“You, the Afghan women, are the true protagonists whose voice should be heard loud and clear in every forum where the future of your country is being decided.”
This Summit has never been more timely or necessary than now, given the new edicts issued by the Taliban in recent weeks, which aim to silence the voices of Afghan women. In 2022, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation launched the HEAR US initiative to support Afghan women in exile, so that they may safely expose human rights violations within Afghanistan and influence the humanitarian, security, and development agenda in Afghanistan.
Spain has also shown its support to the Lead Investigator for the situation in Afghanistan of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in all investigations being carried out in the country, as well as for the renewal of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan, and the launching of initiatives to collect evidence and report on any human rights violations committed by the Taliban.
“We support accountability for human rights violations under International Law.”
Since coming into power and taking office in Afghanistan three years ago, the Taliban have issued more than 75 edicts that entail the harshest and most consistent form of discrimination, oppression, and violence against women and girls in the world. The violation of their rights is so serious that it can be called “gender apartheid”. If the international community fails them, it will fail all women around the world and weaken their common cause for the defence of gender equality.
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