UN Human Rights Council Listens to Praise of Afghanistan's Human Rights Record

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was created in 2006 by the UN General Assembly resolution 60/251. The General Assembly mandated the Human Rights Council to "undertake a universal periodic review (UPR), based on objective and reliable information, of the fulfillment by each State of its human rights obligations and commitments..." The review is conducted every four years by the UPR Working Group which consists of the 47 members of the Council. Any UN member state can take part in the dialogue with the state under review.

In reality, the UPR has become a place where abusers are applauded and democracies are heavily criticized.

On January 27, 2014 Afghanistan's human rights record was reviewed by the Working Group in Geneva. In its National Report, submitted as part of the UPR process, Afghanistan admitted: "honor killings carried out under the motive of upholding honor" are sometimes considered "as mitigating circumstances".

In his opening remarks before the UPR Working Group, however, Senior Adviser in the Afghan Ministry of Justice said that Afghanistan is "committed to promoting and protecting human rights in particular women and children's rights...Women rights and gender equality remain top priority..."

He also used this opportunity to whitewash other human rights abuses: "[O]ur country is a good example in the region for promoting freedom of speech, freedom of the media and association...Afghanistan has adopted measures to ensure that children are protected against all forms of discrimination or punishment...[and] continues to stand firm to fight the corruption..."

During the interactive dialogue many states, including some of the world's worst abusers, took the floor to praise Afghanistan's human rights record:

China: China appreciates efforts of Afghanistan in promoting and protecting human rights...
Cuba: The government has made very great efforts to achieve human rights protection...
Iran: We appreciate the effort of government of Afghanistan for promotion and protection of human rights at the national level...
Sudan: My delegation pays... tribute to the attention paid by government to women and the need to protect them within legal and proper cultural framework, protect them from any irresponsible practices.
Palestinian Observer: We welcome the efforts made to combat discrimination against women.
Mauritania: My delegation welcomes the efforts by Afghanistan in the area of human rights, particularly for the protection women's rights.
Sri Lanka: We are encouraged by many positive developments in order to protect rights of women and children...
Bangladesh: Afghanistan has made noteworthy effort in the promotion and protection of human rights...
Saudi Arabia: The Report of Afghanistan is a source of optimism...

But here is just some of the actual record of human rights in Afghanistan as reported by the State Department in its annual human rights review of countries around the world.

"The most significant human rights problems were credible reports of torture and abuse of detainees by Afghan security forces...Authorities used pressure, regulations, and threats to silence critics... Authorities regularly used threats, violence, and intimidation to silence opposition journalists...[C]orruption was endemic throughout society...[I]nternational gender experts considered the country very dangerous for women...[M]en accused of rape often claimed the victim agreed to consensual sex or made false claims of marriage to the victim, leading to adultery charges against the victim... An estimated 70 percent of marriages were forced... Local officials... imprisoned women at the request of family members for opposing the family's choice of a marriage partner or being charged with adultery or bigamy...[L]ocal officials imprisoned women in place of a family member who had committed a crime but could not be located...Under the penal code, a man convicted of honor killing after finding his wife committing adultery cannot be sentenced to more than two years' imprisonment... The status of girls and women in education remained a matter of grave concern...[C]hild abuse...remained endemic throughout the country."