Meeting/Event: Third Committee, 32nd plenary meeting - General Assembly, 81st session
Date: 28 October 2026
Categories: Meetings & Events > General Assembly > 81st Session > Third Committee

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An unprecedented brutality by the state of Iran.
Moreover, we investigated the impacts of the hostilities conducted this year by the United States and Israel which have resulted in grave harms and insecurity for civilians in Iran and have been instrumentalized by the government of Iran as a pretext for intensified repression.
Since our initial investigations in 2023, this mission has found that in Iran, repressive and discriminatory laws, structures and practices remain entrenched, and impunity is pervasive.
Repression in Iran functions as a strategy by the authorities to suppress dissent.

The domestic legal framework restricts assemblies and freedom of expression, and enabling enables discrimination arbitrary arrest, torture, sexual violence, due process violations, and arbitrary deprivation of life.
Legal provisions are applied by a judiciary that lacks independence and allows state entities to operate with impunity that perpetuates cycles of repression and exclusion that in turn enable gross human rights violations.
Women and girls continue to be subjected to oppressive laws and practices that amount to a system of institutionalized and structural discrimination.
Minorities, including Kurds, Baloch, Baha'i and others, are also consistently targeted based on their ethnic, political or religious identity Repression is intensified through the use of severe restrictions on the digital space and the manipulation of digital tools to persecute human rights defenders.

This past January, authorities imposed the longest nationwide internet shutdown to date, lasting almost five months.
Under that shield, deaths and detentions of protesters reached their highest levels so far.
The government of Iran has itself published a list of over 3000 names of persons killed.
However, this mission have reasons to believe that the actual numbers are likely significantly higher.

The dead recorded by us include at least 221 children, the youngest four months old.
Moreover, arrests and detentions during the January 2026 protests and their aftermath have reached the tens of thousands.
Detainees suffered torture and ill treatment, and many families struggle trying to determine the fate of their loved ones, including children.
We are gravely alarmed that Iran further intensified the use of the death penalty in 2026.

Iran has already executed at least 34 men in connection with the protests, and more than 100 people, including women and children, are on death row in this context.
Considering the facts and patterns documented in our 2026 reports, this mission has found Iran responsible for gross human rights violations, many of which amount to crimes against humanity.
Moreover, the mission is gravely concerned that the repeated airstrikes in Iran by the United States and Israel continue to harm civilian lives across the country.
Such airstrikes have caused severe damage, including by destroying homes and livelihoods and disrupting access to basic rights, including water, education and healthcare.

A significant example is our investigation into the strikes by the United States on Shahr Tayyeb Primary School in Minab, and the strike that impacted a sports center in a residential area of Lamerd, which added together killed at least 178 civilians, including over 100 children.
Based on the evidence at our disposal, the fact finding mission found reasonable grounds to believe that those strikes amounted to war crimes.
Now, the harm suffered by civilians from the war are compounded by the actions of Iranian authorities that have taken further measures to suppress dissent.
The protection of the rights of people of the people in Iran required urgent, concerted action.

We have stated in each of our reports the many actions that the government of Iran should take to end violations and fulfill its international obligations.
Today, before this General Assembly, we also call on member states to take urgent diplomatic action to seek an immediate end to the hostilities inside and outside the country, and to urge for the respect of human rights and humanitarian law.
Since we are conscious that peace is an essential prerequisite to the full realization of human rights, just as the respect of human rights is absolutely indispensable to building a lasting peace.
Thanks very much for your time.

Thank you so much, Miss Savage.
I now have pleasure inviting the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran to make her introductory statement.
Miss Sato, you have the floor.
Thank you.

Chair, chair, distinguished delegates, representatives of civil society.
What I report to you today is without precedent.
In two years that I have served this mandate, and I struggle to find its precedent in recent history.
A population under military strikes while being threatened, arrested, tortured, forcibly disappeared and executed by its own authorities in the same weeks, in the same cities and sometimes in the same families.

External aggression and internal repression.
Neither has displaced the other.
Each has compounded the other.
Iranian authorities have exploited the war and sanctions as cover, deflecting attention from their own violations and recasting protesters as agents of hostile foreign powers.

In turn, the parties to the war, the US and Israel invoke the internal repression to justify their own violations.
The suffering of one population instrumentalized by all sides and borne by that population alone.
Before I turn to my findings of the report, I want to say how this report came to exist for much of the reporting period.
The internet shut down, left no secure means of sending information out of the country, and where connections did exist, surveillance made them unsafe.

Under the espionage law, sending information to foreign media may carry the death penalty for those who came forward to provide information to my mandate, some later withdrew consent.
Having weighed the cost of themselves or to their families, and I stress that the threats do not stop at the border.
Therefore, what I present today is a fraction of what has occurred, and nothing in my report should be read as the full measure of what has been done to the people of Iran.
Chair, my report covers February to August 2026, the period following the nationwide protests.

As you have just heard from my colleague at the fact finding mission, the suppression of those protests amounted to crimes against humanity, and that there are reasonable grounds to believe that certain strikes constituted war crimes.
I see no reason to depart from these findings, but my focus today is on how these two sources of harm, external aggression and internal repression have compounded one another in daily life.
The aftermath of the crackdown from the protests is not yet over.
Families of those killed are still being pressured into silence, denied funerals, threatened with criminal punishment and confiscation of assets for demanding truth and accountability.

Arbitrary arrests.
Executions connected with the protests continue today.
The war has been put to use.
Peaceful expression has been prosecuted as a threat to national security.

Thousands of arrests on national security charges were reported.
Many held incommunicado in undisclosed locations, a pattern that amounts to enforced disappearance.
Executions also did not pause during the war.
At least 34 people have been executed in connection with the January protests, at least five executed in public.

While the world's focus on the conflict obscured them.
Fair trial guarantees are long.
Concern of my mandate and of my predecessors deteriorated sharply.
Senior officials called publicly for expedited proceedings, and the courts obliged.

Confessions broadcast within days of arrest.
Capital trials of dozens of defendants at once and such group trials are still being held today.
In one case, 34 adults were trialed in five days, 12 were sentenced to death, seven have already been executed.
Such proceedings cannot establish individual criminal responsibility.

They render the sentences arbitrary.
Yet when attention does turn inwards to the internal repression in Iran it settles on the execution of protesters.
But these are a small part of the whole.
Most of the hundreds of executions carried out this year were for qisas homicides and drug related offenses.

And the right to life is not the only right under attack.
Lawyers face reprisals for doing their job.
Those representing protesters have been summoned, threatened and in some cases, arrested.
Economic and social marginalization continued.

Ethnic minorities.
Kurds.
Baluch Ahwazi.
Arabs.

Azerbaijani Turks face discrimination across different dimensions of life, from land confiscation, environmental degradation and the suppression of their languages in school and public life.
Religious minorities Baha'is, Christian converts continue to face persecution, arbitrary arrest and, more recently, intensified scapegoating.
These violations rarely make the headlines, but they are the conditions people live in every day.
Chair.

The two sources of harm converge at every turn.
Few strikes were preceded by warnings those given circulated on social media most Iranians could not access because of their own.
Authorities shut down of the internet, and when the strikes began, prisoners were not evacuated.
They were locked down, iron bars reportedly welded to walls, doors, leaving prisoners confined in overcrowded cells and exposed to the dangers of the war.

Economic devastation is not just war and sanctions alone.
Years of internal policy choices have left households fragile.
Before the first strike, the internet shutdowns imposed by the Iranian authorities cut millions off from their income, with women bearing a disproportionate share.
For some, lost income meant being unable to leave violent households.

The environment tells the same story strikes on fuel depots, water infrastructure have deepened harm rooted in decades of internal neglect, falling heaviest on communities already on the margins.
Chair.
This war has delivered nothing to the people of Iran not safety, not rights, not freedom.
What it has delivered is intensified repression, executions that did not pause, arrests that have multiplied, and fear instilled in a population already cut off and silenced.

The hostilities must end through diplomacy with human rights at the heart of any agreement, and internal repression must end as an obligation to Iran's own people Thank you.
Thank you Masato.
I thank both of our presenters, and we now move to the interactive engagement.
I have approximately 28 speakers.

The time limit for all speakers is saved for.
The first speaker is 2.5 minutes, and the first speaker is the Islamic Republic of Iran, but to be followed by Belarus, Japan, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Russian Federation United Kingdom, Norway, Nicaragua and Australia in the first instance.
But Islamic Republic of Iran, you have the floor.
In the name of God, the most compassionate, the most merciful.

Mr. chair, Iran rejects the countries specific mandates concerning the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including both the independent International Fact Finding Mission and the Special Rapporteur.
These mechanisms have been illegitimate from their inception.
They are selective and politically engineered instruments that have nothing to do with the genuine protection and promotion of human rights, and everything to do with sustained external pressure against a sovereign state that refuses to submit to hegemonic dictates.
A full year has now passed since yet another meeting was convened to target my country under the flimsy pretext for the same unlawful, utterly unnecessary and politically contrived resolution.

Over the past year, the United States and the Zionist regime have made no fewer than two attempts to break the will of the Iranian nation, pursuing their sinister objectives through four coordinated and mutually reinforcing lines of aggression and coercion, namely, military aggression, the deliberate fermentation of international rights and unrest, the deployment of terrorist groups along Iran's borders, and for the economic strangulation cynically disguised as so-called economic isolation.
These were not isolated actions They formed part of a calculated and meticulously orchestrated campaign whose architects were arrogant enough to proclaim their objectives openly to force in Iran into, quote, unconditional surrender.
Bring Iran the destruction of a civilization, civilization and reduce an ancient nation to the Stone age.
Yet for all their threats, aggression, coercion, and grandiose declarations, the outcome was an absolute failure on every front.

This humiliating failure was, above all, the direct consequence of the extraordinary steadfastness and unwavering resolve of the Iranian people who, in the days following the military aggression, launched in the.
In late February, taken into the streets and squares of cities across the country, demonstrating the fate of their nation, would neither be dictated by foreign aggressors nor determined by those who arrogantly imagined they could bomb a civilization into submission.
In late December 2025 and early January 2026, following months of meticulous planning and a relentless campaign of propaganda and incitement, these same actors sought to hijack the peaceful protests of Tehran's bazaar merchants and transform them into a campaign of unprecedented chaos, violence and destabilisation.
What began as peaceful expressions of economic grievances was cynically exploited as yet another opportunity to advance their long cherished ambition of destabilising the Islamic Republic of Iran from within.

And even if one were to set aside the overwhelming indications of foreign interference, how could anyone possibly dismiss the perpetrators own admissions?
The president of the United States openly acknowledged that weapons had been sent to those he chose to describe as protesters.
American officials themselves acknowledged efforts to manufacture the conditions for unrest, with the explicit objective of overthrowing Iran's political systems, officials and entities affiliated with the occupying Zionist regime.
Issued equally brazen messages and openly intervened in unfolding events.

These are not accusations invented by Iran.
They are admissions and declarations made by the very same actors responsible, and their threats have not ceased.
Neither has their shameless hypocrisy.
Our determination to resist and defeat any attempt to undermine our national security, political stability, territorial integrity, or civilizational, cultural and religious identity remains absolute, resolute and unshakable.

For Iranian officials, one of the most painful and tragic dimensions of these events was that the calculated hijacking of peaceful protests and their transformation into violent unrest came at the devastating cost of the lives of a number of our compatriots.
Yet despite the gravity of these losses, those who exploit this strategy for political purposes now display a conspicuous and convenient silence regarding the foreign interference and deliberate destabilisation.
Barely a month after the unrest on 28th of February, my country was subjected to a brutal military aggression that continued for 40 days.
Having failed to achieve through military aggression the capitulation they so arrogantly demanded, the perpetrators merely changed their instruments of coercion, resorting instead to the reprehensible tactics of economic siege as strangulation and isolation.

These desperate measures two are doomed to the same humiliating failure.
During those 40 days of military aggression, the attack on Qajar Tayyeba school in Minab, on the coast of the Persian Gulf, claimed the lives of at least 168 innocent schoolchildren and their teachers.
Eight months have passed since this monstrous crime.
Yet the mothers whose children were mercilessly taken from them, continue to endure an unbearable anguish that neither the passage of time nor the deafening silence of those who profess to champion human rights can ever erase.

In another instance, the stadium in Lamerd, situated in a densely populated area residential area, actually was attacked with a prohibited weapon.
These are merely two examples of the appalling crimes perpetrated by the aggressors, crimes whose gravity cannot be diminished by political maneuvering, selective indignation or the calculated silence of those who would rather shield the perpetrators than confront the their atrocities.
The establishment and continued operation of country specific mandates against the Islamic Republic of Iran constitute a flagrant affront to the fundamental principles of non-selectivity, objectivity, impartiality and sovereign equality, as well as a blatant violation of the charter of the United Nations.
These politically engineered mechanisms amount to unwarranted and unlawful interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state masquerading as legitimate human rights scrutiny.

These mandates deliberately disregard the Islamic Republic of Iran's constructive and continuous engagement with the UPR, the work of its national human rights institutions, and the measures it has taken within its constitutional, Islamic and cultural framework to promote and protect the rights of its people.
At the same time, the various sponsors of these mechanisms maintain a deafening silence on the systematic and large scale crimes committed against the Palestinian people by the Zionist regime, and on the devastating humanitarian consequences of unilateral coercive measures that they themselves impose in flagrant violation of international law.
The Islamic Republic of Iran demands the immediate and unconditional termination of both the independent International Fact Finding mission and the mandate of the Special Rapporteur.
Let there be no misunderstanding.

The Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to pursue its sovereign national path in full conformity with its international obligations.
We will not bow to external intimidation, and we won't lend legitimacy to selective, discriminatory and politically mandated mechanisms.
Iran will neither submit to political blackmail masquerading as human rights advocacy, nor will it accept the systematic perversion of the principles upon which the international legal order was founded.
Thank you.

Thank you.
Iran.
I pass to Belarus, followed by Japan.
Belarus.

You have the floor.
Mr. chairman, distinguished colleagues, Belarus highly values the position of the Iranian authorities and cooperation with the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including by providing the necessary up to date information for the drafting of the report.
The Iranian authorities efforts inspire respect also because of the fact that Iran is presently under difficult circumstances, owing to well-known reasons.
We also thank the Special Rapporteur for the relatively constructive approach and the desire to engage in respectful cooperation with the party concerned, which cannot be said of the independent international Fact finding mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran.

We share with the concern that the opportunities for the people in Iran to access livelihoods have worsened due to growing prices.
The secondary consequences of Security Council sanctions, the strikes targeting Iranian soil, and unilateral coercive measures.
We also are grateful for light being shed on issues which the Islamic Republic of Iran has to face in terms of the environment and protection thereof.
The report also contains a number of contradictory judgments.

The Special Rapporteur, referring to paragraph 30 of a general remark, number 32 of the Human Rights Committee states that the broadcasting of Confessions of the accused is incompatible with the principle of presumption of innocence.
We do not agree with such a statement insofar as this paragraph states that government, government, government bodies have an obligation to refrain from public statements alleging guilt of the accused, which is not pertinent to the situation under consideration.
We reaffirm our position in principle insofar as we reject country specific approaches in the work of the human rights categorically object to instrumentalization of human rights to justify intervention in domestic affairs, given the liquidity crisis.
Where are we joining the mandates?

Spending millions of dollars for these mechanisms.
This such waste should be viewed as unacceptable.
We also wish to recall that the main mechanism for consideration of human rights issues in all countries, without exception, remains the Universal Periodic Review, which facilitates an objective assessment of progress achieved in this area.
Thank you.

Thank you.
Belarus.
Japan.
Followed by Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Japan.
You have the floor.
Thank you chair.
I thank the Special Rapporteur and member of the FM FFM for their presentations.

Japan is deeply concerned about the ongoing deterioration of the situation surrounding Iran, which threatens to set back the promotion and protection of the human rights of Iranians.
As a country that has championed fundamental freedoms and basic human rights, Japan continues to engage in diplomatic efforts toward achieving an early de-escalation of the situation concerning Iran in cooperation with the international community, Japan remains open to dialogue with all stakeholders, including Iran, to further exchange views on efforts to promote and protect protect the fundamental freedoms and human rights of all individuals.
Madam special Repertoire, could you share which activities you are prioritizing to improve the human rights situation under the current circumstances?
Thank you very much.

Thank you.
Japan.
Kingdom of the Netherlands, followed by Russian Federation.
Thank you.

Chair.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands aligns itself with the statement of the EU yet to come, and would like to thank the Special Rapporteur and the fact finding mission for presenting their findings.
The conclusions confirm gross human rights violations by the Islamic Republic of Iran, notably a dramatic escalation in the use of lethal force and mass arrest of protesters.
Iran must immediately halt its unlawful executions and the practice of arbitrary detention and refrain from violence against its own people.

We stand firmly with the Iranian people in particularly women and girls, LGBTQi+ persons, ethnic and religious minorities as well as human rights defenders who continue to face systemic oppression.
The Netherlands echoes the fact finding mission in underlining the serious human rights impact of the ongoing conflict on Iranian civilians.
We deeply regret all civilian casualties, including children in Iran and in the region.
The Netherlands strongly urges for a diplomatic solution and calls on all parties to fully respect international law, including international humanitarian law, notably the protection of civilians and civilian objects.

Mr. chair, given the ongoing refusal of the Islamic Republic of Iran to grant access to or fully cooperate with the Special rapporteur and the fact finding mission.
How can the international community best support their work to advance accountability for human rights violations?
Thank you.
Thank you.

Kingdom of the Netherlands Russian Federation, followed by United Kingdom Russian Federation.
Mr. chairman, we have read the reports submitted by the special procedures on the situation with human rights in Iran.
Once again, we have borne witness to the use of human rights as a tool for exerting pressure on sovereign states instead of establishing constructive dialogue with Tehran.
The fact finding mission, like the special rapporteur on human rights in that country is, uh, capitalizing upon the mandates entrusted to them to advance political interests of the collective West.

The reports they circulate with each passing year continue to disregard the complex and unique socio cultural context of Iran and Western states.
On the basis of these opuses draft one sided, accusatory resolutions which destabilize the situation on the ground, result in rising human casualties and divisions in society.
We categorically repudiate such biased assessments.
Protection of human rights should not transform into a cudgel to exert pressure and impose alien standards, disregarding national values, culture and sovereignty we view as inadmissible and counterproductive the fact that on an annual basis, a unilateral anti-Iranian initiatives are submitted to the third committee.

We see no benefits whatsoever here.
Work to streamline efforts under the UN aid initiative should begin with those specific documents, such documents, which fail to generate any practical benefits in which advance the interests of a single group of nations.
Thank you.
Thank you.

Russian Federation, United Kingdom, followed by Norway.
United Kingdom have the floor.
Thank you.
The United Kingdom.

Thanks.
The chair of the Fact Finding mission and the Special rapporteur for their presentations.
Iran's widespread use of violence against peaceful protesters in January is completely unjustifiable, and the killing of children is abhorrent.
We condemn the torture and ill treatment of detainees and the significant internet shutdowns imposed by the authorities.

Iran's repression also extends to its escalating use of the death penalty, with reports of at least 34 protesters executed since March.
Iran must establish an immediate moratorium on executions.
These actions carry chilling, chilling echoes of the response to the woman life freedom movement four years ago.
Iranian women and girls continue to face unacceptable discrimination, including arrest, detention and prosecution for alleged non-compliance with mandatory hijab laws.

We are deeply concerned that Iran's ethnic and religious minorities, particularly Baloch, Kurds, Baha'is and Christians, continue to face significant repression and scapegoating.
Journalists, human rights defenders and civil society activists also remain subject to intimidation and arbitrary detention.
This does not stop Iran's borders.
We remain concerned by efforts to harness and threaten to harass and threaten people overseas.

We also recognize the impact of the ongoing conflict on civilians in Iran and across the region.
Innocent civilians should never be caught in the crossfire.
Briefers can you speak more about the situation of minorities, and what more needs to be done to support their full enjoyment of human rights?
Thank you.

Thank you, United Kingdom, Norway, followed by Nicaragua.
Norway, you have the floor.
Thank you chair.
We thank the Special Rapporteur for her presentation report and important work.

Nora Norway remains deeply concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran, including the continued repression of those peacefully exercising their fundamental rights and freedoms.
Human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, as well as women and girls continue to face severe restrictions, intimidation and reprisals.
We urge the Islamic Republic of Iran to respect the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly to release those arbitrarily detained for exercising these rights and to ensure that all detainees have access to legal counsel and adequate medical treatment.
We are deeply alarmed by the continued and extensive use of the death penalty.

We are particularly concerned about its use against persons arrested in connection with protests, as well as reports of serious violations of due process.
Death penalty should never be used to silence dissent.
We urge Iran to immediately halt executions, establish a moratorium as a first step towards abolition, commute existing death sentences and ensure that all trials fully meet international fair trial standards.
We reiterate our particular concern regarding the use of death penalty for offences committed by persons below the age of 18.

At the same time, we are deeply concerned by the devastating impact of the armed conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States, which, as a special Rapporteur notes, has compounded the harm caused by the Iranian authorities.
Continued repression.
Chair, we reiterate our appreciation for.
To the Special Rapporteur for her important work and recommendations.

We urged Iran to cooperate fully with her mandate and other relevant UN mechanisms, including by granting them unhindered access to the country.
I thank you.
Thank you Norway, Nicaragua, followed by Nicaragua.
You have the floor.

Gracias.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The Republic of Nicaragua recognizes the Islamic Republic of Iran as a state that protects human rights of its multicultural, multi-ethnic, multilingual and religiously diverse people.
The UN reports must not be used to promote political agendas that are selective, in particular against developing countries using human rights as a pretext to intervene in the internal affairs of sovereign independent states.

We unequivocally reject these reports that are based on selectivity, politicization, lack of objectivity established without the consent of the countries concerned, as is happening in this case with the people in government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The third Commission, in its mechanisms must be governed by the principles of universality, impartiality, non-selectivity, genuine dialogue and cooperation with the aim of strengthening the multilateral system.
Nicaragua reiterates its rejection of the selective treatment of human rights situations in specific countries, in particular Iran, because it believes that this practice runs counter to the spirit and and purposes of the charter.
It's contradictory that while the UN is facing a liquidity crisis, Western countries are continuing to promote mechanisms that are intended against certain states both in New York and Geneva, interfering in their sovereignty and their independence.

We believe that relations of friendship and mutual respect must govern relations among states on the basis of genuine cooperation to promote human rights, universal human rights.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Nicaragua, um, Australia and Australia will be followed by Switzerland, Czechia, Montenegro, European Union, Germany, Pakistan, Eritrea, Israel, Canada, Italy and DPRK.

Um Australia.
You have the floor.
Thank you chair We thank the Special rapporteur and the chair of the Independent International Fact Finding Mission for their presentations.
The violent crackdown on protesters in January 2026 marked a significant escalation of human rights violations by Iranian authorities.

Authorities used lethal force, mass arrests and a nationwide internet shutdown to silence dissent and isolate Iranians from each other and from the outside world.
These actions have compounded pre-existing and wide ranging human rights challenges.
Protesters continue to face reprisals in Iran, including executions and arbitrary arrests, with female protesters and persons belonging to minority groups being disproportionately targeted.
Australia condemns in the strongest terms Iran's increasing use of the death penalty as a tool of intimidation and control, and other ongoing and systematic human rights violations.

We are gravely concerned by findings that Iran has violated due process and fair trial protections, and used forced confessions obtained through torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Australia wants to see an end to the conflict in the Middle East.
We call on all parties to protect civilians and prioritise dialogue and de-escalation.
We ask how can the international community best support justice and accountability for victims and survivors of Iran's gross human rights violations?

Thank you.
Thank you.
Australia.
Uh, Switzerland, followed by Czechia.

Switzerland.
Do you have the floor?
Mr. Chair?
Switzerland.

Thanks.
The members of the Fact Finding mission and the special rapporteur for the presentation of their reports, which are essential contributions in searching for justice and the fight against impunity, in documenting severe human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law committed by the Iranian authorities.
Switzerland is extremely concerned by the violations committed since December 2025, some of which, according to the fact finding mission, are crimes against humanity.
Switzerland condemns the use of the death penalty and reiterates its unshakable support to ending executions, to commuting the death sentences and protecting human rights defenders, journalists and lawyers, and the victims and their families.

We also call upon the Iranian authorities to respect the guarantees of due process.
We also take account of the fact that the report mentions severe violations of international humanitarian law committed by other actors and acts that may constitute war crimes.
We, therefore, call upon all parties to the conflict to reflect international law.
Switzerland reaffirms its support for the mandate of the mission and calls for independent investigations, accountability and untrammelled access to for UN bodies.

Given the internet shutdown, which has been an unprecedentedly long time imposed in 2025, how do you assess the future of internet governance in Iran?
That's my question.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.

Switzerland, Czechia, followed by Montenegro.
Czechia.
You have the floor.
Thank you.

Czechia aligns itself with the European Union statement.
We thank the Special rapporteur and the fact finding mission for their presentation and reports.
We remain deeply concerned by the human rights situation in Iran.
We are alarmed by reports of the mass killing of protesters in January 2026.

The arbitrary detention of tens of thousands of individuals, and extensive internet shutdowns aimed at restricting access to information and concealing human rights violations.
We are also concerned by the continued use of the death penalty, including against individuals associated with protest movements, as well as by the increasing number of executions and death sentences, recent threats against Radio Free Europe Radio Farda Broadcasting in Persian from Prague further illustrate the pressure faced by the independent media and journalists even beyond Iran's borders.
Furthermore, recent legislative developments, including the law on intensifying the punishment for espionage, espionage and the proposed bill to counter foreign infiltration risk, criminalizing legitimate contacts with foreign media, academic institutions, civil society organizations and the United Nations.
Uh, dear panelists, what can you do to prevent reprisals against Iranians cooperating with UN human rights mechanism?

I thank you.
Thank you.
Czechia.
I pass to Montenegro.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Montenegro.
Thanks for presenting their findings and reaffirms its strong support for their mandates.
We are deeply alarmed by the continued deterioration of the human rights situation in Iran, particularly the findings that violations committed during the crackdown on national protests constitute crimes crimes against humanity.

