UN Special Rapporteur Warns Taliban Order Could Legitimize Child Marriage in Afghanistan
Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, has stated that Taliban Order No. 18 could lead to legitimizing child marriages and keep women and girls trapped in abusive unions. He emphasized that instead of explicitly banning child marriages, the order only regulates the process of separation in such cases.
On Friday, June 19, Bennett wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) page that this approach might be interpreted as implicit approval of these types of marriages. According to him, focusing on managing the consequences rather than preventing the practice itself is not in line with accepted human rights standards.
The UN Special Rapporteur has called on the Taliban administration to review or entirely revoke the order in accordance with international human rights obligations. He stressed that protecting the fundamental rights of women and girls should be a priority in any regulation or decision-making.
This stance comes as human rights organizations have previously warned about increasing restrictions against women and girls in Afghanistan, deeming them contrary to fundamental human rights principles.
