Canada Conditions Normalising Taliban Ties on Human Rights Progress
Canada has said it will not support normalising relations with the Taliban authorities until there is tangible progress on human rights, inclusive governance and the protection of fundamental freedoms in Afghanistan.
In a joint statement marking the fifth anniversary of the Taliban authorities’ return to power, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Minister of State for International Development Randeep Sarai said Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis and human rights situation continue to worsen.
The statement said ethnic and religious minorities face persecution and violations of their basic rights. The two Canadian officials also strongly condemned what they described as the Taliban authorities’ widespread repression, human rights abuses and the ongoing curtailment of the Afghan people’s fundamental freedoms.
According to the two officials, since returning to power the Taliban authorities have imposed sweeping restrictions on women and girls, issuing decrees that have affected major parts of their lives. The statement said millions of girls remain deprived of education, while women are denied work, freedom of movement, freedom of expression and the right to live with dignity, free from fear and violence.
The statement added that the Taliban authorities’ repression has disrupted journalists’ work, silenced human rights defenders and civil society organisations, and exposed ethnic and religious minorities to persecution. It also said the Taliban authorities have taken no steps to establish an inclusive system based on genuine representation of the people.
Canada’s foreign minister and minister of state for international development said terrorist groups continue to find room to operate in Afghanistan, and that this poses a serious threat to regional and global security. They stressed that the Taliban authorities must be held accountable for their actions.
The statement also said that since 2021 Canada has allocated more than $143 million for essential needs, including health services and education, and more than $315 million for critical humanitarian assistance, including food, nutrition, emergency health services, safe drinking water, sanitation and protection services for the people of Afghanistan.
The statement was released to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the Taliban authorities’ return to power. The Taliban authorities declared Saturday, 15 August, a public holiday and also held a ceremony on the occasion at the Loya Jirga hall in Kabul.