Montenegro strongly condemns the continued use of death penalty, particularly against protesters as well as arbitrary detentions and forced disappearances, torture and serious violations of fair trial guarantees.
We are equally concerned by the severe restrictions of freedom of expressions, including the persecution of journalists, human rights defenders and even individuals peacefully expressing dissent, the misuse of national security legislation to silence critical voices, including in the context of armed conflicts, is particularly alarming.
National security considerations can never justify such violations.
We urge the Iranian authorities to immediately halt executions, release all those arbitrarily detained and cooperate fully with UN human rights mechanisms We also remain deeply concerned about the devastating impact of armed conflicts on civilians, particularly children.

We call on all parties to fully respect international humanitarian law, ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and uphold their obligations under international law.
Miss and Miss Sato, given the continued denial of access to Iran for both mechanisms and the absence of credible domestic investigations, what concrete measures could strengthen the preservation of evidence and ensure meaningful accountability for victims?
Thank you.
Thank you.

Montenegro.
European Union, followed by Germany.
European Union, you have the floor.
I have the honor to speak on behalf of the EU and its member states.

We thank the Special Rapporteur and the fact finding mission for their work and reports and fully support their mandates.
Last January, Iranian security forces answered the call of peaceful protesters for dignity, freedom and a better life with lethal force and excessive violence.
Since then, internal repression has only increased.
Accountability for these grave human rights violations is essential.

The increase of the number of executions is unacceptable.
The EU strongly condemns any use of the death penalty and torture, including as a means to suppress internal dissent.
We urge the Iranian authorities to immediately stop all executions and advance towards the abolition of capital punishment The EU is also gravely concerned about the restrictions on freedom of opinion, expression and peaceful assembly, offline and online, as well as the harassment and reprisals against all dissenting voices, including transnational repression.
We call on the Iranian authorities to cease the violence and repression, provide due process and fair trial guarantees, release all those arbitrarily detained and to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right for Iranians to choose their own future.

We remain particularly concerned about the systematic discrimination against women and girls.
Since January, the EU imposed additional sanctions on 37 individuals and nine entities responsible for human rights violations in Iran.
We stand ready to take further measures as necessary.
The war has added another layer of suffering.

We expressed deep concern over the loss of civilian life during the conflict, including those killed in the strike against the school in Minab.
We urge de-escalation and maximum restraint, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure in all circumstances, and full respect of international law and international humanitarian law by all parties prefers.
What should the international community do to prevent further violations and ensure accountability?
Thank you.

Thank you.
European Union, Germany, then Pakistan.
Eritrea So Germany, you have the floor.
Thank you, chair, for giving me the floor.

I align myself with the statement delivered by the European Union.
We thank the Briefers for their reports.
Since last year, the grave human rights violations committed by Iran have become even more appalling.
The fact finding mission finds that Iran has committed crimes against humanity against its own people When it brutally suppressed peaceful protests.

The severe and systematic repression, including transnational repression and violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by Iran, are deeply troubling.
And so are findings of excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests, detentions, torture, executions and enforced disappearances.
Germany remains deeply concerned about the large scale use of the death penalty, and the lack of fair trial guarantees perpetrators must be held accountable.
We urge Iran to one stop executions and end the use of the death penalty two to release those arbitrarily detained, ensure fair trial guarantees and provide effective remedies.

Three to end the targeting and persecution of protesters, journalists, human rights defenders, persons belonging to minorities including and in particular LGBTQ people.
And four to cooperate fully with UN human rights mechanisms, including granting full and unhindered access.
The armed conflict and its consequences have further exacerbated the suffering of the Iranian people We are deeply concerned by attacks on civilian targets and infrastructure in the entire region that resulted in significant civilian casualties We call for the full respect for international law.
Madam chair, what are the most urgent next steps to translate your findings into effective accountability, including prosecution and effective remedies for victims?

I thank you.
Thank you.
Germany, Pakistan, followed by Eritrea.
Pakistan.

You have the floor.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
We take note of these special rapporteurs and chair of the Fact Finding Missions report and briefing Pakistan's friendship with Iran and its people rests on enduring historical, cultural and religious ties.
Their security, dignity and well-being remain of deep importance to us.

We must focus on the circumstances affecting the lives of the people of Iran, the loss of civilian lives, destruction of essential infrastructure and disruption of basic services as a result of conflict demand sustained attention.
The painful deaths of the schoolgirls in Minab are an excruciating reminder of the human cost of war.
Every human life deserves protection.
Public safety and order must be upheld consistently, with human rights obligations and due process.

Concerns regarding the treatment of individuals should be addressed through credible information, constructive engagement and cooperation with the country concerned.
Mandates imposed without the consent of the country concerned cannot substitute for genuine engagement.
It is also worth noting that the mandates overwhelmingly concern the developing countries.
Selectivity and politicisation erode the credibility of human rights mechanisms, deepened mistrust and obstruct cooperation.

Our deliberations must serve the rights and wellbeing of people, not political scoring.
We therefore urge an approach grounded in dialogue, respect for Iran's sovereignty and the well-being of the people of Iran.
This can come through practical cooperation.
Diplomacy must be given the space to secure lasting peace and create conditions in which human rights can be fully enjoyed.

I thank you.
Thank you Pakistan, Eritrea, followed by Israel.
Eritrea.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Eritrea rejects country specific mandates, including those of the independent International Fact Finding Mission and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran are.
Those mandates were established without the consent of the concerned state.
They are counterproductive and serve primarily as a pretext for political pressure.
Eritrea firmly believes that the consideration of rights issues must be guided by the foundational principles of universality, objectivity, impartiality, non-selectivity and non politicisation while fully respecting national sovereignty.

We believe that the Universal Periodic Review is the most inclusive and constructive platform for enhancing international cooperation and fostering genuine dialogue on human rights issues.
In this regard, we commend Iran's engagement in the EP R mechanism and trade bodies.
We call for the removal of unilateral coercive measures imposed on Iran, which are adversely impacting the nation's economy and the fundamental rights of its people.
We urge the international community to engage with Iran through constructive dialogue and mutual respect, fostering cooperation and understanding.

I thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you.
Eritrea, uh, Israel, followed by Canada.
Israel, you have the floor.

Thank you.
Chair.
The Iranian regime is the source of instability in the Middle East and a worldwide sponsor of terrorism.
Iran's sponsors fuels arms and trains, thus responsible for any terror attack from Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.

Iran.
Priorities.
Priorities are crystal clear funding and supporting its terror proxies across the region and beyond, actively developing its illegal military nuclear program program and massive ballistic missiles.
Arsenal not advancing the rights and welfare of the Iranian people.

This year we have seen the ideology of destruction play out, the brutality that the people of Iran have been facing at the hands of the regime knows no bounds.
We recognize today's conclusion that the Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity.
Yet serious questions remain about whether the reports presented today reflect the scale and gravity of the regime's atrocities.
The full extent of the regime's massacres, executions, arbitrary detentions, intimidations of victims families and other graves.

Human rights violations must be thoroughly examined.
The bravery of the Iranian people, who have taken to the streets in the hope of a better future, demands our attention and our respect.
It demands the undivided attention and action of the United Nations.
I thank you.

Thank you Israel.
Canada, followed by Italy.
Canada.
Have the floor.

Thank you.
Chair Canada.
Thanks.
The Special rapporteur and the fact finding Mission Canada is deeply concerned by the duality of risks facing Iranians stemming from long standing widespread violations by Iran and from the consequences of armed conflict.

Canada's gravely concerned about the findings of the fact finding mission that crimes under international law may have been committed in Iran.
All such crimes must be investigated in accordance with international law, including those arising during armed conflict and protests.
We condemn Iran's use of the death penalty.
The rising number of executions, including of protesters, is abhorrent.

We strongly urge Iran to immediately abolish the death penalty and release all those arbitrarily detained.
Iran's use of unlawful force, arbitrary detention, torture and other ill treatment, unfair trials and transnational repression is inconsistent with human rights.
We call on Iran to meet its commitments, uphold accountability and ensure effective remedies for victims.
Canada expresses solidarity with Iranian human rights defenders who were courageously to promote human rights and strengthen accountability in the country.

Canada's concerned by proposed legislation that would criminalize contact with foreign organizations, civil society and diplomatic missions We urge Iran to respect the rights of freedom of expression freedom of association and privacy online and offline.
Canada is concerned about the systemic discrimination and restrictions affecting religious and ethnic minorities in Iran, including the Baha'i, Baluch and Kurds.
Alongside the disproportionate impact of economic hardship, poverty and barriers to access to education employment and other economic, social and cultural rights.
Sustained international pressure, including through the documentation, monitoring and preservation of evidence by UN human rights mechanisms, is essential to hold Iran accountable for violations and end impunity.

This is why Canada remains steadfast in its efforts to hold Iran accountable, including through the 24th iteration of the resolution on the situation of human rights in Iran.
I thank you.
Thank you Canada.
I have Italy, followed by DPRK, Italy.

You have the floor.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Italy aligns itself with the European Union statement.
We thank the fact finding mission and the Special Rapporteur for their update, which is deeply concerning for both the impact of the conflict on civilian population and the internal human rights situation We share your regrets over the impossibility to access the country, and we reiterate our support for your meaningful work.

Italy is deeply concerned about the continued, deteriorated human rights situation in Iran, especially after January 2026, particularly in light of widespread arrests, curbs of fundamental freedoms, communication restrictions and violence against the human rights defenders.
We condemn the recent acceleration in executions and the use of death penalty as a means to suppress dissent, including in cases involving individuals at the very young age.
In this period, we call on Iran to halt all executions and to release all those arbitrarily detained in violation of due process guarantees and the right to life.
We also urge Iran to end all forms of discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities, including Baha'i, and to ensure the full protection of human rights, including rights of women and girls.

I thank you, chair.
Thank you.
Italy, Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
You have the floor.

Mr. chair.
The DPRK reiterates its steadfast opposition to the practice of introducing politically motivated, country specific human rights mandates.
We maintain that such mechanisms run counter to the foundational principles of the UN charter, namely sovereign equality, mutual respect and non-interference in the internal affairs of member states.
The interactive dialogue today regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran serves as another clear example of of the ongoing weaponization of human rights.

We firmly believe that the UPR remains the only legitimate, universal and non-discriminatory mechanism within the UN system to address human rights globally as it fosters constructive cooperation rather than geopolitical division.
The true promotion of human rights must respect cultural and religious diversity, national sovereignty and the rights of every nation to determine its own societal model, free from external interference.
My delegation rejects confrontational, politicized approaches in addressing human rights and calls for a return to genuine, equal dialogue based on mutual respect within a multipolar world order.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you.
DPRK.
The following tranche of speakers is ahead of us Iceland, China.
France, Cuba, Venezuela, Spain, Ireland, Burundi.

And the final speaker will be, uh, a second statement by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Uh, Iceland, you have the floor.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Iceland.

Thanks.
The special rapporteur and the fact finding mission for their reports and their vital work of documenting and reporting on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
As reported, the already dire human rights situation in Iran is further worsened with the ongoing armed conflict used as pretext for wartime conditions to justify serious human rights violations, escalation of the use of lethal force and mass arrests, as well as the recent sharp spike in executions and the use of the death penalty are deeply alarming.
Further civic space continues to shrink State driven repression has intensified, and repressive laws and practices remain entrenched, including against protesters, human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists religious minorities and other groups.

Iceland is deeply concerned that many reported gross human rights violations amount to crimes against humanity, committed as a part of widespread and systematic attacks directed against a civilian population.
We call on the Islamic Republic of Iran to immediately end the use of the death penalty, impose a moratorium on executions and release all persons arbitrarily detained.
We further call on all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and human rights law.
Accountability for violations must be guaranteed.

Iceland reaffirms its support to the mandates of the Special rapporteur and the fact finding mission, and their calls for independent investigations and accountability.
We underlined the need for unhindered access for United Nations mechanisms.
In closing, we ask the panel, considering the the repressive strategies adopted by the Islamic Republic of Iran, how can member states best support Iranian civil society, including as they continue efforts to document violations in Iran despite the risk of prosecution?
I thank you.

Thank you.
Iceland.
Uh, China, followed by France.
China.

You have the floor.
Mr. Chair.
As the situation in the Gulf region continues to evolve, the living conditions of the people in Iran and the wider region are a source of deep concern for the international community Peace rather than war, dialogue rather than confrontation, fairness rather than hegemony are increasingly becoming the common aspiration of the people of the region.
China believes that all countries sovereignty, security and territorial integrity must be fully respected.

All acts that violate international law or indiscriminately target civilians and civilian objects should be strongly condemned.
China has has always been a force for peace and stands ready to continue working with parties to pull together for peace, encourage the parties to the conflict, to work in the same direction, protect the fundamental human rights of the people of the region through concrete actions, and achieve regional peace and stability at an early date.
The abuse of unilateral coercive measures violates people's rights to subsistence and development and their economic, social and cultural rights.
China urges relevant countries to immediately lift the Ucms against Iran to avoid exacerbating people's hardship.

I thank you.
Thank you.
Uh, China.
Uh, I pass to Ambassador of France, followed by Cuba.

France.
You have the floor.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
France reiterates our full support for the respective mandates of the Special Rapporteur and the fact finding mission.

