UN Human Rights Council Establishes Accountability Mechanism for Afghanistan

Image: UN Photo/Elma Okic

The United Nations Human Rights Council, by adopting a resolution, announced the establishment of an independent mechanism to ensure accountability and investigate widespread human rights violations in Afghanistan.

The Council adopted the resolution on Monday (October 6) during a session, without a vote and without opposition from any country.

According to the resolution, the new mechanism is tasked with collecting and documenting evidence related to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other serious human rights violations, identifying the perpetrators of these crimes, and preparing case files that can be used in national and international courts for prosecution.

The resolution was proposed by the European Union to the Human Rights Council and was adopted with broad support from various countries. This move has been described as an important step toward ending impunity for perpetrators of crimes in Afghanistan.

Human Rights Watch welcomed the adoption of the resolution, calling it “a historic step toward justice for Afghan victims.”

Fereshtah Abbasi, a researcher at the organization, said: “It is crucial for the new mechanism to begin work as soon as possible so that it can start collecting and preserving evidence and preparing case files on those responsible for international crimes in Afghanistan.”

According to Human Rights Watch, the scope of the investigation will not be limited to the Taliban but will also cover human rights violations committed by former government officials, warlords, and foreign forces. The organization emphasized that the new mechanism will focus on documenting widespread violations of the rights of women and girls, including their deprivation of education and work.

The adoption of this resolution comes four years after the Taliban’s return to power, while Afghanistan continues to witness the systematic suppression of women, media, and widespread human rights violations.