Canadian Representative Insists Normalizing Ties with Taliban Must Depend on Human Rights Improvements

Canada’s representative to the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly condemned the Taliban administration’s human rights violations and emphasized the need for practical measures to improve the human rights situation in Afghanistan. According to the representative, the Taliban’s repressive policies have spread fear, deprivation, and systemic discrimination, restricting the fundamental rights of the Afghan people.

The representative specifically criticized the Taliban’s law on separation of spouses, stating that it effectively legalizes child marriage and increases the harsh consequences such as forced marriages, child abuse, and exploitation. She added that depriving girls and women of access to secondary and higher education, particularly medical education, has led to a decrease in the number of female specialists in the health sector and weakened healthcare services for women and girls.

Moreover, the Canadian representative condemned the ongoing violations of the rights of religious minorities and the restrictions on freedom of religion and belief imposed by the Taliban. She stressed that Canada is determined to strengthen international efforts to hold those responsible for human rights violations accountable and called on the global community to consider the UN Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan and their recommendations as the basis for legal and political actions.