Accountability and Gender Justice in Afghanistan

In June of this year, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan presented his mandated report to the Human Rights Council on the “phenomenon of an institutionalized system of discrimination, segregation, disrespect for human dignity and exclusion of women and girls."

The Women’s Forum on Afghanistan (WFA), with the support of the Permanent Missions of Spain and Chile to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva have the honour to invite you to attend the conference entitled ‘Accountability and Gender Justice in Afghanistan’ to be held on 28 November in Room III of the Palais des Nations, from 9h00 to 16h00. The conference format will include three panel discussions on issues such as judicial mechanisms, other international mechanisms, and recognition of the issue of gender apartheid.

If you are not in possession of a valid UNOG Ground Pass and wish to participate in the event, please kindly register your participation on the Indico platform by using this link. We also kindly request that you confirm your participation in writing to misginchile@minrel.gob.cl.

As an organization concerned with the future of women’s rights in Afghanistan, as well as the inclusion of all Afghan people in governance, particularly national and sectarian minorities, the WFA looks forward to creating a space for Afghan women, member states, and experts to strategize efforts on gender apartheid.

Objectives

The objective of the one-day conference is to provide a space and opportunity for Afghan women activists, member states, and independent experts to share updates and assess progress on accountability efforts, including recent developments such as the announcement by Australia, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands to take the Taliban to the International Court of Justice. Participants will also discuss how to strategize efforts on gender justice and accountability for effective collaboration as we approach 2025.

Outcomes

The outcome of the one-day conference will be the formation of a network of stakeholders working in different areas of accountability, ensuring effective collaboration and implementation of strategies as move forward into the next year. The Women’s Forum will also produce and circulate a policy paper based on the discussions of the conference.

Conference Outline

The one-day conference will take place on 28 November in Geneva, Switzerland. Each panel will be moderated by a member of the Women’s Forum Steering Committee. The agenda will include panel discussions on the following topics:

1. Opening Session: Where Are We with Accountability Now?

This September, the governments of Canada, Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands announced their decision to bring a case against the Taliban to the International Court of Justice under the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). This panel will explore this case and other current developments on accountability.

2. How to End the Culture of Impunity: What Other International Mechanisms Will Be Effective Tools for Accountability, the effectiveness of current initiatives, ICJ, ICC, etc.

Over the last five decades of war, women and girls in Afghanistan have suffered greatly due to ongoing wars. They have been exploited and harmed not only by the fighting factions but also due to peace agreements or government actions that failed to address the need for accountability and justice. This has only further bolded the perpetrators, allowing the cycle of violence and impunity to continue. This panel will discuss mechanisms and methods for leveraging existing international human rights entities to address these issues in Afghanistan and ensure that those responsible for crimes against women and girls are held accountable.

3. Codifying Gender Apartheid

There has not been much solidarity from states, organizations, and individuals, including the media, on recognizing, acknowledging, and addressing the institutionalized and systematic domination and oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan. This panel will explore what strategies might work in pushing this agenda forward, such as the potential role of the Human Rights Council.