In a significant stride toward justice and accountability, the UN Human Rights Council unanimously agreed to establish an independent investigative mechanism dedicated to probing the human rights situation in Afghanistan. This pivotal development was announced during the council's 48th session and also includes the extension of the special rapporteur on Afghanistan's human rights mandate.

Richard Bennet, the special rapporteur, emphasized the importance of this new mechanism, describing it as a crucial milestone in the pursuit of truth and justice for the Afghan people. The mechanism is designed to gather evidence of serious crimes and rights violations, paving the way for the criminal prosecution of international crimes.

The resolution, spearheaded by the European Union and co-sponsored by 50 countries, was partly a response to recent concerns voiced by the high commissioner for human rights about the severe human rights violations in Afghanistan. These include the dire situation of women, minorities, human rights defenders, and journalists. The establishment of this mechanism also follows advocacy by 107 rights organizations for an international framework to hold Afghan authorities accountable.

Ambassador Lotte Knudsen, head of the EU Delegation to the UN in Geneva, highlighted that this resolution reflects a collective international response to the urgent human rights issues in Afghanistan. Bennet further noted that the Independent Investigative Mechanism would complement the ongoing work of the International Criminal Court (ICC), reinforcing the global commitment to accountability through all available avenues.

The ICC itself resumed investigations into the Afghan situation in 2022, with a focus on alleged women's rights abuses leading to Afghanistan's referral to the ICC by several states. Despite the Taliban's rejection of the ICC's jurisdiction in 2025, the court has proceeded to issue arrest warrants against key Taliban leaders, accusing them of gender-based persecution, a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute.

In addition to these legal proceedings, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, released an annual report highlighting the persistent humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. The report specifically pointed out the targeted oppression of women and girls, including their exclusion from education and employment, and decrees pushing them out of public life and discourse, in violation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which Afghanistan ratified in 2003.

This new investigative mechanism marks a hopeful step toward dismantling the cycle of impunity and fostering a future for Afghanistan where justice, equality, and the rule of law are at the forefront.