Security Council Chief Urges Adding ‘Gender Apartheid’ to Human Rights Convention
The rotating President of the Security Council stated that the situation in Afghanistan is important to them. Vanessa Frazier, speaking at the General Assembly on the amendment of the Convention against Torture, referenced and said she wants gender apartheid, “which is also true for Afghanistan,” to be added to it. Ms. Frazier, who is also […]
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The rotating President of the Security Council stated that the situation in Afghanistan is important to them.
Vanessa Frazier, speaking at the General Assembly on the amendment of the Convention against Torture, referenced and said she wants gender apartheid, “which is also true for Afghanistan,” to be added to it.
Ms. Frazier, who is also Malta’s ambassador to the United Nations, said that referred to the exclusion and marginalization of half of Afghanistan’s population from the public sphere, calling it unacceptable.
She said, “This situation must be rectified.”
The new President of the Security Council added on 1st April that discussions about drafting amendments and modifications to the Convention against Torture would take place at Monday’s General Assembly session.
He said that Malta is one of the countries striving in this session to include gender apartheid in the UN Convention against Torture and Punishment. He said, “Gender apartheid is at least true for Afghanistan.”
Ms. Vanessa also spoke about appointing a UN special representative for Afghanistan, stating that she is awaiting its appointment, but no action has been taken yet.
She emphasized that the sooner this representative is appointed, the sooner work can begin.
The UN adopted a resolution in December of last year calling for the appointment of a UN special representative for Afghanistan; however, the Taliban considers the appointment of a special representative unnecessary.
Earlier last year in May, dozens of prominent human rights activists, in an open letter, requested member states of the United Nations to include gender apartheid in the Convention against Torture.
Hillary Clinton, former US Secretary of State, Shirin Ebadi, and Malala Yousafzai, both Nobel Peace Prize laureates, were signatories to this letter.
Since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, they have enforced numerous oppressive measures against women, leading to egregious violations of human rights. These restrictions have included constraints on women’s access to education and employment and severe limitations on their presence in public spheres.
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