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New Zealand welcomes the delegation of Afghanistan to the Council. We value this opportunity to engage with Afghanistan on human rights, in addition to the ongoing bi-lateral dialogue and cooperation shared between our two countries.
New Zealand welcomes the steps Afghanistan has taken to promote and protect human rights. We appreciate the security challenges Afghanistan faces, but we continue to hold concerns about ongoing infringements of fundamental human rights. These include access to justice, the right to due process, freedom from torture, freedom of expression and increased Government control over media and censorship. Civilians are too often victims of armed force, and children remain at risk of recruitment as child soldiers.
New Zealand shares concerns expressed already today about the rights of women in Afghanistan, particularly in light of the recent Personal Status Law. We welcome the government’s commitment to review the law.
Paragraph 57 of Afghanistan’s national report refers to the high rates of maternal mortality experienced by women in the country. It also recognises that more needs to be done to realise women’s right to skilled professional care before, during and after pregnancy and childbirth.
We are also concerned about the continuing use of the death penalty in Afghanistan, and of the failure to observe the safeguards and restrictions set out in international standards on imposing capital punishment.
