|
However, in an awkward first for the U.N. Human Rights Council,
the concerned country's current rulers will not be present
because they are not recognized by the global body.
Afghanistan will instead be represented by an ambassador
appointed by the previous U.S.-backed government, which the
Taliban ousted in 2021.
In a series of questions compiled in a U.N. document ahead of
the review, the United States asked how authorities would hold
perpetrators to account for abuses against civilians,
"particularly women and girls who are being systematically
deprived of their human rights"?
It also called for the promotion of the rights of LGBTQ persons,
noting an "escalation of threats and abuse" since the Taliban
takeover.
Britain and Belgium also raised questions about the Taliban's
treatment of women. In total, 76 countries have asked to take
the floor at the meeting.
The Taliban say they respect rights in line with their
interpretation of Islamic law.
Since they swept back into power, most girls have been barred
from high school and women from universities. The Taliban have
also stopped most Afghan female staff from working at aid
agencies, closed beauty salons, barred women from parks and
curtailed travel for women in the absence of a male guardian.
Under the U.N. system, states' human rights records are subject
to peer review in public meetings of the Geneva-based Human
Rights Council, resulting in a series of recommendations.
While non-binding, these can draw scrutiny of policies and add
to pressure for reform. The U.N. Human Rights Council, the only
intergovernmental global body designed to protect human rights
worldwide, can also mandate investigations whose evidence is
sometimes used before national and international courts.
(Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
[© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
