Australia’s foreign minister said her country, alongside international partners, is continuing legal action against the Taliban over violations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
Penny Wong wrote Thursday that Canberra is pursuing legal avenues with partners over what she described as the ongoing breach of the convention in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. She said Afghans are enduring one of the world’s worst protracted humanitarian crises.
Last year, Australia, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands jointly announced plans to take the Taliban to the International Court of Justice in The Hague over alleged widespread human rights violations. The United Nations and more than 20 countries have expressed support for the move.
The development comes as the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for the Taliban’s leader and the head of its supreme court over alleged human rights abuses and crimes against humanity.
$50m Allocation
Australia’s foreign ministry said it had allocated an additional $50 million to help address the worsening situation in Afghanistan.
In a statement, the ministry said the aid would focus on support for women and girls, food security, health care services and the protection of human dignity. It said Australia would work through UN agencies to ensure the assistance reaches people in need rather than Taliban authorities.
The ministry said Taliban restrictions on women and girls including limits on access to employment, health care, education and public life have had a disproportionate impact.
Since the collapse of the former Afghan government and the Taliban’s return to power, Australia has provided $310 million in assistance, according to the statement.
Australia says the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan has been worsened by the Taliban’s failure to provide basic services to the population.
