An Open Call to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Australia, Canada, Germany, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands
25 September 2026
On the second anniversary of the ICJ-CEDAW Afghanistan Initiative, Shamama joins other civil society and human rights organizations as a signatory to a joint statement calling for renewed action, greater transparency, and continued consultation with the women of Afghanistan regarding this important international legal process. Joint-Civil-Society-Statement-2nd-Anniversary-.docx.pdf
Shamama Joins Other Civil Society Organizations in Signing the Joint Statement on the ICJ-CEDAW Afghanistan Initiative
As one of the signatories to this Joint Civil Society Statement, Shamama has joined other civil society and human rights organizations in calling for renewed action, greater transparency, and continued consultation on the ICJ-CEDAW Afghanistan Initiative. The statement is addressed to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Australia, Canada, Germany, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The initiative was announced on 25 September 2024, when Australia, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands committed to holding the Taliban accountable for systemic violations of women’s and girls’ rights under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), potentially leading to a case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
In the statement, published on 25 September 2026, the signatories highlight the continuing deterioration of the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan and call for renewed action, greater transparency, and continued consultation regarding this important legal process. The statement also emphasizes the need for greater clarity regarding the status of the initiative and its anticipated next steps.
The statement points to the continued introduction and enforcement of restrictive laws and decrees affecting women and girls in Afghanistan, including restrictions on access to education, employment, critical health services, and public spaces. It also highlights recent instances of arbitrary detention and imprisonment of women and the broader institutionalization of restrictions on their fundamental rights.
At the same time, the statement recognizes the continued resistance of Afghan women despite grave risks, including through clandestine classrooms, grassroots networks, and testimonies before the People’s Tribunal for Women of Afghanistan.
The signatories stress that the CEDAW initiative represents an important opportunity to affirm that systematic violations of women’s and girls’ rights carry consequences under international law. They note that nearly two years into the Article 29 process, there is no publicly visible indication that negotiations are moving the dispute toward resolution, while restrictions on women and girls have continued to expand.
The signatories therefore call on the four governments to proceed to formal arbitration under Article 29 of CEDAW. The statement emphasizes that doing so would sustain the momentum and credibility of this historic initiative and demonstrate that the commitments made in 2024 are being pursued with the urgency, transparency, and meaningful consultation that the situation demands.
Shamama is among the current signatories to the Joint Civil Society Statement and is publishing the full statement below.
Read the full Joint Civil Society Statement below.