International Human Rights Day: UNAMA Highlights the Interim Government’s Record of Human Rights Violations
Bayan News – On the occasion of International Human Rights Day, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) called on the interim government to adhere to international human rights values.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, December 10, UNAMA emphasized that global human rights commitments are vital for the protection and development of Afghanistan’s current and future generations.
The statement quoted Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative, as saying that despite improvements in security and a reduction in armed conflicts, actions to protect and uphold human rights have been consistently and alarmingly increasing, with women and girls bearing the brunt.
Referring to the ongoing policies against women and girls, Ms. Otunbayeva stated that the interim government’s record on human rights violations has become prominent.
The head of UNAMA asserted: “Power comes with responsibility. The ruling authorities’ claim to legitimate representation of the Afghan people at the United Nations must be accompanied by genuine efforts to safeguard and advance our shared standards and values.”
Furthermore, Fiona Frazer, a representative of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned in the statement that if the current restrictions persist, it would represent a clear and deliberate failure to support women and an absence of accountability for the welfare of the Afghan people.
International Human Rights Day comes at a time when Afghan women and girls have been deprived of their fundamental rights, such as work and education, for the past three years.
