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Afghanistan: Women

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

UIN HL3303, tabled on 9 December 2024

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to join Australia, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands in their case against Afghanistan before the International Court of Justice for violations of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

Answered on

23 December 2024

The Government supports the initiative to refer the Taliban to the International Court of Justice for violations of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. We have repeatedly condemned Taliban restrictions on women and girls' rights, including through UN Security Council and Human Rights Council resolutions. As the Foreign Secretary said on 24 August, the exclusion of women from all aspects of public life is another tragic setback for Afghanistan. We are discussing with international partners ways to hold them accountable. More broadly, officials regularly press the Taliban to reverse their inhuman restrictions, both bilaterally and with international partners.