Human Rights Watch and a number of human rights organizations have called, during the 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, for the mandate of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Afghanistan to be extended.
The organization said on Friday, September 18, that at the session, delegations were urged to support the continuation of dedicated reporting and an interactive dialogue on the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.
Human Rights Watch also called for a dedicated report on the situation of marginalized ethnic, religious and linguistic groups in Afghanistan.
The organization called for an interactive dialogue to be held on the situation of these groups as well and for the operationalization process of the “Independent Investigative Mechanism for Afghanistan” to begin as soon as possible.
Human rights violations in Afghanistan continue, while repression, gender-based persecution and widespread restrictions on the rights of women and girls remain among the main concerns raised about the situation in the country.
The organization said that during the Special Rapporteur’s interactive dialogue on September 7 and 8, 2026, a number of countries raised questions about further measures to address the situation.
