UN Human Rights Council – 61st Session
Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan
Statement delivered by Denmark on behalf of Denmark, Estonia Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden
26 February 2026 [check against delivery]
President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic states.
We thank the High Commissioner and the Special Rapporteur for their reports. We share the concern of the Special Rapporteur regarding women’s access to health services.
We remain deeply concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation, including the institutionalized system of discrimination and oppression against the Afghan people, particularly women and girls, children, opposition, media and minorities. The situation has been further institutionalized by Decree no. 12. If put into force it could have severe implications to Afghans by:
- Providing wider scope for Taliban leadership discretion on criminal verdicts.
- Undermining due process and fair trial guarantees.
- Legalizing arbitrary and indefinite detentions.
- Expanding the scope of crimes that can lead to the death penalty.
- Allowing punishment according to social status and religious belief.
- Legalizing corporal punishments by non-judicial actors in private households and schools.
- Imposing severe punishments for opposition to Taliban and their policies.
Many of these elements are in conflict with international human rights obligations. We call on Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to fulfil these obligations, including by reversing policies, decrees and practices that violate them and jeopardize the future of the Afghan people.
Panelists, how do you assess Decree no. 12 and its possible consequences?
I thank you.