Referring to her country's recent action against the Taliban along with the Netherlands, Germany and Australia, the Canadian Foreign Minister said, "We will not rest until justice is served and Afghan women achieve freedom."
Mélanie Joly added that the Taliban has consistently violated international law. On Thursday, Canada's foreign minister wrote on social media platform X that the Taliban has forced Afghan women and girls to remain silent.
Joly added that Canada firmly supports the women and girls of Afghanistan.
The foreign ministers of Germany, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands issued a strongly worded statement on Wednesday condemning the gross and systematic violations of human rights in Afghanistan, particularly gender discrimination against women. They threatened the Taliban with legal action.
The statement, published in New York on Wednesday, said that the Taliban's decrees and restrictions have systematically removed Afghan women and girls from public life.
They have warned that the Taliban must be held accountable for gross and systematic human rights violations and non-compliance with Afghanistan's international obligations.
According to them, Afghanistan is responsible under international law for violating its numerous obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Australia, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands have officially announced to the Taliban that they are "obliged to put an end to these violations," citing the convention.
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women has been ratified by 189 countries, making it one of the most popular human rights treaties of the United Nations.
Afghanistan joined the convention in 2003.
The foreign ministers of the four countries also emphasised on joint action against the Taliban's policies towards women in separate statements after the publication of this announcement.
