40 Countries Endorse Geneva Mission Statement Supporting Afghan Women

Nasir Ahmad Andisha, the Afghan representative in Geneva, has garnered the support of forty countries for a mission statement aimed at bolstering support for Afghan women.

This document underscores the critical situation of women in Afghanistan and calls for the Taliban's "full accountability”. The statement advocates for the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women and girls in all aspects of public life.

The majority of the endorsements come from Western nations, with Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Latvia, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, and Hungary among the signatories.

Notably, Tajikistan is the only neighbouring country of Afghanistan to sign the letter, with Yemen and Guatemala also showing their support.

The statement highlights the extraordinary bravery of Afghan women and girls in the face of the Taliban's oppressive measures, emphasising that "their grave situation demands a coordinated international response”.

The statement invokes the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women suggesting that the Taliban's treatment of women could lead to gender-based violence due to its extensive and systematic nature.

Signatories called upon members of the Rome Statute to collaborate with the International Criminal Court in investigating Afghanistan's circumstances. They further encouraged countries to stress on Afghanistan's obligations to human rights and the significant involvement of women in forthcoming discussions whenever engaging with the Taliban.

Despite having placed broad restrictions on women and girls for over two and a half years, the Taliban have consistently dismissed international critiques as meddling in their internal affairs, maintaining that their actions are in alignment with their laws.