We wish to thank them for their indispensable work reporting on under exceedingly difficult circumstances as they report on human rights violations in Iran We call upon the Iranian authorities to fully cooperate with the latter and to provide them, as well as to all human rights mechanisms, free and unimpeded access to Iran in light of the legitimate aspirations of the Iranian people to freedom and dignity.
The authorities continue to systematically respond with violence, massive arrests, and repression.
We strongly condemn the use of lethal violence against protesters, and we call upon Iran to cease executions, arrests and widespread arbitrary detentions.
Nearly four years after the death of Mahsa Amini and several months after January's protests, we reaffirm our support for Iranian women and girls and human rights defenders, as well as journalists and vulnerable groups who face persecution and reprisals from the authorities.

We condemn the shutdown of the internet, which is muzzling the Iranian people and concealing the magnitude of human rights violations.
Military hostilities are exacerbating the suffering.
We call upon all parties to exercise restraint to fully comply with international law, specifically international humanitarian law.
We continue to support diplomacy, which is the only way towards a lasting peace in the region.

Special rapporteur, in light of the accumulated consequences of the violence perpetrated by the regime and from the conflict.
What is your assessment of the current situation faced by those most vulnerable, including women and children, in Iran?
Thank you.
I pass to Cuba, then Venezuela.

Cuba.
You have the floor.
Muchas gracias.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Making this statement on behalf of the friends in defense of the charter.
Mr. Chair, the group of friends in defense of the charter considers that the presentation of resolutions on specific countries without the consent of the state concerned does not contravene the principles of impartiality, objectivity, transparency, non-selectivity, non politicisation and non-confrontation.
But it also contravenes the spirit of the charter of the United Nations itself.
We're looking here at very highly politicized decisions that have no impact at all on the human rights situation.

Therefore, we express our firm rejection of principles, all types of double standard that undermine the true spirit of promotion and protection of human rights.
Mr. chair, the group of friends of the charter in defense of the charter of the United States expresses its deep concern about the continuing and growing proliferation of mechanisms and procedures that claim to assess human rights of specific states and that, in most cases, don't just lack the necessary consent and participation of the state concerned, but they also base their reports on secondary or tertiary sources or other sources that may be biased or that may lack credibility.
This ends up undermining the objectivity of that document.
And it also which which is nevertheless given a certain legitimacy by simply by the fact of being issued by the organization.

We are we energetically condemn the fact that these mechanisms don't recognize member states efforts in human rights, and that they base their efforts on the shortcomings that are in place, but they don't ignore the efforts and the challenges and the obstacles that are in the place of these countries, including the application of Ucms, the UPR and the treaty bodies, and the UN Human Rights Council.
These are general.
These should genuinely uphold human rights in a just and constructive way, on the basis of dialogue and cooperation, in a framework of mutual respect, and in accordance with the ongoing permanent principles that are enshrined in the charter.
As we call for the end of the politicization of human rights, we call for strengthening and guaranteeing the full and effective realization of human rights of this organization.

And the microphone has been cut off.
Thank you.
Cuba.
I pass to Venezuela, then Spain.

Venezuela, if you have the floor.
Gracias, president.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The promotion and protection of all human rights requires a genuine commitment to respectful dialogue, international cooperation, and full respect for sovereign equality, political independence, and non-intervention in internal affairs, and the self-determination of peoples in accordance with the charter of the United Nations.

From that position of principal, Venezuela reiterates its call to end practices that promote human rights approaches, approaches that trample the principles of objectivity, impartiality, transparency and non-selectivity, and that ultimately only promote confrontation while weakening trust among states.
And they undermine the credibility of the UN human rights system in particular, when the mechanisms contemplated do not have the consent of the states concerned We therefore reaffirm the central role of the UPR as the universal mechanism for dialogue among equals with the direct participation of national authorities.
We also recognize the contribution of the treaty bodies in the framework of the obligations assumed by each state, and of technical assistance and capacity building, in accordance with the agreed with the countries concerned and in accordance with national priorities.
Venezuela reiterates also that dialogue and cooperation must prevail over conference and double standards.

The protection of human rights means that we need to strengthen multilateralism and preserve the spirit of mutual respect.
That must guide the work of this organization on the basis of an approach that promotes support for the efforts of states to overcome the challenges facing them through cooperation and technical assistance.
Lastly, Venezuela urges the United Nations to support the efforts of each state to find solutions based on their own national situations to benefit their entire population.
We reaffirm our readiness to contribute to constructive dialogue that would make it possible to advance with full respect for sovereignty in the promotion and enjoyment of all human rights, without exclusion or politicization.

Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Venezuela.
I pass to Spain, then Ireland.

Spain.
You have the floor.
Mr. chair, this is the first word that we want to say.
There was a tragic rail accident in Spain and we want to ask.

Thank the delegates who have expressed their condolences.
Spain aligns itself with the declaration of the EU and the fact finding mission, and the.
Does absolutely essential work in the fight against impunity in international rights and human rights in Iran.
As the reports published in the recent months have stated, since January 2026 the repression against freedom of expression, of thought and freedom of assembly of Iranian assemblies have toughened dramatically.

We regret the case of Parastoo Ahmadi.
Neutral, peaceful, peaceful demonstrators, journalists, lawyers and human rights defenders have been victims of arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, embargoes, tortures and even executions.
Spain condemns these violations of human rights and observes with concern that these violations are systematic.
We therefore urge or call for the abolition of the death penalty in Iran because it's a cruel, inhumane and degrading punishment that runs counter to human dignity.

And it's irreversible if there's a judicial error.
We are concerned about the terrible increase in executions in cases like that of Amini and those of other human rights defenders who are condemned to death these days.
Today in Iran, we also call for the Iranian authorities to cease the violence against women and girls and to respect their dignity and freedom, equality and rights.
We also lament the many instances of persecution and violation of the ethnic and religious minorities in the country.

Lastly, we reiterate our call for a political solution to all pending questions related to Iran.
We call for the end of the armed conflict in the region, and we call for the abstention from any action that would contribute to regional destabilisation, including unjustified attacks against neighbouring states.
We recall the obligation of all parties to fully respect international humanitarian law and international humanitarian human rights law.
Apologies.

Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Spain.
Uh, Ireland.

Followed by Burundi.
Ireland.
Thank you.
Chair Ireland aligns with the EU statement.

And we thank the Special Rapporteur and the chair of the fact finding mission for their updates.
Ireland is deeply concerned by the findings of both reports.
They demonstrate widespread systematic human rights violations in Iran.
There must be accountability for these violations and respect for international human rights law.

We are deeply concerned by reports of excessive use of force against peaceful protesters, restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly and association, and arbitrary detention.
We call on Iran to end violence against its citizens, release those arbitrarily detained in connection with the January protests, and uphold due process and fundamental freedoms.
Ireland condemns attempts to intimidate or attack perceived dissidents, journalists, human rights defenders and minority communities, including the Baha'i, and the repression taking place beyond Iran's borders.
We are particularly concerned by the increased use of the death penalty.

Ireland is firmly opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances, pending its complete abolition.
We call on the Iranian authorities to introduce a moratorium on executions.
We echo calls for Iran to cooperate fully with international mechanisms, including by granting access to the country and in relation to hostilities involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
Ireland calls on all parties to abide by international law, including international humanitarian law, and to ensure the protection of civilians and civilian objects.

We have two questions for the Briefers Special Rapporteur and Chair.
Where should the international community focus in its engagement to encourage genuine progress on human rights in Iran?
And Special rapporteur, what are the instances of repression of human rights defenders and transnational repression that you would like to particularly bring to wider attention?
Thank you.

Thank you Ireland.
Uh, I pass the Burundi You have the floor.
Um.
Thank you.

Chair.
Chair.
Burundi reiterates its commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights with respect for sovereignty and non-interference.
Burundi rejects the instrumentalization of human rights and the use of human rights mechanisms for advancing economic and geopolitical agendas.

Human rights mechanisms should not be invoked selectively to criticize some chosen states while ignoring abuses committed by others.
How to ensure that the reports of the Special Rapporteur on the Islamic Republic of Iran is not politically motivated?
Did the human rights expert and special rapporteur really care about the people of Iran, remained neutral and objective to guarantee the credibility of their report?
I thank you, chair.

Thank you Burundi.
Um, and finally, uh, by way of second statement, the Islamic Republic of Iran, you have the floor.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The Islamic Republic of Iran rejects as baseless the allegations made by a number of Western countries.

These accusations are yet another manifestation of the deeply entrenched hypocrisy, blatant selectivity and shameless double standards.
And to the representatives of Germany who Sue, who so readily invokes the term crimes against humanity.
Perhaps, sir, you should first confront your own country's deeply troubling historical record.
It was German companies based in Germany that equipped Saddam Hussein with chemical weapons to be used during the imposed war against Iran.

That shameful chapter of history cannot be erased by sanctimonious lectures, selective outrage, or self-righteous declarations.
And to the Israeli regime, given the regime's possible.
Given the fact that the regime is responsible for the unprecedented war crimes against the Palestinian people, you have neither the moral authority nor the slightest credibility to lecture anyone on human rights.
Once again, I must pose the same question.

Even if one were to disregard the overwhelming evidence of foreign interference, how could anyone possibly explain away the perpetrators own brazen admissions?
The president of the United States himself openly acknowledged that weapons had been sent for those who described as protesters.
Did the president of the United States say this, or did he not?
The Islamic Republic of Iran remains committed to the promotion and protection of human rights of all its citizens.

We urge the third Committee to refrain from being instrumentalized as a platform for politically motivated agendas.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Iran.

Um, it's now my pleasure to revert to our two briefers.
Uh, in the first instance, uh, I revert to, uh, the member of the independent International fact Finding mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Miss Christine Savage.
Uh, you have the floor.
Thank you so much, Mr. Chair.

Thanks to everybody for your valuable contributions Uh, and, uh, your reflections to, to this fruitful dialogue on, on the situation of Iran.
Um, several governments have, uh, alluded to a lack of objectivity and impartiality by both mandates.
And I have to say that, um, we were established and founded with the highest levels of independence and impartiality.
And that has permeated the way in which we collect the evidence that we receive, the way in which we verify carefully and preserve evidence for accountability purposes, as well as for, um, referring some of the facts that are that, that, uh, derive from that evidence collected in our reports, uh, that independence and impartiality also permeates the way in which we do our legal reasonings and the recommendations that we've made throughout the process.

Obviously, access to the country would, um, would make it much better for all of us, would give us the opportunity to further listen to more of the authorities in Iran and different actors and stakeholders, visit the prisons talk to activists, academics and, and other, um, and other stakeholders that would be relevant for, for gathering information.
Um, we have asked for access to the country several times and we haven't received a response from the state so far.
Um, we have submitted several requests for information and uh, the state has replied and presented more reports in this last six months However, a lot of the, the questions that we've asked have remained unanswered.
Um, moreover, we are incredibly worried about the obstructive, um, actions that the government has, has conducted to silence those that are trying to cooperate with, with the mission and seek truth and justice internally and externally through reaching out to, to different, uh, accountability mechanisms.

And in that it was mentioned, the espionage law that has served to, to persecute, um, human rights defenders, family members, lawyers, uh, but also there's a pending bill on foreign influences that further complicates the access to, to international mechanisms of, of protection.
These bills have, um, the law and the bill have a an inhibiting chilling effect and limit significantly the possibility of, of people accessing the fact finding mission.
Despite that, we continue to receive information from Iran and from, uh, persons that have recently left the country.
Um, so that, that, um, I wanted to just to make, make it clear for, for those that are here in the audience, um, on transnational repression, that has also been a problem, uh, that we have faced in, in seeking cooperation and, and trying to, to address the, the situation of the last, the last protest and, and, um, the violations of rights and, and international humanitarian law during the hostilities, um, transnational repression occurs digitally and, and in fact, in different countries in, in the world.

And this is a pattern that has increased in the last, uh, years.
Um, and there are many things that the host governments that, that, um.
Have the responsibility to protect members of the diaspora and others that are, um, investigated on Iran could, could take, for example, increase the way and perfect the way that you give warnings to people that are at risk, um, strengthen the mechanisms of protection individually and collectively for persons at risk in the host countries and develop, um, develop paths for accountability for those that are doing, uh, digital, um, are emitting digital threats or using doxing or malware in order to, to attack, uh, journalists and human rights defenders abroad.
Uh, there are more things than the ones that are being done that could be done for in the search for accountability.

And that would actually help dissuade the government of Iran and others that are engaged in transnational repression.
Uh, on the human rights community, we have developed a protocol on effective investigations of threats called the Protocol of La Esperanza that I would really want to share with you all as well on accountability.
There are many pathways for accountability that are critical.
Um, we have mentioned universal jurisdiction.

I think this, um, novel paths that could be tied to transnational repression are very useful.
There are paths for, um, accountability in the International Court of Justice dealing with systematic racial discrimination that we discussed at length in one of our reports.
But at the core of of any accountability and justice process, I think we have to have the victims and persons and human rights defenders at the center.
And there's more that can be done for them.

There's more that can be done for them in the diaspora, and speaking up and showing solidarity on, on their behalf.
Um, but also in taking some very concrete measures like providing protection and humanitarian pathways, refuge for those facing persecution.
In the past, we had several countries, um, providing medical treatment and psychological treatment for, for victims and organizations supporting those victims and organizations that are doing documentation that are treating victims, that are accompanying them in accountability processes is also critical.
Um, and we included in one of our reports, this initiative of creating a victims fund.

