A/HRC/57/5 minorities had escalated; for instance, the Hazara community had suffered significantly, with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan documenting 345 casualties (95 killed, 250 wounded) of attacks within a year. Since the military takeover, persons with disabilities faced increased vulnerability. The systematic exclusion and targeting of those groups highlighted a grave disregard for the diversity and rights of the minority populations of Afghanistan. 77. Afghanistan had formulated a national action plan on support for and integration of returnees and internally displaced persons, including unimpeded access to health care and education, regardless of identity documentation. Moreover, initiatives had been in place to build townships for internally displaced persons and returnees, equipped with necessary amenities such as schools and hospitals, to foster a environment conducive to their resettlement. However, since August 2021, the Taliban’s discriminatory actions against minorities and marginalized communities had heightened concerns for the rights of those groups. Neighbouring countries had sheltered 7.7 million nationals of Afghanistan for over two decades. The context had changed dramatically in 2021, when approximately 1.6 million people had been repatriated from neighbouring countries, despite the non-return advisories of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The introduction of the Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan had led to the deportation of over 500,000 individuals since the end of 2023. 78. Since the military takeover, the Taliban had barred women and girls from all forms of education beyond grade 6, hindering not only their personal development but also the country’s progress, sustainable development and lasting peace. The Taliban had also banned non-governmental organizations from providing educational programmes; that ban affected rural children in particular. More than 2 million young girls and women remained out of school. At the same time, activists standing for the universal right to education were targeted by the Taliban. The disruption in education, compounded by economic instability, had made young girls more vulnerable to falling prey to exploitation and forced marriage. 79. The Taliban was closing off public schools and was using education funds to convert those schools into madrasas across Afghanistan. The proliferation of madrasas, which had been known to promote and incentivize violence and terrorism, not only affected the quality of education but also risked the spreading of indoctrination and radicalization, which posed a real threat to regional and global stability. 80. Burundi stressed that the information provided by the delegation highlighted the need for the Afghan authorities to promote and protect the rights of its citizens without discrimination. 81. Canada noted that the de facto authorities had suspended the Constitution of Afghanistan and had replaced the judiciary with repressive decrees. It condemned the arrests of women and girls based on dress restrictions and the widespread use of arbitrary detention. 82. Chile called upon the de facto regime to guarantee the full protection of the human rights of all people, especially women. 83. Colombia made recommendations. 84. Costa Rica expressed concern about the interruption of the rule of law and the continued and systematic human rights violations, including gender apartheid and generalized violence against women and girls. 85. Croatia condemned the systematic human rights violations, especially against women, minorities, human rights defenders, journalists and politicians, and denounced gender discrimination and public executions. 86. Cyprus made recommendations. 87. Czechia noted the regression of human rights in Afghanistan since the previous review, in particular concerning the rights of women. 88. Denmark condemned the dismantling of institutional protections for human rights and expressed concern about the persecution of women and girls and their removal from public life. 8 GE.24-09690