Statement by H.E. Mr. Naseer Ahmad Faiq on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights

Ambassador Faiq condemned the Taliban’s institutionalised discrimination and repression and called for concrete international action to protect the rights of all Afghans. He welcomed recent ICC action, urged stronger accountability and stressed that engagement must be tied to verifiable human rights improvements and support an inclusive Afghan-led political process.

Third Committee of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly
Agenda item: Promotion and Protection of Human rights

7 October 2026

Afghanistan’s obligations under international human rights instruments remain binding, regardless of who exercises power. We welcome the Special Rapporteur’s report. The central challenge is ensuring that the rights guaranteed to Afghans are protected in practice.

Five years after their forcible takeover, the Taliban have institutionalised discrimination and repression through deliberate policies. They have dismantled safeguards, silenced dissent and imposed sweeping controls over public and private life. These are choices for which they must be held accountable.

Women and girls face a system of gender apartheid that denies education, employment, freedom of movement and participation in public life. The Taliban’s repressive policies reflect neither the true teachings of Islam nor the values of Afghan culture.

Journalists and human rights defenders face intimidation and arbitrary detention. Former officials and security personnel continue to face killings, torture and disappearance despite the Taliban’s proclaimed amnesty. Ethnic and religious minorities, including Hazaras and Shia communities, face discrimination,  insecurity and forced displacement. Public executions and corporal punishment reinforce a climate of fear.

The Special Rapporteur’s findings also expose the intergenerational consequences: girls denied education, boys exposed to exploitation and indoctrination, and young people deprived of opportunities to shape their future.

Madam Chair,

Our response must go beyond condemnation.

First, the international community should use an all-tools-approach to make the Taliban reverse discriminatory decrees, release those arbitrarily detained, end torture and reprisals, and restore fundamental freedoms. Independent monitors, including the Special Rapporteur, must have unhindered access.

Second, accountability must advance. We welcome the ICC’s recent unsealing of arrest warrants against senior Taliban leaders and urge full cooperation with the Court. We also call for adequate resources for the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Afghanistan and support for codifying gender apartheid as a crime against humanity. Impunity must not become the reward for persistent defiance.

Third, States must uphold non-refoulement and protect Afghans at risk. Humanitarian assistance must reach people without discrimination, with unrestricted participation by Afghan women. Counterterrorism cannot justify unlawful attacks on civilians or violations of Afghanistan’s territorial integrity.

Finally, engagement with the Taliban must not become normalized and must be tied to measurable, independently verified human rights improvements. It must support an Afghan-led political process involving women, civil society, democratic forces and other credible Afghan stakeholders towards legitimate, inclusive and accountable governance.

The Taliban’s control over territory does not confer legitimacy or the right to determine Afghanistan’s future through coercion.

The Afghan people must not be asked to surrender their rights as the price of engagement. They deserve justice, dignity and a meaningful voice in their country’s future.  I thank you.

Downloead Statement: English(PDF) | دری(PDF) | پشتو(PDF)