Human Rights Council 50th Session.
Item 2 - Interactive dialogue on the oral update of the High Commissioner on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan.
Statement delivered by Finland on behalf of the Nordic Baltic Countries ( Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden and Lithuania)
15.06.2022
President,
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Nordic and Baltic countries: Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and Finland.
We are deeply saddened by the deteriorating human rights situation in Afghanistan. The arbitrary detentions and killings, torture, enforced disappearances, mistreatment of protestors and journalists – and impunity related to these violations – must stop.
Women, increasingly confined in their homes and dependent on their male relatives, cannot exercise human rights freely and are excluded from economic opportunities and the society at large. Secondary schools remain closed for most girls. These actions do not only violate human rights – they also pose a massive threat to the future of Afghanistan and hamper prospects for a prosperous nation.
We expect the Taliban to prove that they take their international obligations seriously. Granting the Special Rapporteur access is welcome, but not enough. Immediate action is needed from the Taliban. Afghanistan needs the continuous attention of this Council.
Thank you.