Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan
Introduction
On 7 October 2021, the Human Rights Council adopted resolution 48/1 establishing the mandate of a Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan. A previous mandate by the Commission on Human Rights was terminated in 2005.
On 1 April 2022, Mr. Richard Bennett was appointed as the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan. He officially assumed duties on 1 May 2022.
Mr. Bennett has served in Afghanistan on several occasions in different capacities including as the Chief of the Human Rights Service with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). He has previously played a role in the promotion and protection of human rights in Afghanistan and supported the United Nations on a number of human rights issues, such as protection of civilians, transitional justice, child rights, rule of law, rights of people with disabilities, protection of human rights defenders and a range of economic, social and cultural rights.
Mr. Bennett also served with the United Nations as the Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and head of the human rights components of peacekeeping operations in Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste, and South Sudan as well as twice in Afghanistan (2003-07 and 2018-19). He has been a long-term adviser to the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.
From 2007 to 2010, Mr. Bennett was the Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal and head of OHCHR’s office there. He has also been Chief of Staff for the UN Secretary-General’s Panel of Experts on Sri Lanka and Special Adviser to the Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights in New York.
Mr. Bennett worked for Amnesty International from 2014 – 17 initially as its Asia-Pacific Program Director and later as head of Amnesty’s United Nations Office in New York. From mid-2019, he worked as a consultant on UN human rights assignments in Afghanistan, Myanmar and New York.
Mr. Bennett is currently a visiting professor at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Lund, Sweden.
Mandate of the Special Rapporteur
In accordance with the Human Rights Council resolutions 48/1, 51/20 and 54/1, the Special Rapporteur is mandated to monitor the situation of human rights in Afghanistan and requested to:
- report on the developing situation of human rights, and to make recommendations to improve it;
- assist in fulfilling the human rights obligations arising from international treaties that Afghanistan has ratified;
- offer support and advice to civil society; to seek, receive, examine and act on information from all relevant stakeholders pertaining to the situation of human rights in Afghanistan;
- document and preserve information relating to human rights violations and abuses;
- Integrate a gender perspective, a child’s right perspective and a survivor-centered approach throughout the work of the mandate;
- report to the Human Rights Council and to the General Assembly.
The resolution calls on all relevant parties to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur, to grant unhindered access to the country without any delay, and to provide the mandate holder with all information necessary to allow for the proper fulfilment of the mandate.
The Special Rapporteur's status as an independent expert makes him distinct from UNAMA, which reports to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and is formally part of the United Nations Secretariat. Nevertheless, the two institutions share complementary mandates and work closely together. In accordance with Resolution 48/1, the Special Rapporteur receives specific expertise and support from OHCHR.
In the discharge of his mandate, amongst other activities, the Special Rapporteur will:
- Seek, receive, examine and act on information from all relevant stakeholders pertaining to the situation of human rights in Afghanistan;
- Undertake country visits to Afghanistan and to the region and engage with relevant stakeholders;
- Assist relevant authorities in Afghanistan in fulfilling Afghanistan’s obligations under international human rights instruments;
- Offer advice and support to civil society and other relevant stakeholders;
- Submit reports to the Human Rights Council and General Assembly on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan; and
- Engages publicly on issues of concerns, including through press releases and transmits communications including letters to relevant authorities on alleged violations of human rights.
Latest country reports
Contact information
Information relevant to the mandate holder can be sent to the following email address hrc-sr-afghanistan@un.org
Videos
28 April 2022
Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett - World Press
Freedom Day Video Message
Watch on Vimeo
Activities
24 October 2023 | Statement
Statement by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan to the Third Committee of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly (Word)
11 September 2023 | Statement
Oral Update by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan to the 54th session of the Human Rights Council
English | Pashto | Dari (Word)
19 June 2023 | Fact Sheet
Fact Sheet: Report on the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan (PDF)
15 JAN 2023
Afghan Lawyers on Rule of Law’s Frontlines Need Urgent International Support
26 OCT 2022 | Statement
Statement by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan to the 77th session of the General Assembly
English | Pashto | Dari (Word)
12 SEPT 2022 | Statement
Statement by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights Afghanistan to the 51st session of the Human Rights Council (Word)
12 SEPT 2022 | Statement
Statement by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights Afghanistan at the Enhance Interactive Dialogue on situation of human rights of women and girls in Afghanistan (the 51st session of the Human Rights Council) (Word)
1 JUL 2022 | Statement
HRC50 – Urgent Debate on the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan – statement of the CC and the SR on Afghanistan (PDF)
26 MAY 2022 | Statement
Statement by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights, Richard Bennett, following his visit to Afghanistan from May 15-26, 2022 (Word)
Dari | Dari (short version) | Pashto | Pashto (short version)