Undersecretary Benedetto Della Vedova addressed the Special Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on the “grave human rights situation in Afghanistan”.
The Undersecretary expressed Italy’s concern for the most vulnerable on the ground: women and children, but also human rights defenders, journalists, media workers and people belonging to ethnic and religious minorities, the LGBTI community.
“Those in power and authority on the ground have a responsibility to protect civilians and respect human rights and international humanitarian law” – said Della Vedova – “Important achievements must not be undone; in particular, women’s rights, including the right to education, work and freedom of movement, as well as their meaningful involvement in society and decision-making”
“If this Council wants to preserve its crucial role and credibility, it should be able to ensure and provide a response commensurate with the seriousness of the situation on the ground” – stressed the Under-Secretary. Italy is therefore in favour of the urgent establishment by the HRC of a mechanism to monitor the human rights situation in the country that is international, fully legitimate, independent and proportionate to the challenges, in line with the expectations expressed by Afghanistan and also requested by the European Parliament (“Fact Finding Mechanism” or Special Rapporteur) and hopes that the necessary consensus can be reached in the Human Rights Council.
“The fall of Kabul into the hands of the Taliban has shocked the world; the international community must now show that it will not surrender to the obscurantist forces, that it will remain united and express its unwavering commitment to the freedom and rights of all the Afghan people” – concluded Della Vedova.