Um, that could, uh, take some of the, the ceased and frozen assets from the Iranian government and other, uh, resources and be used to support victims of, of, of gross violations and crimes against humanity.
Um.
On digital repression.
Um, and, and digital tools.

There are, these are serious concerns that we have on how the dynamics of, of repression are evolving worldwide and specifically in Iran.
And I think we need to deepen some of the conversations on the pathways and the different actors and stakeholders that could have, um, a role in helping member victims and members of the communities, uh, protect themselves.
Like the self-protection measures, the responsibility of intermediaries, um, and corporations when safety should be built into the design of the tools so that, that they cannot be used for, uh, grave harm.
Um and, um.

And I, I believe that this is one of the areas where, where we need to deepen part of our, our investigations and our, and the the paths that, um, can be open to, to further address the needs of, of victims in the country.
Um.
I think that that would be.
Um, then there are several issues on accountability and what to do and how to prioritize the measures that all states can take.

And I think we have both said, Miss Sato and I, that the end of the hostilities is critical and peace is a prerequisite for the full enjoyment of human rights.
But it's never enough.
It's never enough because human rights violations and entrenched human rights violations at the level that exist in Iran require much more significant reforms.
And.

And they can start by protecting those that are are speaking up and have the imagination to dream of a country where everybody can speak up and defend their rights and that women can, uh, live more dignified and free lives.
So I will leave it there.
Thank you.
Thank you, Miss Christy.

Uh, and I now have pleasure in passing the floor to Miss Sato.
Uh, to make your response.
Thank you, chair, and I thank the distinguished delegates for your interventions.
First, let me address the comments from the Islamic Republic of Iran.

I know your government does not recognize the legitimacy of my mandate, yet you have engaged with my mandate throughout the last two years and extensively in recent months concerning the war.
I welcome that engagement.
But human rights apply in all circumstances.
I acknowledge that the Iranian authorities have published casualty figures from the war, but your government continues to fail to publish data on executions and on killings by your own security forces.

Your government's protest death figures for far below independent estimates.
I reiterate that the responsibility to publish that data lies squarely with the state, and until that obligation is honored, civil society and the family of those executed and killed will remain the primary source of credible information for my mandate.
Second, your government's intervention focused mostly on the war, which has resulted in serious human rights violations That is echoed in my report and also in the Fmi's report.
But I must also speak to the internal repression focusing on the January protests, the rights that bring people to the streets, expression peaceful assembly association are severely restricted in Iran, in law and in practice, constitutional limits, permit requirements and broadly drafted national security offenses mean almost any form of protest is treated as unlawful.

The result is that there is no lawful way left to dissent.
Protesters have been met with lethal violence or later sentenced to death and executed.
But the four decades of history show that repression has not stopped people in Iran from protesting.
It has only deepened the grievances that bring them here.

I urge the authorities to recognize peaceful dissent, not as a threat, but as a part of a healthy society.
And finally, I renew my standing request to to conduct a country visit, which is more crucial now than ever.
I now turn my attention to the interventions from member states.
I think the last question from Burundi.

Do I care about the people of Iran?
The short answer is yes.
The longer answer is that is exactly why my report is organized around what people have suffered, victimized, and silenced, rather than by perpetrator.
My mandate exists for the people of Iran, of all of them, whoever has caused the harm.

And the next question from Belarus about the group, sorry, the confessions broadcast on TV, and I believe several states have mentioned their concern on fair trial guarantees.
And thank you for these comments.
I remain my position about the broadcasting of confessions on state television before trial as a serious human rights violation.
Broadcasting confessions before trial publicly prejudices guilt which is incompatible with the presumption of innocence, whether statements were obtained through torture.

They must be excluded from proceedings altogether, not given the status of public evidence.
A trial that follows such broadcast cannot be fair, and a death sentence imposed after it is an arbitrary deprivation of life.
And then on to the easier questions on Japan.
What am I going to be focusing on?

I will combine this with other states.
Focus on the death penalty.
UK, Norway, Australia, Chechnya, um you, Germany, Canada, Italy and Ireland.
My mandate will continue to focus on the death penalty.

The need to establish a moratorium has never been more urgent.
Calls to abolish the death penalty actually comes strongly within Iranian society.
People stayed up all night and Alcaniz square in an attempt to stop a public execution from happening, and they stood in unity with the individuals who were about to be executed and their families.
Opposition to the death penalty also comes from inside Iran's prisons.

For more than two years and eight months, prisoners have gone on hunger strike every Tuesday to stand against all executions for all offenses.
The society's desire to move away from the death penalty is clear.
I urge the authorities to establish an official moratorium on the implementation of all death sentences, with a view to abolishing the death penalty.
But more specifically, I welcome the continued dialogue with the Iranian authorities on the ongoing review of the Antinarcotics law, which provides a concrete opportunity to significantly limit the death penalty for drug offenses I also want to take this opportunity to welcome the Cross-regional joint statement delivered by Liechtenstein on behalf of 46 states at the Human Rights Council last month condemning the escalation of the death penalty.

Iran.
Now to the question by the UK on minorities.
I remain concerned about the reported extrajudicial killings of Kurdish and Baluch Subas and also on environment and economic burdens.
They fall heavily on the same communities in Khuzestan, Sistan-baluchistan and Hormozgan who who are already living with neglect and who cannot readily establish the health risks that they now face And then the question on women from France.

Iran does not yet criminalise marital rape.
And in 2015, the government withdrew the Domestic violence Bill, which was pending since 2017.
And I renew my call for comprehensive legislation that protects women and provides remedies.
Mandatory hijab enforcement persists in practice despite the law.

Suspension with cafes, restaurants and shops closed over, non-compliance and arrests reported.
And finally, women continue to be executed in cases marked by domestic violence and child marriage, while femicides continue to be reported.
Now, on the questions which I will combine the question on reprisals and transnational repression, I think were raised by Montenegro Germany and Ireland.
They have been worrying developments concerning transnational repression, and much of it takes the form of reprisals.

On this, I urge all member states to act within their own borders recognise these acts as transnational repression.
Train your police officers to handle reports from victims who may distrust law enforcement because of their experiences back home, and to cooperate with one another in prevention and response.
And then on the questions on meaningful accountability raised by Montenegro, Germany and Ireland And thank you for this question My report is one of the three reports published in recent weeks, alongside the missions and the Secretary General's report on the human rights situation in Iran.
What these three reports have in common is impunity.

Neither the US nor Israel have published findings on their strikes, and inside Iran, there is no avenue through which meaningful accountability can be pursued.
The domestic courts that would need to hear these cases are the same courts handing down death sentences with blatant disregard for due process.
This is precisely why international mechanisms exist where no domestic avenue is open.
My mandate and the fact finding mission and a long civil society documentation are the mechanisms available to victims to prevent the ratio of truth.

The absence of accountability is the condition that allows the same thing to happen again, or worse.
So on this question on meaningful accountability, I urge all states to continue to resource the mechanisms and to support civil society.
But perhaps more fundamentally, I wish to point out that states created our mandates to document the human rights violations in support for accountability.
What is done with that record is now in your hands, the responsibility to pursue accountability and to ensure non-recurrence.

Also rests with you, especially where domestic avenues for accountability remain closed.
This may include not only statements, but also building in human rights, in bilateral agreements and aid arrangements to all the way to universal jurisdiction and on broadly on what can Member States do?
Raised by Netherlands, Iceland and Ireland.
First, I call on the US, Israel and the mediating states to prioritise human rights in any agreement to end the war.

Second, I urge member states to open humanitarian pathways for those affected by external aggression and internal repression, including through emergency visas.
Here, I would like to note France's leadership in granting humanitarian visas to those affected.
Civil society organisations are doing vital work recording violations, preserving evidence for future accountability processes.
That work needs time and funding and they need your support.

Finally I would like to make a broader point about protecting human rights mechanisms.
I urge states to stand united with the international community in upholding the integrity and independence of the special procedures and the International Criminal Court.
I wish to unconditionally denounce the US government's sanctions on the International Criminal Court and its judges, and on the Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Sanctioning the court, its judges and a Special Rapporteur appointed by the Human Rights Council is a direct attack on the integrity of international justice and the UN.

Human rights mechanisms including the special procedures of which I am also a part.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Miss Sato.
And can I thank both of both of you for your engagement on the, uh, this particular, uh, file.

Uh, we now pass to, uh, the consideration of the situation of human rights in Afghanistan.
Uh, and Mr. Richard Bennett, uh will provide a presentation in his capacity as special rapporteur.
Uh, we will follow the usual procedure.
So those participants wishing to make comments or post questions, uh, should press their microphone buttons in the next couple of minutes.

Uh, and we will create a list.
And the length of the list will determine the time available for interventions.
Uh and with that, I invite Mr. Bennett to make his remarks.
Thank you.

You're welcome.
Thank you.
Chair, distinguished delegates, uh, members of civil society, we meet here two months after the fifth anniversary of the Taliban's seizure of power.
The cumulative effect of an increasingly institutionalized program of oppression and discrimination is clear and is devastating the lives of many Afghans, women and girls in particular.

The Taliban has shown no willingness to reverse any of their systematic human rights violations.
Instead, they've escalated their repression, their unrelenting restrictions increasingly formalized in more than 200 decrees, edicts and instructions not only violate the rights of Afghans, but create pressures which may evoke security concerns.
I'm deeply concerned by policies that make survival even harder for people already facing a humanitarian crisis.
Ohchr recently estimated 19 million Afghans, one out of three, will face food insecurity this winter.

9 million of those are children, and 3.7 million are under five.
Chair, the so-called rules for courts adopted in December last year permits violence against women and girls only if there are broken bones or visible bruises Are there punishments and grossly inadequate ones at that The decree on separation of spouses adopted this May has made it almost impossible for women and girls to leave abusive marriages while tacitly recognizing child marriage.
A girl's silence can be taken as her consent to marry, and those who dare to differ from or challenge the system have faced ruthless consequences.
In August, a new police law banned all demonstrations while extending detention without charge from three days to ten.

Yet I am also inspired by the courage of Afghans, especially girls, women and young people who continue to demand their rights at immense personal cost The international community must not only hear their voices but respond to them.
My report reviews developments this year and in fact, over five years, and also focuses on the rights of children.
Civilians are being harmed by the cross-border conflict with Pakistan.
According to Unama, over 512 civilians were killed and 1200 injured in the last year, many of them women and children in their homes.

An airstrike on a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul in March killed 269 people and injured more.
I've seen no outcome of an investigation.
Millions of Afghans have returned from Pakistan and Iran Some deported, many under pressure.
Among them are registered refugees and people born in exile.

6 in 10 returnees are children and young people.
Some unaccompanied teenage girls and women are unable to continue their education.
There is little work, and the humanitarian response has been cut to a fraction of what's needed.
Some returnees are punished for their past links to the former republic, or activities as human rights defenders or journalists.

People belonging to ethnic or religious minorities are at risk, and those who are or pursue perceived to be LGBT plus are extremely vulnerable to violence, discrimination and severe punishments, including the death penalty.
The Taliban's legal system has increasingly marginalized those who are not Sunni Muslims and Afghans.
Rights to practice their religion is being heavily constrained.
Marginalized ethnic communities, particularly Hazaras, are affected by measures to reclaim state ownership over properties in some cases leading to forced eviction and arbitrary detention of those who resist.

Once a vibrant part of the society, the population of the Afghan Hindu Sikh community has dwindled to fewer than 100 people, chair UN figures show that 46% of Afghans are under 15, and two thirds are under 25 The words of a girl from bulk have stayed with me, she said.
Three words have come to define our lives fear, tears and despair.
They reflect what I've been hearing from children and young people across the country a generation raised in these conditions and possibly radicalized at jihadi madrassas may in future threaten Afghanistan's stability and regional peace and security.
The Taliban continues to reject the internationally recognized definition of a child, as anyone under 18 legal frameworks and institutions that once protected children, including from recruitment, have been dismantled.

More than 2.6 million girls have been denied secondary education since 2021 and in many cases, are married instead.
Boys can remain in school, but their education is increasingly shaped by Taliban ideology, and many are forced to to drop out to support their families, leaving them exposed to exploitation.
My report finds that child labor is increased, increasing despite being prohibited, and some children are sold or given away by families who have nothing left.
And there's little psychological psychosocial support available.

I continue to receive reports of girls committing suicide.
Suicide.
The Secretary General's latest report on children and armed conflict in Afghanistan shows continuing recruitment and and use.
Notably, over 80% of the 1415 child casualties were from explosive remnants of war.

Last year, Afghanistan had the third most casualties in the world from landmines.
Harm to children can't be separated from the Taliban's institutionalized regime of gender persecution.
While deeply affecting girls and young women.
It's shaping the whole society with intergenerational consequences.

The regime is teaching a generation of boys that the exclusion of their sisters and mothers is normal, noting yesterday's opening open debate on P.
S where an Afghan woman delivered a powerful statement.
It will undermine any durable peace.
However, Afghans, children and young people aren't only victims.

Girls are learning in secret and teaching one another, even when they face a risk facing consequences Young Afghans are documenting, organizing and finding ways to participate in their country's future.
Their participation is essential to lasting peace.
Chair, I remain concerned about anti-migrant rhetoric in many countries, including in the EU, which are.
Which is leading to hastened removals of Afghan nationals, possibly in contravention of the principle of non-refoulement.

