Barr: UN ignores its own rapporteur to appease Taliban
Heather Barr, the deputy director of the Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, stated that Richard Bennett’s new report on the “shocking and increasing harassment of Afghan women by the Taliban” is clear and critical.
Barr said that the UN had ignored its special rapporteur’s report to gain cooperation from the Taliban.
On Monday, Barr wrote on X that the UN removed the issue of Afghan women from the Doha meetings.
Richard Bennett, the UN’s special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, will present his latest report on the human rights situation in Afghanistan to the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday, June 18.
Heather Barr expressed disappointment that the UN overall does not listen to its special rapporteur on human rights.
She added that Bennett’s report not only documents serious human rights violations in Afghanistan but also suggests practical steps for countries to hold the Taliban accountable for these violations.
Despite this comprehensive report on widespread human rights abuses under Taliban rule, Barr noted that the UN granted concessions to the Taliban for participating in the third round of Doha talks.
Barr mentioned that these concessions included excluding women from the third round of Doha meetings and removing women’s rights and human rights issues from the agenda.
Richard Bennett, the UN human rights rapporteur for Afghanistan, termed gender apartheid the most accurate for women’s oppression in Afghanistan, urging governments to recognize it as a crime against humanity and avoid legitimizing Taliban authorities.
He emphasized that the systematic oppression of Afghan women should be a major topic in international discussions about Afghanistan.
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