Afghanistan: Civil Society welcomes the UN Human Rights Council's decision to establish the long-requested investigative mechanism for Afghanistan.

“After years of advocacy, I can see a glimmer of hope for accountability and a better future for Afghanistan”, said Hazrat Kahn Hoshmad, Director of the Civil Society and Human Rights Network (CSHRN), OMCT’s main partner for Afghanistan. “This resolution is a promise to Afghan women, girls, and all those who have been silenced — that their rights, voices, and stories will be honored through truth and accountability. Justice may come slowly, but this decision shows that steadfast courage, patience, and truth can light the way toward a future built on dignity and hope”, added Sayed Hussain Anosh, head of the Afghanistan Human Rights Defenders Network in Exile (HRD+), which was the main driving force the request for this mechanism, supported by over 100 Afghan and international NGOs.

This mechanism will play a vital supporting role in the “all tools approach” recommended by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan. It will support ongoing and potential future efforts at the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice and other forms of universal or extraterritorial jurisdiction, as well as future transitional justice initiatives. Ultimately, the goal is to break the country's vicious cycles of violence and impunity.

Believing that human rights will remain one of the key driving forces at the heart of the UN, fostering global prosperity and peace, there is hope that the necessary financial resources will be provided as the next step to ensure the strong and effective implementation of this urgently needed investigative mechanism for all perpetrators of human rights violations in Afghanistan.