Engagement with the Taliban is needed, but not at the expense of compromising international law, especially human rights law.
There's a strong case for more humanitarian assistance and well-designed support that reaches Afghans directly.
Indeed, I urge donors to sustain funding for community based learning, especially for girls for nutrition protection, mine clearance and mental health naming, and squarely tackling the Taliban's gender apartheid regime is vital not just in the pursuit of gender equality, but to ensure effective action on child protection, humanitarian assistance, economic development, counter-terrorism, climate action and beyond.
I call on member states to refrain from normalising relations with and potentially legitimising the Taliban until they've made concrete changes to the discriminatory and oppressive policies, especially against women and girls.

In conclusion, five years may be a short time in the history of a country ravaged by decades of war and impunity.
But for a girl whose education has been ended, and with it her hopes and dreams, it must seem like half a lifetime.
Victims and survivors, not only of the past five years, but of the entire period of conflict in Afghanistan, have a right to truth, justice and reparation.
Let us not forget them.

Once again, I ask this Assembly to stand with the people of Afghanistan in deeds as well as in words.
Thank you.
Thank you, Special Rapporteur.
Um.

In the usual way we will proceed to interventions.
I have, uh, 22 interventions requested, uh, say for the first of these, each delegation will have two minutes.
Um, in the first instance, it's the chargé d'affaires of Afghanistan, uh, who will make, uh, make some remarks to be followed by, in the first instance, Italy, France, Brazil, Croatia, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Montenegro, Norway and Japan.
But chargé d'affaires of Afghanistan, you have the floor Mr. Chair.

I thank the special rapporteur, Richard.
Sorry, sorry.
Microphone for.
Yeah.

Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chair I thank the Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett, for his report and his continued commitment to the people of Afghanistan.
We welcome the Human Rights Council's recent renewal of his mandate and reaffirm our full support for his independent monitoring and reporting.
We hope he will be granted safe and unauthorised and hindered access to Afghanistan.

Mr. chair, this report is painful to read.
For Afghans.
It is even more painful to recognise in its findings the daily experiences of their families, neighbours and children.
Five years after the Taliban's military return to power, Afghanistan faces interconnected political, human rights, humanitarian, economic and security crises.

The Afghan people continue to suffer while the Taliban consolidate their control through discriminatory laws, repression and exclusion.
These crises are not isolated.
They are consequences of a system of governance that denies fundamental rights, excludes women and girls from public life, and increasingly uses fear and coercion to silence dissent.
Mr. chair, the report rightly places children and young people at the centre of our attention.

What is happening in Afghanistan is not merely the denial of rights today, it is the destruction of opportunities for an entire generation.
An estimated 3.8 million girls, aged 7 to 18 were out of school in 2020.
Four girls remain barred from secondary education and women from universities every passing year deepens the consequences of this exclusion, not only for the girls themselves, but for Afghanistan's future.
We commend the courage of Afghan girls who continue learning through community initiatives and online education.

These efforts deserve greater international support, but they cannot substitute for the unconditional restoration of their right to education.
Boys and young men also face increasingly limited opportunities.
The deterioration of the deterioration of mainstream education, expansion of ideologically driven and jihadi madrasas, child labour and recruitment into armed forces are deeply troubling.
Education must equip young people with knowledge, critical thinking and opportunities, not subject them to ideological indoctrination.

Equally alarming is the dismantling of child protection and juvenile practice mechanisms.
The report documents corporal punishment, child and forced marriages, exploitation and detention of children alongside adults.
Recent Taliban decrees have further weakened protection for women and girls, creating serious obstacles to escaping abusive marriages and undermining safeguards against child marriage and domestic violence.
These policies are not compatible with Islamic teachings, Afghan traditions, and Afghanistan's international human rights obligations and must be reversed.

Mr. chair, we remain deeply concerned about continuing violations against former security personnel.
Despite the Taliban's repeated assurances of general amnesty.
According to Unum, at least 27 former security personnel were killed between October 2025 and June 2026.
Others have reportedly faced arbitrary detention, torture and ill treatment.

We call for an immediate end to these violations, independent investigations and accountability for those responsible.
We are equally alarmed by reports of arbitrary arrests, torture and sexual harassment targeting women activists and media personnel, as well as enforced disappearances and summary killings of civilians accused of links armed to armed opposition groups.
The situation of ethnic and religious minorities also demand urgent attention.
The reported killings of 13 Shia Muslims near a shrine in Herat, restrictions affecting Shia religious and family practices, usurpation of land and property and forced displacement of Hazara and Shia communities are deeply disturbing.

No Afghans should face persecution, discrimination or displacement because of their ethnicity, religion, religion or beliefs.
Mr. chair, the suffering of Afghans is not is compounded by mass returns, poverty and humanitarian hardship.
More than 5 million Afghans have returned from neighbouring countries since October 2023, many under pressure and without adequate protection.
We appreciate the long standing generosity of host countries, but reiterate our call for full respect for the principle of non-refoulement.

Civilian lives must also be protected in all circumstances.
We support calls for independent investigations into reported civilian casualties, including the strikes on homemade rehabilitation center in Kabul, which caused the lives of lives of 269 people.
We condemn targeting of civilians and violation of Afghanistan's territorial integrity.
International humanitarian law must be respected by all parties in all circumstances.

Mr. chair, the international response must move beyond expression of concerns towards consistent, coordinated and measurable action.
First, restoring the rights of women and girls must remain a non-negotiable priority.
Engagement with the Taliban must not become a pathway to normalisation of discriminatory and gender apartheid policies.
It must be guided by clear benchmarks and independently verified improvements in human rights.

Second, humanitarian assistance must continue, particularly in education, health, child protection and livelihoods.
Greater support is needed for Afghan led initiatives, especially women led organisations providing safe, alternative educational opportunities.
Third, accountability must advance.
We welcome the establishment of independent investigative Mechanism for Afghanistan and call for its timely operationalization and adequate resourcing.

We support the call for all tools approach and complementary accountability efforts, including through the International Criminal Court, Cedaw and other relevant international mechanisms.
Fourth, Afghans must have a meaningful role in shaping their country's future women, young people, minorities, persons with disabilities and civil society must be included in decisions directly affect their lives.
Ultimately, these challenges cannot be resolved without addressing Afghanistan's underlying political crisis.
We reiterate our call for a coherent international approach, supporting the Afghan led and Afghan led Afghan unfacilitated political process towards inclusive, representative and accountable governance grounded in the well and rights of the Afghan people.

Territorial control does not confer legitimacy.
Legitimacy emanates from a social contract grounded in the will of the Afghan people, respect for their rights and accountable governance.
International engagement must serve the rights and aspirations of the Afghan people, and must never normalise oppression or exclusion.
Mr. chair, in conclusion, I just want to ask a question from the Special Rapporteur.

Um, we appreciate the measures that united what kind of measures or practical measures can United Nations and member states take to expand safe, quality education for Afghan girls and boys, while ensuring meaningful youth participation in decisions affecting their future?
Uh, and the second question, how can member states strengthen the documentation and preservation of evidence concerning targeted killings and forced disappearances and violations against minorities to ensure meaningful accountability?
I thank you.
I thank the chargé d'affaires of Afghanistan.

I pass the floor to Italy to be followed by France.
Italy.
You have the floor.
Mr. chair, Italy.

Aligns itself with the EU statement and thanks the Special Rapporteur for his report.
Italy is particularly concerned by the institutionalized discrimination against women and girls that, since August 2021, faces systematic restrictions on their education employment, freedom of movement public participation and personal autonomy.
We are deeply concerned by the ban on girls attending secondary education and women pursuing higher education.
In this context, we are also particularly concerned by the continued ban on the employment of national female staff by UN agencies, which critically undermines the effectiveness of international humanitarian assistance.

We also share your concern about the millions of children suffering from hunger and malnutrition, as well as the growing psychological distress experienced by children and youth, especially girls affected by educational exclusion and social isolation.
Mr. Special Rapporteur Women face greater barriers to accessing formal justice mechanisms, leaving them vulnerable to violations of their rights and abuse.
This situation has been worsened by 2026, degrees of separation of spouses and criminal rules of courts, which further erode the remedies for victims of family violence.
Taking into account the continued and systematic restrictions imposed on women and girls, what concrete steps can the international community take to ensure them a safe access to justice and effective judicial remedies?

I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Italy.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of France.
Merci, madame.

Thank you, Madam Chair.
A Special Rapporteur France reiterates our full support for your mandate.
Your latest report sheds light on the consequences of the restrictions imposed upon Afghan women and girls.
And we would be grateful to, uh dwell on not just the immediate but also the impact, the future impact what you see of this, which compromises the country's economic and social development Uh, the rapporteur.

We, we support these reports.
And over the past 50 years, the Taliban have established a gender segregation system which strips women and girls of their rights of their access to education and justice, to employment and health care services, severing them from accessing economic affairs and decision, political decision making.
We condemn these policies of oppression and systematic exclusion of French of of Afghan women and girls.
Last September, during our presidency of the Security Council, we, together with 42 states and the European Union, condemned in the strongest terms this policy of gender based segregation.

These policies constitute violations of international conventions, which Afghanistan did indeed ratify, including the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
We call upon the Taliban to fulfill their international obligations, beginning with those obligations set out under resolution 2593 of the Security Council, and to cooperate with the UN in good faith, as well as with the independent Investigative Mechanism on Afghanistan and the ICC, which initiated an investigation into the.
These facts, guaranteeing free and unimpeded access to Afghan soil for UN agencies and their personnel, must be a priority.
Thank you.

Distinguished representative of France.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Brazil, followed by Croatia and Liechtenstein.
Madam chair, Brazil aligns itself with the joint statement to be delivered by Spain.
The full content of this speech will be available on the UN Journal.

We thank the Special Rapporteur for his presentation.
Brazil remains deeply concerned about the systematic erosion of the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.
Since returning to power, the Taliban authorities have progressively denied women and girls access to education, employment and public life while severely restricting their freedom of movement and their ability to participate in decision making processes.
These are not isolated restrictions.

Taken together, they form a system of institutionalized discrimination and oppression that denies women and girls their fundamental rights and their rightful place in society Brazil reiterates that the rights of women and girls are universal, are universal, indivisible and non-negotiable.
UN human rights experts, including special rapporteur and a growing number of states, have called attention to the concept of gender apartheid to describe the system of institutionalized domination and discrimination.
They have also advocated for its recognition and codification as a distinct crime against humanity.
Brazil calls upon the Taliban authorities to immediately revoke all measures that deny women and girls their fundamental rights.

The international community must continue to uphold the full and equal enjoyment of human rights by women and girls in Afghanistan, ensuring that their systematic exclusion is neither normalized nor accepted Their rights are not negotiable I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Brazil.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Croatia.
Thank you.

Chair.
Croatia aligns itself with the statement by the European Union We thank the Special Rapporteur for his report highlighting the harsh realities faced by children and young people in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power five years ago.
Croatia strongly condemns the systematic and institutionalized restrictions on the rights and freedoms of the Afghan population, particularly the widespread human rights violations and abuses affecting women and girls, ethnic and religious minorities and other vulnerable groups.
We call on the de facto authorities to uphold Afghanistan's obligations under international human rights law and reverse all discriminatory measures, such as the so-called law on the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of ice.

We strongly support international efforts to ensure accountability for violations that may constitute a crime against humanity of gender persecution, including through the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Afghanistan.
Mr. Special Rapporteur.
We share your concern that the erosion of protection systems amid ongoing humanitarian and economic crisis is deepening children's vulnerability to human rights violations and further restricting their access to education and food.
In addition to providing a sustained funding, what further measures can member states take to strengthen the humanitarian response, support documenting violations of children's rights and ensure that evidence is preserved for accountability?

I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Croatia.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Liechtenstein followed by Malaysia and Montenegro.
Liechtenstein notes with grave concern that the human rights situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate five years after the Taliban seized power.

We are particularly concerned by the severe consequences for women and girls, and welcome the recent decision of the Pre-Trial chamber of the International Criminal Court to unseal for arrest warrants for acts amounting to the crime against humanity of gender based persecution.
In your report, you call for an all tools approach to accountability, which also includes the International Criminal Court.
The dispute, brought against Afghanistan by state parties to Cedaw, as well as efforts to codify gender apartheid.
Could you please elaborate on the possible contributions of the independent investigative mechanism for Afghanistan?

Once operationalized to this larger accountability framework?
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Liechtenstein.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Malaysia.

Thank you, Madam Chair.
Malaysia.
Thanks the Special Rapporteur for his report and continued efforts to highlight the situation, the human rights situation in Afghanistan.
Malaysia remains deeply concerned about the continued restrictions on the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Afghan people, particularly women and girls.

The denial of education beyond the sixth grade for girls, restrictions on women's employment and participation in public life, and barriers to accessing essential services remain deeply troubling.
We are equally concerned by the impact of these restrictions on children and young people, as highlighted in the Special Rapporteur report, denial of education, limited access to health care and increasing risk of exploitation threaten their well-being and future opportunities.
Madam chair, Malaysia will continue to work with the United Nations, international partners and relevant stakeholders to support Afghan people through the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme.
Malaysia remains committed to capacity building education and training opportunities, including for Afghan women, alongside humanitarian assistance to strengthen health care and maternal health.

