The UN experts concluded that ending forced conversions and child marriages is essential for safeguarding human rights and ensuring equal protection under the law for all citizens, regardless of religion.
The UN experts have urged the Taliban to reconsider the decree and align their legal framework with international standards, warning that failure to do so could deepen the country’s crisis and further erode public trust in state institutions.
These developments occur against a backdrop of worsening human rights under Taliban rule, including severe restrictions on women and girls, arbitrary detentions, and impunity for abuses.
The mission emphasised that “standing with Afghan women” requires more than symbolic gestures: it requires resources, policy pressure, and the international will to ensure that women in Afghanistan can live with dignity and safety.
The absence of female panel members in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s ADR committees and the exclusion of non-Muslim members make clear that what may appear as decentralised and accessible justice may in practice perpetuate discrimination.
As South Asia grapples with climate vulnerabilities, economic disparities, and historical animosities, initiatives like COVA’s video competition offer a beacon of hope.
As South Asia grapples with climate vulnerabilities, economic disparities, and historical animosities, initiatives like COVA’s video competition offer a beacon of hope.