STATEMENT BY SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN AFGHANISTAN TO COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

Geneva, 25 September 2001



Following is a statement by Kamal Hossain, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, on the impact of recent developments on the human rights situation in that country. He delivered the statement today at a one-day informal meeting of the Commission on Human Rights which was held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva:


“As originally scheduled, I was expected to share with you at this meeting the substance of my report to the General Assembly, a summary of which I understand should be available to you. The main focus of that report was to underline that it was agreed in all the reports from the field that the continuing armed conflict sustained by external military and material support continues to be the most significant factor undermining the enjoyment of rights in Afghanistan. Such fighting had resulted in a recurrent pattern of massacres which constituted gross human rights violations and breaches of international humanitarian law. Evidence had been gathered of cases of summary execution in January 2001 and in May and June 2001 in Hazarajat. I underscore in my report the need for international cooperation to deny impunity and enforce accountability through appropriate mechanisms to undertake full investigation in order that those responsible may be brought to justice.

Since I had submitted my report, major developments at the global level have created a new situation in Afghanistan. The dramatic escalation of international tension in Afghanistan places an enormous responsibility on the international community as it is called upon to focus on all the issues of vital importance which are presented by it. Global terrorism, the horror and shock caused by lawless and inhuman violence, efforts to identify its perpetrators and its causes, and the suspected links to certain elements within Afghanistan, have caused grave concern across the world. The issues raised are being assessed and evaluated at the highest policy_making levels as official investigations are being conducted with a sense of high priority.

In this context it is important to focus on the rapidly deepening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. The people of Afghanistan have suffered as few people have over the last 23 years as victims of the use of force over which they had little or no control, and in a real sense, were themselves victims of lawless and inhuman violence.

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The Geneva Accords marked the end in 1989 of the period of military operations involving Soviet forces and aimed at restoring Afghanistan to its people. A framework was promised which would enable all segments of the Afghan population, including some millions of refugees who had sought shelter in neighbouring countries and beyond, to participate in re_building a unified Afghanistan establishing a multi_ethnic, broad_based and representative government. The protection of the restored state from external interference was to be internationally guaranteed.

The international community as it considers action to be taken needs, therefore, to take into account the situation of the men, women and children of Afghanistan and their extreme vulnerability which could result in a humanitarian catastrophe. The unceasing violence of the past 23 years left a million dead. Nearly 4 million Afghans are refugees in neighbouring countries. Over a million Afghans are internally displaced persons rushing from one place to another in quest of survival, as borders of neighbouring countries are closed. With the withdrawal of UN personnel and those of the humanitarian agencies, and suspension of the operations of the World Food Programme, some 5 million Afghans face starvation and hundreds of thousands lack shelter and medical care. With the absence of international personnel on the ground, human rights violators may feel emboldened to inflict further suffering on the victims with impunity.

A joint statement issued by six heads of UN agencies (UNICEF, WFP, UNHCR, UNDP, OCHA and the High Commissioner for Human Rights) has appealed today to the international community _especially the countries in the region _"to help prevent further tragedy by supporting humanitarian relief efforts, by pressing for safe international humanitarian access to all populations in need, by assuring the safety and security of international and national relief personnel, by supporting all measures that lessen the chance of a humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries, and by opening borders to those in need.", and have urged, "more international support for asylum states to ensure that their borders are open to all those who deserve protection and humanitarian assistance."

I would, therefore, like to bring to the attention of (the General Assembly and) the international community, the current situation, so that before taking any action every care and caution is exercised to ensure that millions of innocent Afghan men, women and children do not become victims of further violence which would constitute serious violations of their
human rights and breaches of international humanitarian law. It is noteworthy that the United States Secretary of State Colin Powell at a recent press briefing stated: "We mean no ill will to the people of Afghanistan, they are a suffering people, a poor people."

In this regard it may be of critical importance to consider the real possibility of actively involving the Afghan people in the international coalition to combat global terrorism. A process may be initiated within the framework of the United Nations to invite all segments of the Afghan population inside and outside Afghanistan to join the coalition. This could attract a positive response by an overwhelming majority. This would not only contribute to the effectiveness of the international coalition, but also pave the way to a transition from war to peace and help in establishing a unified Afghanistan under a multi_ethnic, broad based, representative government. This would be a significant step towards reducing the instability in the region which breeds terrorism, and towards averting the humanitarian catastrophe which threatens the Afghan population”.


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