RASC News Agency: The New York-based Open Society Foundation has welcomed and endorsed the joint declaration by the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands, which aims to hold the Taliban legally accountable for their persistent violations of women’s and girls’ rights in Afghanistan. The foundation noted that Afghanistan, under Taliban rule, remains the only country in the world where girls are prohibited from secondary and higher education, while draconian restrictions have been imposed on women’s employment and their legal rights.
In a statement posted on X, the Open Society Foundation emphasized that holding the Taliban accountable for Afghanistan’s international obligations to protect women’s and girls’ rights is long overdue. Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, and Canada, in their joint declaration, warned that due to the severe human rights abuses against women and girls in Afghanistan, they intend to bring the Taliban before the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Natasha Arnpreister, a member of the Open Society Foundation, added: “This initiative offers a path toward a more sustainable future for Afghanistani women and girls. It shows they are not forgotten but are supported in their quest for justice and equality.”
During a press conference in New York on Wednesday, the foreign ministers of Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, and Canada underscored that the Taliban must comply with Afghanistan’s international obligations under the “Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)”. They warned that if the Taliban do not reverse their repressive policies, the coalition will pursue legal action at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Following the issuance of this joint statement, several other nations, including Albania, Belgium, Iceland, Malaysia, Morocco, Panama, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia, also expressed their support for the initiative spearheaded by Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, and Canada.
