A Call to Conscience on the Human Rights of the People of Afghanistan

Statement from Women rights activists and civil society representatives in Afghanistan on April 30, 2023

Dear Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, respected Representatives and Special Envoys for Afghanistan, and UN leadership in and out of Afghanistan,

We are an ad hoc group of in-country Afghans promoting dialogue and seeking long-term solutions for Afghanistan. We are comprised of Afghans living and working inside Afghanistan across a range of sectors and roles including human rights defenders, peacebuilders, civil society, humanitarians, media, and the private sector.

As you gather on May 1st and 2nd 2023 to discuss the ongoing situation in Afghanistan, we urge you to explore avenues of engagement and dialogue to resolve the impasse the people of Afghanistan and the international community have been in over the course of the last 19 months.

As you are well aware, Afghans are suffering from the worst humanitarian crisis on the planet driven by a weakened economy and a lack of a framework for political dialogue. Whilst humanitarian engagement has been an important necessity, we need the global community to recognize that this is neither sustainable nor optimal for alleviating the human condition in Afghanistan. A principled, pragmatic, and phased approach is needed to ensure the well-being of the Afghan people and to remove the roadblocks holding us back from pursuing the social and economic development of our country.

As such, we urge that you take into consideration the following:

Political track

• With the recent renewal of the UNAMA mandate, the organization needs to be supported, strengthened, and empowered as the major political entity representative of the international community present inside Afghanistan.
• International community should work with Afghans inside Afghanistan to develop Afghan solutions to Afghan problems. We encourage the creation of spaces to promote local peace building initiatives and dialogues that already exist, and support them to expand on their work.
• Wide-range consultation with Afghans living inside Afghanistan including participation in international engagements taking place on Afghanistan.

Aid track

• Ensure the effective and principled implementation of humanitarian assistance through I/NGOs and UN Agencies with routine monitoring and reevaluation of approach, commitment of timely and effective delivery of aid, and meaningful participation of women both as humanitarians and clients.
• Flexibility in funding – with the changing nature of humanitarian aid delivery in the country, we urge donors to remain flexible in their support to national organizations, areas of operation, expansion of programing in areas where women can work.
• Explore alternative modalities of funding including the expansion of development aid and increased support in particular to national organizations and civil society actors –
• Repurpose and replenish ARTF funding to be fit-for-purpose in the current operational context through supporting locally-led mechanisms for delivery of aid and implementation of development programming.
• Focus on funding women-led and owned organizations and explore opportunities of funding private sector to develop and expand their initiatives.
• Support for local media, vocational institutes, cultural heritage preservation and arts programming where women and girls can meaningfully participate.
• Fund initiatives tackling climate change in Afghanistan before it is too late– the effects of climate change are increasingly evident, putting millions of lives and economic livelihoods at risk.

Economic track

• While the economy is no longer in freefall and there is evidence of a low-level stabilization, external obstacles continue to have significant detrimental effects on the Afghan economy. We urge for the lifting of sanctions on financial transactions that are crippling an already struggling private sector and leads to over-compliance of the international banking system.
• Unfreezing of Central Bank of Afghanistan’s assets to improve the banking and liquidity crisis plaguing the country and restore the SWFIT system.
• Technical support to the Central Bank of Afghanistan in the areas of Anti-Money Laundering, Countering Terrorist Financing, and relevant fiscal policy departments to build confidence in the banking sector and support economic activity.

Diplomatic track

• In-country diplomatic presence to ensure direct engagement and dialogue without the reliance on intermediaries
• Establishment of a clear roadmap for international dialogue with the IEA.
• Launch informal working groups with the IEA on issues of common interests: Terrorism, illicit drugs, irregular migration, preservation of cultural heritage.

As Afghans living and working in Afghanistan, we are advocating on behalf of the 40 million people who remain here – suffering from a multitude of man-made crises. We urge you all to consider them when you meet [this week] to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. The current approach to Afghanistan has only increased the suffering in this country. Our people are innovative, determined, pioneering and resilient – let’s work towards lifting the barriers to our progress.

Sincerely,

 (Afghan Representatives from all 34 provinces)

Kabul, Samangan, Badakhshan, Kapisa, Helmand, Nimroz, Jawzjan, Kandahar , Herat, Farah, Ghor Nangarhar, Bamyan, Die – Kundi, Baglan, Kundoz, Logar, Wardak, Parwan, Khost, Paktika, Paktia, Ghazni, Laghman, Faryab, Badghes, Noristan, Panjshir, Kunar, Takhar, Uruzgan, Zabul, Sar -e-Pul.