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3h ago

UN Rights Council Establishes Afghanistan Evidence‑Gathering Mechanism

The EU-led measure creates a standing unit to preserve evidence for future prosecutions in cooperation with the ICC.

Taliban fighters ride on the back of a pickup truck as they patrol along a road in Kabul, Afghanistan October 23, 2021. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra
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Afghanistan's capital Kabul. Four years on from their return to power, the Taliban government remains largely excluded from the international community, which criticises its repressive measures
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Overview

  • The 47‑member council adopted the resolution by consensus, with China disassociating and arguing the text lacked balance.
  • The mechanism is mandated to collect, consolidate, preserve, and analyze evidence of serious international crimes and to prepare case files for use in courts.
  • Its remit explicitly includes systematic violations against women and girls under Taliban rule.
  • The scope is not limited to Taliban abuses and may examine actions by former officials, warlords, international forces, and non‑state armed groups.
  • The UN secretary‑general was asked to operationalize the body and coordinate with the ICC, as funding, access to Afghanistan, and practical cooperation arrangements are still being developed.