In this regard Malaysia wishes to ask the Special Rapporteur what practical steps can Member States take to engage constructively, constructively with the with the de facto authorities to achieve measurable improvement in the human rights of women and girls while ensuring that such engagement delivers tangible outcomes for the Afghan people.
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Malaysia.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Montenegro, followed by Norway and Japan.

Thank you, Madam Chair Montenegro thanks the Special Rapporteur for his comprehensive report and reiterates its full support to his mandate.
We remain deeply concerned by the systematic and institutionalized discrimination against women and girls in including their continued exclusion from education, employment and public life.
The findings of the report are particularly alarming as they demonstrate how these policies are negatively shaping the lives and futures of an entire generation of Afghan children.
The denial of education to girls beyond primary school, the increasing risk of child and forced marriage, the deterioration, deterioration of mental health among young people represent not only grave human rights violations, but also a serious threat to Afghanistan's long term development and stability.

We are equally concerned by the erosion of child protection mechanisms and the increasing exposure exposure of children, including boys, to exploitation violence and ideological indoctrination.
Montenegro firmly believes that the rights of women and girls are non-negotiable.
We call on the de facto authorities to immediately reverse discriminatory, discriminatory restrictions, restore access to education and comply with Afghanistan's international human rights obligations.
Mr. Bennett, given your findings on the detrimental, detrimental, long term consequences of these policies for children and young people, what concrete measures can the international community take to support alternative educational opportunities for Afghan girls, while ensuring that such initiatives do not normalize their exclusion from normal education?

Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Montenegro.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Norway.
Thank you chair.

We thank the Special Rapporteur for his extensive report and reiterate our full support to his mandate and his vital work to document, um, Afghans rights and, um, excuse me, and to ensure that the voice of Afghans, in particular women and girls, continue to be heard Norway remains deeply concerned by the grave and deteriorating human rights situation in Afghanistan, particularly the systemic discrimination against women and girls.
Their fundamental rights and freedoms continue to be severely restricted, including their rights to education, work, health, freedom of movement and participation in public life.
We urge the de facto authorities to reverse these policies and uphold Afghanistan's international human rights obligations.
Accountability must remain a central part of the international response.

Norway welcomes the strengthening of international efforts to document serious human rights violations in Afghanistan, including the independent investigative mechanism established by the Human Rights Council last year.
The Special Rapporteur and the new mechanism have distinct and complementary roles, together with other international accountability processes.
Their work helped preserve evidence and lay the groundwork for justice.
Afghan civil society remains indispensable.

Norway will continue to support human rights defenders and civil society organisations, including women led organisations working in Afghanistan under extraordinarily difficult conditions.
Their perspectives must inform international engagement with Afghanistan.
Special rapporteur in this increasingly restrictive environment.
How can member states most effectively support Afghan civil society, particularly women led organizations in the country, while ensuring that our support does not expose them to additional risk?

I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Norway.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Japan, followed by the United Kingdom and Spain.
Thank you, Madam Chair.

Japan expresses its appreciation to the Special Rapporteur for his continued efforts to advance the protection of human rights in Afghanistan.
Japan remains deeply concerned by the human rights situation in Afghanistan particularly the widespread and systematic discrimination against women and girls.
Five years after the Taliban's return to power, women and girls continue to face severe restrictions on education, employment, freedom of movement and participation in public life.
These policies have devastating implications, especially for children and young people.

The continued denial of education to girls beyond primary school, combined with ongoing humanitarian challenges, poses significant barriers to their development, wellbeing and future opportunities.
We are also concerned by the resulting deterioration of mental health among Afghan children and youth These repressive policies not only harm individual lives, but also undermine Afghanistan's future by limiting the opportunities and aspirations of its next generation.
Japan calls upon the Taliban to uphold Afghan international human rights obligations, including the rights to rights, to education and non-discrimination, and to remove harmful restrictions on women and girls.
Japan will leverage its presence in Kabul to engage the directory with the Taliban in coordination with the international community, while advocating for the full and equal enjoyment of human rights by all Afghans.

Mr. Special Rapporteur, your report highlights the growing mental health crisis facing African youth, but a measure what measures should be prioritized by the international community to address these challenges, particularly for girls and young women whose educational opportunities remain severely restricted?
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Japan.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom.

Thank you chair.
The United Kingdom thanks the Special Rapporteur for his report and for his continued efforts to document and report on the human rights situation in Afghanistan.
We remain deeply concerned by the continued deterioration of human rights under the Taliban.
We are particularly alarmed by the systematic discrimination and exclusion of women and girls from public life, education, employment and decision making.

These restrictions have no basis in international human rights law and continue to deny millions of Afghans their rights and fundamental freedoms We also remain concerned by restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly and religion or belief.
The shrinking space for civil society and independent media, and the treatment of ethnic and religious minorities.
We share the special Rapporteurs concerns regarding the impact of Taliban policies on children and the long term consequences for Afghanistan's future stability and prosperity.
The UK will continue to support the Afghan people, hold the Taliban to account for their actions, and work with international partners to defend and promote the human rights of all Afghans Special rapporteur.

What more can the international community do to mitigate the long term impact of Taliban policies on the rights, education and future opportunities of Afghan children?
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Spain, followed by Australia and Portugal.

Thank you chair.
I speak on behalf of Albania, Australia, Mexico, my own country, Spain, together with 51 other member States and observers of the United Nations The full text has been submitted for the record.
We thank the Special Rapporteur for his report and his work to highlight the distinct and horrific human rights situation of women and girls in Afghanistan.
We express our grave and growing concern over the Taliban's institutionalized and systematic gender based oppression, which the UN Secretary general, the Special rapporteur and many other members of the broader international community have characterized as gender apartheid.

Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban have issued more than 160 oppressive edicts targeting women and girls.
We forcefully condemn the continued ban on girls education beyond grade six.
The severe restrictions on women's right to work, freedom of movement and access to public life.
We are concerned by reports that the severe, widespread and systematic nature of these violations and abuses may amount to gender persecution and may also constitute crimes against humanity under international law.

We support all legal and international efforts to recognize and hold accountable those responsible for these violations and violations and abuses.
The ongoing situation in Afghanistan cannot become a new normal.
We firmly reiterate that preventing the normalisation of Taliban rule remains a fundamental principle underpinning international engagement, which must be principled, centered on human rights and amplify the voices of Afghan women, girls and civil society.
We cannot.

We call on the Taliban to reverse all edicts and restrictive decrees, restore access to education and employment, remove all constraints on humanitarian access, and uphold all international human rights obligations under the treaties to which Afghanistan is a party The international community.
I thank the distinguished representative of Spain.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Australia.
Australia aligns with the joint statement just delivered by Spain since its return to power five years ago.

The Taliban has shown contempt for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people of Afghanistan.
Australia condemns the Taliban's systematic repression of human rights, including its targeting of women and girls, ethnic and religious minorities Lgbtqia plus persons and civil society actors.
The Taliban has sought to erase women and girls from public life, restricting their rights to education, employment, healthcare and freedom of movement while also interfering in the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Special rapporteur your report highlights the impact of this situation on children and young people, but it also underscores their resilience, creativity and determination.

Australia is taking practical action.
We have sanctioned senior Taliban representatives under our autonomous sanctions framework for Afghanistan, together with international partners.
We are taking legal action against the state of Afghanistan under Cedaw Special Rapporteur.
What further steps can the international community take to support the next generation in building a more just, inclusive and peaceful Afghanistan?

Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Australia.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Portugal, followed by Switzerland and Malta.
Thank you.

Chair.
Portugal aligns itself with EU statement and the joint statement delivered by Spain.
We thank the Special Rapporteur for his extensive work.
Five years after the Taliban seized power, the systematic erosion of human rights in Afghanistan continues to shape the lives and prospects of an entire generation, including children and youth.

We remain particularly concerned by the institutionalised system of gender based discrimination and oppression against women and girls.
Their continued exclusion from secondary and higher education is a grave violation of their rights, and threatens to entrench inequality for generations to come.
The dismantling of child protection mechanisms, corporal punishment, child early and forced marriage, economic exploitation and shrinking civic space are creating an environment in which discrimination and exclusion risk becoming normalised.
Access to education remains a particular concern.

While Afghan girls and young women continue to demonstrate determination in pursuing alternative pathways to pathways to learning.
This cannot substitute for their right to a complete, inclusive, safe and quality education.
Mr. special Rapporteur.
How can the international community better protect the right to education of Afghan children and young persons, particularly girls, while supporting those currently deprived of access to formal education?

Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Portugal.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Switzerland.
Merci.

Thank you, Madam Chair.
Switzerland aligns itself with the joint statement made by Spain.
We thank the Special Rapporteur for his report, and we reaffirm our full support for his mandate.
Switzerland is concerned about the humanitarian crisis.

3.7 million children under the age of five are suffering from acute malnutrition.
Faced with poverty and food insecurity.
Boys are forced to work and girls are forced into marriage to settle family debts.
These crises exacerbate violations of their rights.

In addition, the exclusion of girls from secondary education and ideological restrictions on boys education jeopardise the future of an entire generation.
These children must be able to grow up in an environment that respects their rights and supports their development.
In order to build a just, peaceful and inclusive Afghanistan.
Switzerland takes note of the arrest warrants of the International Criminal Court against senior Taliban officials for the crime against humanity, of persecution on gender and political grounds.

Accountability mechanisms, including the independent investigative mechanism for Afghanistan, are essential in the fight against impunity.
We call upon states to provide them with their full support.
Special rapporteur.
How can states ensure that Afghans, particularly women and girls, can participate in these mechanisms?

I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Switzerland.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Malta, followed by the European Union and the Republic of Korea Thank you.
Chair.

Malta aligns.
Itself with the statement to be delivered by the European Union and the joint statement delivered by Spain.
We thank the Special Rapporteur for his report and its focus on children.
Malta aligns itself deeply.

Malta remains deeply concerned by the deterioration of the human rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.
As documented in the report, the de facto authorities have institutionalized a system of gender based discrimination with the exclusion of women and girls from public life.
Recent measures, including the decree on separation of spouses, further weaken legal protections and leave women and girls, particularly those in abusive situations, at greater risk.
We call on the de facto authorities to immediately reverse all discriminatory policies, excluding women and girls, and comply with international human rights obligations.

Building on the findings of the Special Rapporteur, Malta is deeply concerned about the impact on children.
Girls remain barred from education.
Child marriage and child labour are reportedly increasing and the psychological distress among girls is alarming.
The dismantling of child protection and juvenile justice systems, and the absence of a legal definition of a child, leave children exposed to exploitation and recruitment.

In this regard, we call for the reinstatement of child protection mechanisms and on the de facto authorities, to uphold their obligations under the convention on the rights of the child.
We remain committed to supporting an Afghan led political process that advances a survivor centric approach, placing the rights and agency of survivors and victims at the forefront of all actions, including through the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Afghanistan.
In this regard, we would welcome the Special Rapporteurs view on key strategies to expand access to alternative and digital education pathways for girls given connectivity.
I thank the Distinguished Representative of Malta.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the European Union.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.
We thank the Special Rapporteur for his latest report and strongly condemn all human rights violations and abuses, including the institutionalised and systematic gender based discrimination and oppression of women and girls.

These violations may amount to gender persecution, which is a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute of the ICC, to which Afghanistan is a state party.
Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where women and girls are banned from education beyond the age of 12.
Their exclusion from education and from public life is an affront to basic rights and freedoms.
We further call on the Taliban to immediately impose a moratorium and abolish the death penalty and corporal punishment, and to respect and protect the rights of persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities, persons in vulnerable situations and LGBTI persons.

The EU continues its principal humanitarian engagement as well as its support your mandate with its strong human rights component and to the mandate of the Special Rapporteur.
We also contributed to the establishment of the independent investigative mechanism and call for sustained political and financial support for its rapid operationalisation.
The EU remains steadfast in supporting accountability, including through the ICC and an Afghan led political process inclusive of all Afghans, including with the full, equal and meaningful participation of women.
Mr. special Rapporteur.

How can international actors react to the Taliban systematic reshaping of Afghan society to preserve the agency and participation of Afghans?
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of the European Union.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Republic of Korea, followed by Canada and China.

Thank you chair.
The Republic of Korea expresses its appreciation for the Special Rapporteurs Report and his dedication.
Uh.
Five years since the Taliban seized power, the Afghan people continue to suffer from intensifying human rights violations.

Vulnerable groups, including women, girls, children, and minorities face especially severe consequences.
Republic of Korea is deeply alarmed by the recent trends leading to the erosion of rights of women and girls, due process, and the rule of law triggered by the so-called decree on Separation of Spouses and Criminal rules of courts.
We once again call on the Taliban to uphold international human rights obligations and reverse all discriminatory policies.
The human rights situation in Afghanistan requires particular attention of the international community as the current situation, including limited access to education and declining mental health, leaves long lasting consequences on the future of the Afghan people.

Madam chair, in this context, coherent and coordinated international engagement led by the UN is essential.
As a committed supporter of universal human rights and as a member of the Human Rights Council, the Republic of Korea continues to stand in solidarity with the Afghan people and remain committed to international efforts to ensure that their rights are fully respected.
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of the Republic of Korea.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Canada.
Special Rapporteur.
Canada is appalled by the devastating impact of the Taliban's repressive policies, which continue to reshape Afghan society through fear, exclusion and systematic discrimination.
As you have highlighted in your reporting, these policies have institutionalized severe restrictions on the rights of women and girls while limiting the fundamental freedoms of all Afghans.

