HRW cautions against normalising ties with Taliban amid rights concerns

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WASHINGTON: Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned countries against normalising engagement with the Taliban without clear and measurable human rights benchmarks, as a UN expert highlighted the devastating consequences of five years of Taliban rule for Afghan children and young people. “Countries should not normalise engagement with the Taliban without clear and measurable human rights benchmarks,” HRW said in a statement to the UN Human Rights Council on Monday. It urged states to recognise gender apartheid as a crime against humanity and support International Criminal Court (ICC) efforts to prosecute those responsible for gender persecution and other grave international crimes in Afghanistan. The warning came as Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, issued a new report on the impact of Taliban policies on children. Bennett said the Taliban’s institutionalised system of discrimination, repression and ideological control was depriving children of their rights to inclusive and quality education, freedom of expression and meaningful participation in social and public life. “Afghanistan’s children are growing up in an environment where discrimination, especially against girls and women, is being normalised; they are denied the right to learn and their opportunities for the future are dramatically shrinking,” Bennett said. He expressed particular concern over the continued denial of education beyond the sixth grade to girls and the growing exposure of children and young people to gender-based violence, forced and child marriage, child labour and ideological indoctrination. “These policies are not only violating children’s rights today — they are undermining their ability to determine their own futures,” Bennett said. “For girls in particular, the systematic denial of education is closing doors that may never reopen, with serious consequences for their mental health and the country’s development as a whole.” The report said these abuses were taking place against a backdrop of decades of conflict, poverty and unmet humanitarian needs. By dismantling or weakening institutions that previously protected children’s rights, the Taliban had exposed Afghan children to greater risks of violence, abuse and exploitation, Bennett said. Children living in poverty or remote areas, those with disabilities, members of marginalised religious and ethnic communities, and displaced children or those returning from abroad are among the most vulnerable, he said. Bennett also warned that restrictions on media, culture and freedom of expression were limiting the diversity of ideas and experiences available to Afghan children. “Children need space to learn, to think freely, to express themselves and imagine a different future,” he said. “Instead, many are growing up in fear, isolation and uncertainty.” The restrictions, combined with limited educational opportunities, were contributing to a growing sense of despair and could create future security concerns and a migration crisis, Bennett warned. He cautioned, however, against viewing Afghan children only as victims, noting their resilience and determination to support their families and communities and pursue alternative forms of learning. Bennett urged the Taliban to end discriminatory policies, restore comprehensive education for girls, strengthen child protection and justice systems, prevent child and forced marriage and child labour, prohibit corporal punishment, and restore inclusive healthcare and social protection for children with disabilities. He also called on other countries to fully fund humanitarian assistance, expand alternative education for girls and safe pathways for Afghans at risk, and support mine-action programmes, youth initiatives and international accountability efforts. “Five years of restrictive rule and socio-economic collapse have fundamentally altered the conditions in which Afghanistan’s children are growing up,” Bennett said. “The international community must act now to protect their rights and ensure that present and future generations are not deprived of the opportunity to shape Afghanistan’s future.” HRW, meanwhile, said gender persecution had become further entrenched over the past year, with the Taliban dismantling already limited legal protections for women and girls. “Since 2021, Taliban authorities have systematically deprived women and girls of their fundamental rights,” the organisation said. HRW cited a new criminal procedure code that recognises only “excessive” beating as domestic violence against women, potentially leaving survivors of other forms of abuse without effective avenues for justice. It also said a decree concerning judicial separation had eliminated minimum-age protections for girls’ marriage. Journalists, human rights defenders, peaceful protesters and former government employees continue to face arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture and other serious abuses, HRW said. The organisation urged UN member states to renew Bennett’s mandate and provide his office with the resources needed to independently monitor and report on Afghanistan. It also called for the urgent operationalisation of the Human Rights Council’s new independent accountability mechanism for the country. HRW further urged governments not to forcibly return people to Afghanistan, where persecution remains systematic and well documented, and to support efforts by the International Criminal Court to prosecute those responsible for gender persecution and other grave international crimes. “Afghan victims, survivors and their families have waited far too long for truth, justice, and reparation,” HRW said. Separately, UN Secretary-General António Guterres renewed his call on the Taliban to lift restrictions preventing Afghan women working for the UN from entering its premises and carrying out their duties. The UN has said the restrictions hamper its ability to deliver assistance and services to the Afghan population, particularly women and girls. The warnings from Bennett, HRW and Guterres come as the Taliban regime approaches five years in power, with the UN expert warning that its policies are affecting not only the rights of Afghans today but the prospects of an entire generation of children.

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