Situation of Human Rights in Afghanistan

A/RES/53/165No PDF available

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, published in 1999.

What other versions does this mandate have?

16 versions · 1989–2025

This is an older version — the most recent is A/HRC/RES/60/2

2025A/HRC/RES/60/2Situation of human rights in AfghanistanLatestCompare with previous version
2024A/HRC/RES/57/3Situation of human rights in AfghanistanCompare with previous version
2023A/HRC/RES/54/1Situation of human rights in AfghanistanCompare with previous version
2022A/HRC/RES/51/20Situation of human rights in AfghanistanCompare with previous version
2021A/HRC/RES/48/1Situation of human rights in AfghanistanCompare with previous version

Versions are identified automatically by matching titles within the same organ (~97% accuracy on a manual audit).

What subjects does this mandate have?

15 topics

Afghan Refugees Afghanistan Afghanistan Situation Cultural Property Protection Detained Persons Diplomats' Security Gender Discrimination Human Rights Human Rights in Armed Conflicts Human Rights Violations Massacres Special Rapporteurs Staff Security Summary Executions Women's Rights

What does this mandate say?

35 operative paragraphs

Takes note with appreciation of the interim report of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan and of the conclusions and recommendations contained therein;

Strongly condemns the mass killings and systematic human rights violations against civilians and prisoners of war, and notes with alarm the escalating cycle of mass killings;

Expresses its gravest concern at numerous reports of mass killings in the areas of Mazar-e Sharif and Bamian by the Taliban;

Condemns the widespread violations and abuses of human rights and humanitarian law, including the rights to life, liberty and security of person, freedom from torture and from other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, freedom of opinion, expression, religious persuasion, association and movement and, in particular, the grave human rights violations against women and girls;

Condemns also the killing of Iranian diplomats and the correspondent of the Islamic Republic News Agency by Taliban combatants, as well as the attacks on and the killing of United Nations personnel in Taliban-held territories of Afghanistan, and calls upon the Taliban to fulfil their stated commitment to cooperate in urgent investigations of these heinous crimes, with a view to bringing those responsible to justice;

Notes with deep concern:

The worsening pattern of human rights violations in Afghanistan;

The continuing and substantiated reports of human rights violations against women and girls, including all forms of discrimination against them, notably in areas under the control of the Taliban;

The intensification of armed hostilities in Afghanistan and the increasingly ethnic and religious nature of the conflict, which have resulted in extensive human suffering and forced displacement, and which hinder the return of the internally displaced to their homes;

The continued displacement of millions of Afghan refugees to the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan;

The lack of major reconstruction in Afghanistan;

Notes with deep concern the sharp deterioration of the humanitarian situation in several areas of Afghanistan, particularly in Hazarajat, and the worsening security conditions for United Nations and other humanitarian personnel, while taking note of the agreement reached between the Taliban and the United Nations on the security of United Nations personnel in Afghanistan and calling for its full implementation;

Calls upon the Afghan parties to respect fully all human rights and fundamental freedoms, regardless of gender, ethnicity or religion, in accordance with international human rights instruments;

Urges all States to respect the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Afghanistan and to refrain from interfering in its internal affairs;

Urges all the Afghan parties:

To cease hostilities immediately and to work and cooperate fully with the Special Envoy and the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan with a view to achieving a ceasefire, thus laying the foundation for a comprehensive political solution leading to the voluntary return of displaced persons to their homes in safety and dignity and to the establishment of a broad-based, fully representative Government through the full exercise of the right to self-determination of the Afghan people;

To respect fully international humanitarian law, to protect civilians, to halt the use of weapons against the civilian population, to stop the laying of landmines, especially anti-personnel mines, to stop forced conscription and the drafting and recruitment of children as soldiers and to ensure their reintegration into society;

To provide efficient and effective remedies to the victims of grave violations and abuses of human rights and of humanitarian law and to bring their perpetrators to trial in accordance with internationally accepted standards;

To treat all suspects and convicted or detained persons in accordance with relevant international instruments and to refrain from arbitrary detention, including detention of civilian foreign nationals, and urges their captors to release them as well as non-criminal civilian prisoners;

Demands that all the Afghan parties fulfil their obligations regarding the safety of all personnel of diplomatic missions, the United Nations and other international organizations, as well as their premises in Afghanistan, and to cooperate fully and without discrimination on grounds of gender, nationality or religious persuasion with the United Nations and associated bodies as well as with other humanitarian organizations, agencies and non-governmental organizations;

Urges all the Afghan parties, in particular the Taliban, to bring to an end without delay all human rights violations against women and girls and to take urgent measures to ensure:

The repeal of all legislative and other measures that discriminate against women;

The effective participation of women in civil, cultural, economic, political and social life;

Respect for the right of women to work and their reintegration in employment;

The right of women and girls to education without discrimination, the reopening of schools and the admission of women and girls to all levels of education;

Respect for the right of women to security of person and that those responsible for physical attacks on women are brought to justice;

Respect for freedom of movement for women;

Reinstatement of full access to health care for women and girls;

Invites the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to proceed without delay to investigate fully reports of mass killings of prisoners of war and civilians, rape and other cruel treatment in Afghanistan, and calls upon the United Front and the Taliban to fulfil their stated commitment to cooperate with such investigations;

Also invites the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to give consideration to the proposal to deploy human rights observers in Afghanistan and to make detailed recommendations to that effect to the General Assembly;

Appeals to all States, organizations and programmes of the United Nations system, specialized agencies and other international organizations to resume the provision of humanitarian assistance to all in need as soon as the situation on the ground permits;

Expresses its deep concern at reports of attacks on and looting of cultural artifacts in Afghanistan, emphasizes that all parties share the responsibility to protect their common heritage, and requests all Member States to take appropriate measures to prevent the looting of cultural artifacts and to ensure their return to Afghanistan;

Urges all the Afghan parties to extend their cooperation to the Commission on Human Rights and its Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan and to all those Special Rapporteurs who are seeking invitations;

Requests the Secretary-General to give all necessary assistance to the Special Rapporteur;

Decides to keep the situation of human rights in Afghanistan under consideration at its fifty-fourth session, in the light of additional elements provided by the Commission on Human Rights and the Economic and Social Council.

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