Marking the occasion of Human Rights Day and the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UNAMA reiterated its call to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to embrace and uphold human rights obligations.
“On this special anniversary, I would like to remind the de facto authorities (IEA) that Afghanistan as a state remains party to international human rights treaties that are an essential part of international law and in which Afghanistan has had an historic role,” said Roza Otunbayeva, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
“The de facto authorities have both a legal obligation and a broader responsibility to all who live in Afghanistan to promote and protect human rights, in particular those of women and girls,” Otunbayeva said.
“Human rights must be upheld in order to ensure the future prosperity, cohesion and stability of Afghanistan.”
UNAMA said despite improvements in the security situation in the country, the human rights situation in Afghanistan remains dire.
In addition to the severe restrictions imposed on women and girls, UNAMA said it continues to document instances of extrajudicial killing, torture and ill-treatment, corporal punishment, arbitrary arrest and detention and other violations of detainees’ rights.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) says Afghanistan is currently not recognized by the United Nations and the Islamic Emirate does not consider itself obliged to comply with the laws of this organization.
The spokesman of the Islamic Emirate Zabiullah Mujahid says that human rights are respected in Afghanistan based on Islamic and national values.
