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Echoing calls by Afghan and international advocates and activists, a cross-regional coalition of States has urged the Human Rights Council to establish a mechanism to investigate grave human rights violations in Afghanistan.
On 20 March 2025, a cross-regional statement at the United Nations’ Human Rights Council led by Iceland with support from Chile, Costa Rica, Liechtenstein and South Africa, urged:
We call on this Council to urgently take action on the Special Rapporteur’s recommendation for the creation of an additional independent investigation mechanism, with a comprehensive mandate and broad scope, to support efforts towards criminal accountability for past and ongoing international crimes and other serious human rights violations [in Afghanistan].Cross-regional group of countries, HRC58, General Debate under Item 4
Afghan, regional and international human rights groups have long called for the establishment of an independent international accountability mechanism on Afghanistan with a mandate to investigate, collect, and preserve evidence to assist authorities, including the International Criminal Court (ICC), the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and any national prosecution processes under universal and other extraterritorial jurisdiction, in prosecuting suspected perpetrators of international crimes and other serious human rights violations.
With their joint statement, States signatories have publicly endorsed these civil society calls, which were recently supported by the Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan.
As governments and international institutions’ resolve in maintaining the isolation of the Taliban’s de facto rule wanes, and as the very effectiveness of multilateral processes is increasingly questioned, this cross-regional initiative is an example of proactive leadership in supporting populations undergoing extensive and egregious human rights violations and restrictions.
A cross-regional group of States have made clear they do not intend to abandon the Afghan people to their oppression at the hands of the Taliban. The Human Rights Council must now follow suit: States must keep Afghanistan in the international agenda and set up a comprehensive accountability mechanism that will bring perpetrators of rights violations to justice.Pooja Patel, Deputy Executive Director (Programmes & Advocacy) at ISHR
We urge the full membership of the Human Rights Council to urgently heed this call and vote for a resolution that would establish this critically needed independent international accountability mechanism for accountability in Afghanistan.
ISHR and partners continue to call for meaningful action by States at the UN to advance accountability for past and ongoing crimes under international law.
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