We are particularly concerned by the Taliban's May 2026 decree, which effectively recognises child marriage and increases the risk of forced marriage, child abuse and exploitation.
The continued exclusion of women and girls from secondary and higher education, including medical education, together with restrictions on women's participation in public life, is reducing the number of women health professionals and undermining women's and girls access to essential health services.
Canada is also deeply troubled by the ongoing erosion of the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, including violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief.
On August 15th, Canada marked five years since the Taliban's takeover by reaffirming its condemnation of ongoing human rights violations and stressing that any normalization of relations will require demonstrable progress on human rights.

Canada remains committed to an international to international accountability efforts, and calls on the international community to use the special Rapporteurs conclusions and recommendations as the basis for a response.
Our question is how can the international community strengthen accountability mechanisms and coordinate effective measures to prevent further deterioration of the human rights situation for Afghan children and youth?
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Canada.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of China, followed by Germany and Ireland Madam chair.
China has taken note of the report by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan.
Thanks to the concerted efforts of the international community, the overall situation in Afghanistan has remained stable Positive progress has been registered in economic reconstruction content, narcotics, foreign relations and other areas.
Afghan Afghanistan continues to face severe economic and livelihood difficulties and complex challenges in the humanitarian development, women's rights, counterterrorism, and other fields.

At present, nearly half of the Afghan population needs humanitarian aid.
One third faces acute food insecurity.
Large numbers of children and pregnant lactating women suffer from acute malnutrition.
The decision by certain countries to cut off aid and maintain sanctions has exacerbated the plight of Afghan people.

As a friendly neighbor of Afghanistan, China believes that the international community should view this situation in the country comprehensively and objectively should provide more positive guidance to encourage the Afghan government to proceed from the country's long term development needs and fundamental interests of its people, explore a modernization path suited to its national conditions and responsive to the demands of the times and aspirations of its people.
We call upon all parties, traditional donors in particular, to take urgent action to bridge the humanitarian funding gap.
Without delay, the relevant country must earnestly fulfill their historical responsibilities, immediately resume aid to Afghanistan, lift unilateral sanctions and return the overseas assets of the Afghan central bank.
China stands ready to work with the international community to continue playing a positive role in the peaceful reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Thank you, chair.
I thank the distinguished representative of China.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Germany.
Thank you.

Chair.
Germany aligns itself with the EU statement and with a joint statement delivered by Spain.
We thank the Special Rapporteur for his work and reporting on the human rights situation for children and youth in Afghanistan.
We are likewise alarmed by the dire humanitarian situation, including widespread poverty and malnutrition, during more than five years of Taliban rule The human rights situation in Afghanistan has continuously deteriorated.

We are deeply concerned by the denial of fundamental rights, such as freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief.
While the human rights situation is particularly devastating for certain ethnic minorities, LGBTQi persons, persons with disabilities and other persons in vulnerable situations, women and girls in all their diversity are especially affected.
We strongly condemn all human rights violations, including the systematic and systemic violations of women's and girls human rights, which may amount to gender persecution.
Germany calls on the de facto authorities to abide by Afghanistan's international obligations, with a view to pursuing much needed accountability for human rights violations.

Germany fully supports the operationalization of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Afghanistan Special rapporteur.
How can the international community support your mandates Cooperation with the IMA, as well as its operationalisation to make tangible progress on accountability?
And how can the international community assist children in Afghanistan to develop into rights holders who can participate fully in society?
I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Germany.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ireland, followed by Pakistan and the Sovereign Order of Malta.
Chair Ireland aligns with the EU statement and the joint statement delivered by Spain.
And thanks to the Special Rapporteur for his report.

Five years on from the Taliban takeover, women and girls in Afghanistan endure systemic repression and punitive and violent enforcement practices.
They have been removed from public life, banned from education beyond grade six and denied access to justice.
Ireland strongly condemns these appalling crimes perpetrated by the Taliban.
We call for the reversal of decrees which principally target media workers, human rights defenders and marginalized communities.

We restate our call for full accountability for abuses of human rights in Afghanistan.
Ireland fully supports the independent Investigative Accountability Mechanism to collect, preserve and analyze evidence of war crimes, crimes against humanity and human rights abuses, particularly those against women and girls.
Afghanistan's humanitarian crises remain deeply troubling, compounded by the more than 2.9 million forced Afghan returns.
Crisis relief efforts are impeded by the Taliban's reprehensible ban on women working for NGOs and the United Nations, and their exclusion from work, including healthcare Special rapporteur your report details the near-total denial of education for women and girls and a worrying trend of boys indoctrination.

This institutionalized system of gender oppression and exclusion may amount to crimes against humanity, including gender persecution.
Special rapporteur What can the international community do to further support inclusive and quality education for women and girls in Afghanistan?
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Ireland.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Pakistan.
Thank you.
We thank Special Rapporteur for his report and briefing.
The deteriorating human rights situation in Afghanistan demonstrates the Taliban's continued backtracking on their international obligations.

Women and girls are denied fundamental freedoms and basic dignity with discriminatory and abusive practices that contravene Islamic laws, traditions and tenets of Muslim faith.
In July this year, Pakistan hosted the ninth Ministerial Conference on Women in Islamabad, where the OIC adopted Islamabad Declaration, expressing concern over Taliban's continued restrictions on women and girls as being inconsistent with Islamic values.
For decades, Pakistan welcomed millions of Afghan refugees despite insufficient international support, dealing with huge caseloads of illegal Afghans who pose a serious threat to our security.
We continue to facilitate vulnerable Afghans, despite limitations by the international community must also step up and shoulder its responsibility.

Terrorism is at the core of Afghanistan's problems, with a deep nexus between Taliban and terrorist groups such as the TTP, Bla Majeed Brigade, al Qaeda, ISIL, Etim and their affiliates operating with impunity on Afghan soil, aided by external actors and spoilers who support proxies in Afghanistan to target Pakistan and neighbouring countries.
Taliban's refusal to publicly denounce and condemn terrorist groups shows their complicity and active support for these groups.
Over the last three years alone, more than 4700 innocent Pakistanis have lost their lives to terrorism emanating from Afghanistan.
On 16th March, Pakistan precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure, including drones and ammunition storage facilities used by the TTP to target innocent Pakistani civilians.

Pakistan will not sit idle in the face of this terrorist onslaught.
We will respond in self-defense, as and when needed and in accordance with international law against whosoever attempts to harm our citizens and our national security.
Taliban must uphold their international commitments and obligations.
Pakistan remains committed to a stable and prosperous Afghanistan that is at peace with itself and with its neighbors.

I thank you I thank the distinguished representative of Pakistan.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Sovereign Order of Malta.
Madam Chair.
The situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate, with an estimated 21.9 million people projected to require humanitarian assistance this year, increasing flows of returning Afghans and cuts to humanitarian assistance are putting further strains on resources.

400 health facilities had to close last year due to a lack of funds, whilst nearly 5 million children and pregnant and breastfeeding women require treatment for acute malnutrition.
The Sovereign Order of Malta remains deeply concerned about the human rights situation of those in Afghanistan, particularly women and girls.
Girls are excluded from education beyond the sixth grade, and women and girls continue to face significant restrictions on daily life, from movement and dress to the ability to work.
Additionally, they face some of the worst maternal health outcomes in the world and one of the highest rates of infant mortality.

The Sovereign Order of Malta is.
International Relief Agency has partnered with Union Aid to provide six health facilities in northern Afghanistan, serving up to 2000 patients a day.
The staff sees intersecting challenges of health, food insecurity, protection and displacement in the patients they treat.
In addition, our teams also serve 7500 Afghan refugees in the Turcoman refugee camp in northern Pakistan by providing basic health care, allowing women to give birth safely.

We call for the international community to properly invest in the humanitarian assistance required in Afghanistan, and to protect the rights of women and girls who are marginalized.
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of the Sovereign Order of Malta.
I now give the floor to the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Mr. Richard Bennett.

Thank you, Madam Chair.
Um, I thank all distinguished delegates for their interventions and concerns expressed about the human rights situation in Afghanistan Uh, for the support expressed for this mandate and for their questions.
I also take a moment to thank Spain for delivering the joint statement and to offer my condolences in relation to the terrible train crash that occurred in your country.
Uh, I was on one of your trains just four days ago, so it resonates with me to I'm encouraged by how many of you expressed concern not only about women and girls, but also about children and young people They're not only the future of Afghanistan, they're its present.

And we must stand by them.
Some of you asked me what more you and the international community can do in various areas in supporting children and youth, in particular in education, in documentation and accountability, and supporting civil society.
And after five years, there's good reason to take stock of approaches that have largely failed to persuade the Taliban to change course.
The international community needs a more coherent approach, combining principled engagement with clear expectations, independent verification and meaningful consequences for continued violations.

Any steps toward normalisation or the extension of political and diplomatic benefits must be conditional on concrete, sustained and independently verified human rights improvements.
At a minimum, international engagement should be guided by clear, measurable, time bound and independently verifiable benchmarks.
Um.
Developed after meaningful consultations with a diversity of Afghans, including women.

I have a few suggestions, and I will make these in part in response to questions that that you have, have posed.
For example, a number of you asked me questions about how to increase access to education, particularly alternative education.
Afghanistan.
Um.

Alasia, Portugal, Malta and others.
There should be the immediate lifting of restrictions on girls education beyond sixth grade and women's access to universities and professional training, with evidence that schools and universities have reopened and that women and girls can attend safely without discrimination and have access to quality education.
But I also recommend um, funding alternative education pathways in Afghanistan, supporting certification for those who girls who are studying under these alternative pathways and providing visas, uh, scholarships and visas for Afghan students to study abroad in your own countries.
I also call for the removal of restrictions preventing women from working, including with the United Nations, with NGOs and in public institutions, and for the repeal of discriminatory restrictions on movement, including requirements for Muharram and the removal of barriers preventing women and girls from accessing health care, humanitarian assistance and other essential services.

And obviously, I call for an end to arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance and killings, torture, reprisals and intimidation, including against women protesters, human rights defenders, journalists, former government officials and members of marginalized communities.
On the issue of the collection and preservation documentation of evidence, and several of you referred to the independent investigative mechanism for Afghanistan, I note steps taken by the office of the High Commissioner to set it up.
It needs gender, child rights and minorities expertise from the outset and close strategic engagement with civil society uncomplimentary with my mandate Absolutely.
We are two sides of the same coin.

I monitor, document, preserve, analyze situations and patterns, report on the situation, and engage with civil society.
The mechanism will build case files for prosecution.
Its mandate is comprehensive and not time limited, giving hope to victims from the entire period of conflict.
And a resolution has asked me to transfer relevant information.

Um, and we will engage with the mechanism to agree on the modality for such transfer.
A number of you also mentioned minorities.
I welcome the recent Human Rights Council resolution mandating me to conduct a study on national ethnic, religious and linguistic minority communities Afghanistan's diverse population needs to be able to enjoy their human rights, not experience, uh, exclusion and discrimination.
I was also happy to hear questions about how to give youth more, uh, say, in their own future and also, um, to support the mental health of girls and youth.

There is a shortage of funding for psychosocial services.
Uh, I am aware of this.
The UN has told me about this.
Um, and I would call on you, uh, to fund those services and also listen to the voices of youth, include them in your own consultations.

I'll be associated, uh, next Monday with a side event to listen to hear youth, youth voices, um, in this building.
Uh, and I certainly welcome, uh, your attendance in that.
Finally, in conclusion, there's no evidence that the Taliban intends to moderate its conduct.
The decrees of the last the past year, unfortunately, point in the opposite direction.

This is an extreme misogynistic regime.
There must be consequences.
There must be accountability.
Durable peace and security depends on this.

The five year mark is an appropriate time for reflection.
But it's not a moment for appeasement.
I've set out some recommendations.
The international community needs to be more strategic, unified and coherent than it has been thus far.

Engagement must not become an end in itself.
It must be a means of achieving tangible improvements in human rights and the lives of the Afghan people.
It should set aside perceived national interests in favour of standing with Afghan women and girls.
And it must get tougher on the Taliban.

They know that condemnation in words alone cost them little.
If red lines can be crossed without consequences.
We reinforce impunity.
So I call on you to take steps that ensure you are part of a concrete solution.

The Afghan people depend on this.
And finally, uh, along with my colleague, the special rapporteur for Iran, I take this opportunity to unequivocally, unequivocally condemn the US government's sanctions against the International Criminal Court, its judges and special rapporteur, Francesca Albanese, as well as broader attacks on UN special procedures, of which I am a member.
These measures violate international law and undermine the integrity of the UN human rights system, and I urge all states to reject and refuse to enforce those sanctions and call on the United States to immediately rescind them.
Thank you.

I thank the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan.
The committee will continue its consideration of agenda item promotion and protection of human rights and its subitems A to D tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. sharp.
To hear statements by the Special Procedures, mandate holders and other experts and engage with them in an interactive dialogue pursuant to the programme of work.
This meeting is adjourned Thank you sir.

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