Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan, has once again called for the establishment of a comprehensive and independent mechanism to address serious human rights violations in Afghanistan.
This request was made in his latest report, scheduled to be reviewed next week at the UN Human Rights Council meeting. Bennett described the human rights situation in Afghanistan, particularly the suppression of women, as concerning.
According to Bennett, an independent mechanism should be mandated to collect, record, and preserve evidence of human rights violations, including international crimes such as gender-based persecution. He emphasized that such a mechanism could contribute to judicial processes at the International Criminal Court and help end impunity in Afghanistan.
Several countries and international human rights organizations have supported this proposal. The European Union is expected to present a draft resolution on Afghanistan to the Human Rights Council in September, which activists hope will include a formal proposal for establishing this accountability mechanism.
