GENEVA - At a time when Afghan women warn that their very existence is being erased and their voices rendered invisible on the global stage, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has taken an unprecedented step by reviewing Afghanistan's compliance with its international women's human rights obligations, without engagement from the existing de facto authorities in the country.
As the de facto authorities of the Taliban, currently in control of large parts of the country, are not recognized by the United Nations, the Committee reviewed the fourth periodic report of Afghanistan submitted by the Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the United Nations in Geneva and engaged in a dialogue with a delegation of former Afghan officials and women's rights leaders in exile.
The Committee had also invited the de facto authorities to participate informally in the review, but no response was received. While UN treaty bodies have previously conducted country reviews in the absence of a state delegation, CEDAW's decision to hold a public dialogue with a delegation of former State officials, following the precedent of the fourth cycle Universal Periodic Review of Afghanistan in April 2024, represents a first-of-its-kind arrangement within the treaty body system.
This review is not only a CEDAW obligation, but also "a fervent hope that [the] exchange will prove constructive, anchored in mutual respect and steadfastly committed to strengthening accountability for the rights of Afghan women and girls," said Bandana Rana, Committee member who led the country review.
"This Committee bears a solemn obligation, a legal, international and moral imperative to examine these developments with unflinching clarity and uncompromising resolve," she added. In doing so, the Committee reaffirms that the Convention remains legally binding on Afghanistan regardless of shifts in political leadership or regime.
"Our concern transcends politics. It is rooted in principle. It stands upon the bedrock of universal and immutable values: human dignity, equality, non-discrimination, autonomy and justice for all, most urgently for the women and girls of Afghanistan," said Rana, adding that, "We harbour the profound hope that today's dialogue will serve not merely to deepen the accountability of all stakeholders but to galvanize a renewed and unified commitment, including of the international community to restore the inalienable human rights of Afghan women and girls, first and foremost their right to education."
Committee Chair Nahla Haidar emphasized that "this review has set an important precedent for how treaty bodies can establish responsibility when those exercising effective control in a country fail to uphold that country's human rights obligations and their responsibility to protect their population. It was an unprecedented opportunity to recall the principle of accountability and solidarity enshrined in the United Nations Charter."
CEDAW remains committed to its mandate and stands with the women and girls of Afghanistan by calling on all stakeholders, including the international community, to uphold their obligations under international law. The Committee will publish its findings, formally known as Concluding Observations, on 7 July.
