The United Nations has decided to appoint a new special rapporteur in Afghanistan to investigate human rights breaches committed by the Taliban and other warring parties amid rising worries over the loss of civil rights as Afghanistan moves to a "Islamic emirate."
On Thursday, the UN Human Rights Council approved a resolution proposed by the European Union to send a special rapporteur to the region in March 2022, backed by UN experts in legal analysis, forensics, and women's rights.
Twenty-eight nations voted in favor, 14 abstained, and five voted against the 47-member state forum. The motion was opposed by China, Pakistan, Russia, Eritrea, and Venezuela.
Taliban has accused of human rights abuses
Amnesty International applauded the ruling, adding that ensuring justice will need an independent, international investigative body with the authority to document and amass evidence for future cases.
Last month, 50 non-governmental organizations requested UN member states to set up a fact-finding mission or other impartial investigative body for Afghanistan, as per Al Jazeera.
Amnesty International has accused the Taliban of human rights abuses that may amount to war crimes, including targeted executions of civilians and surrendering troops, as well as the blockade of humanitarian aid.
Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, already has a mandate from the Security Council to monitor the situation in Afghanistan until March, as a result of a resolution introduced by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in August.
Pakistan's ambassador, Khalil ur Rahman Hashmi, said on Thursday that the establishment of a "unnecessarily duplicative" special rapporteur was something his nation could not accept.
Per Reuters, China's envoy Jiang Duanthe said EU resolution has "serious flaws." He said that the United States was responsible for human rights crimes in Afghanistan during the last two decades.
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Afghanistan's evolving human rights situation
"Given the seriousness of the human rights situation engulfing Afghanistan, the latest resolution falls short," said Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard.
Some nations, notably Pakistan, wanted a rapporteur imposed during the UN Security Council's extraordinary session on Afghanistan on August 24. Since assuming power on August 15, the Taliban have attempted to persuade Afghans and the rest of the world that their government will be less cruel than the one they had from 1996 to 2001.
Michelle Bachelet, the EU and UN human rights head, has returned to the cause in recent weeks, pushing the council to establish a framework to monitor human rights breaches in Afghanistan.
The rapporteur's job is to keep track of Afghanistan's evolving human rights situation and provide suggestions to improve it. The expert will also be responsible for assisting the government in meeting its human rights commitments and providing "support and advice to civil society."
The resolution also demands an "immediate halt to all human rights breaches and abuses in Afghanistan, as well as violations of international humanitarian law." It also demands that fundamental freedoms, such as the right to peaceful assembly and expression, be respected.
China's proposals, which called for the rapporteur to look into breaches committed by international forces in Afghanistan, were rejected. The rapporteur, who will be selected at a later date, will have a year to present a written report to the council, as per The Strait Times.
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