A/HRC/57/5 36. Norway welcomed the improved security situation in Afghanistan but expressed deep concern about discriminatory practices that significantly impeded gender equality, civic space and access to justice. 37. Panama thanked Afghanistan for presenting its national report and presented recommendations. 38. Paraguay thanked the delegation for the information provided and expressed concern about the human rights situation since the de facto authorities had taken power. 39. Portugal expressed concern about the deteriorating human rights situation, particularly the curtailing of the human rights of women and girls. 40. Qatar noted the need for humanitarian assistance, welcomed the assessment report of the Secretary-General and expressed its belief that the recommendations therein could provide a clear road map. 41. The Republic of Korea expressed deep concern about the Taliban’s ongoing restrictions of a broad spectrum of rights, particularly the systematic deprivation of the rights of women and girls. 42. The delegation emphasized that, in Afghanistan, girls were now deprived of education beyond the primary level; it was the sole country with such a restriction. Moreover, Afghanistan stood alone globally in its prohibition of women from working with international organizations, including the United Nations, and in various sectors outside the home. That prohibition significantly hampered the capacity of the United Nations and other entities to deliver essential services to a population grappling with persistent poverty. Furthermore, the exclusion of women from public roles further impeded their visibility and participation in decision-making on processes that directly shaped their lives. 43. In addition, strict dress codes were enforced, restricting women’s attire to the mandatory hijab and chadari, with bright colours prohibited. Travel restrictions required women to be accompanied by male guardians (mahrams), severely limiting their freedom of movement. Other prohibitions included bans on women’s participation in sports, the arts, the media and decision-making processes. 44. The 2004 Constitution had established Afghanistan as a sovereign, independent Islamic republic. It had been aimed at creating a democratic order reflecting the will of the people and building a society without oppression or discrimination, committed to the rule of law, social justice, human rights and fundamental freedoms. However, since August 2021, those fundamental pillars of society had been undone. 45. The human rights units established within the executive and legislative and judicial structures for the promotion and protection of human rights had been dismantled. The Taliban had also put an end to the electoral system, disbanding both houses of the National Assembly and undoing all the progress made in the previous two decades. 46. Despite feigning assurance of respecting human rights, particularly of women, children and minorities, in order to garner legitimacy, the Taliban had reverted Afghanistan to the dark ages, reminiscent of its rule from 1996 to 2001. The Taliban had strategically dismantled all independent human rights oversight and monitoring mechanisms at the national and provincial levels to obstruct information collection and verification and circumvent any accountability efforts. 47. Efforts and progress in combating terrorism had been thwarted following the forced takeover by the Taliban. The Taliban had fostered an environment ripe for the proliferation of terrorist groups such as Al-Qaida, Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan, Jamaat Ansarullah, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement. As indicated in the report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, the link between the Taliban and terrorist entities such as Al-Qaida and other terrorist groups was both strong and symbiotic, providing those groups with greater operational freedom within Afghanistan. The Taliban had largely failed to adhere to counter-terrorism commitments. Terrorist attacks persisted across the country, targeting innocent civilians in schools and places of worship, with no transparent investigations undertaken by the Taliban. GE.24-09690 5