Bennett warned: “Turning away at this point will not only be a betrayal of the people of Afghanistan, but will undermine the foundations of our shared international system.”