Joint statement regarding the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

September 26, 2024 - New York City, New York - Global Affairs Canada

The governments of Albania, Andorra, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Finland, Germany, Honduras, Ireland, Iceland, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malawi, Morocco, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden today issued the following statement:

“Since the seizure of power by the Taliban de facto authorities, the women and girls of Afghanistan have been subjected to the most severe systematic human rights violations. Various decrees, ordinances and other measures taken by Afghanistan grossly and systematically ban women and girls from public life and subject them to systematic gender discrimination. As a result of these deliberate actions by the Taliban de facto authorities, the human rights of Afghan women and girls are being violated by public and private institutions. Afghan women and girls are being socially, politically, economically and legally marginalized. The recently enacted so-called ‘vice and virtue’ law seeks to silence half the population and erase women and girls from public life. Women and girls are not allowed to travel alone, raise their voices in public or show their faces in the streets. Life for many women and girls in Afghanistan is like life under house arrest: they are being deprived of their very dignity.

“We, Albania, Andorra, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Finland, Honduras, Ireland, Iceland, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malawi, Morocco, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Australia, Canada, Germany and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, condemn the gross and systematic human rights violations and abuses in Afghanistan, particularly the gender-based discrimination against women and girls. We have repeatedly urged Afghanistan and the Taliban de facto authorities, including in the framework of the United Nations, to comply with international law, especially human rights law, to protect the human rights of all Afghans and to lift all restrictions on the rights of women and girls, including their right to education. However, the situation has not improved—on the contrary, it continues to worsen.

“The women and girls of Afghanistan deserve nothing less than the full enjoyment of their human rights. Afghan women themselves have shown courageous leadership in calling for accountability. We recognize their vital role and heed their call.

“Afghanistan is responsible under international law for its ongoing gross and systematic violation of numerous obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women [CEDAW], to which Afghanistan is a State Party.

“We, the above-mentioned states, call upon Afghanistan and the Taliban de facto authorities to immediately cease their violations of the human rights of women and girls and to answer to the request for dialogue to address the concerns of the international community on this matter, including the acceptance of the recommendations addressed to Afghanistan during its Human Rights Council 4th Cycle Universal Periodic Review. We support the initiative taken by Australia, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands under Article 29 of CEDAW, who have formally taken steps to remind Afghanistan of its obligation to cease its violations of CEDAW.

“The supporters of this initiative will continue to also consider other possible options to be followed individually or collectively under CEDAW and other relevant human rights frameworks, while remaining attached to a focused dialogue with a view to strengthening the rights of women and girls.

“This action is without prejudice to our firm position that we do not politically recognize the Taliban de facto authorities as the legitimate representation of the Afghan population. Afghanistan’s failure to fulfil its human rights treaty obligations is a key obstacle to the normalization of relations. However, we stress that the Taliban de facto authorities remain responsible to uphold and fulfill the international legal obligations of Afghanistan, including on the elimination of discrimination of women and girls under CEDAW.”

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