UNAMA urges greater human rights protections in Afghanistan on Human Rights Day

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) marked Human Rights Day with a renewed call for the protection of fundamental freedoms, stressing that human rights are “everyday essentials” necessary for dignity, opportunity, and security.

Highlighting this year’s global theme, UNAMA underscored that human rights are not abstract ideals but the conditions that allow people to live meaningful lives — including the rights to education, health, work, expression, and participation in society. The Mission warned that these basic rights remain inaccessible for many Afghans.

Women and girls, UNAMA noted, continue to face severe restrictions on schooling, employment, and public life, undermining both their rights and the country’s long-term prospects. Uneven access to healthcare has further weakened families and communities.

The Mission also raised concern over the growing number of Afghans being involuntarily returned from abroad. It said certain groups — including women, former government and security officials, civil society members, and journalists — remain at heightened risk of reprisals and other rights violations.

UNAMA stressed that Afghanistan’s authorities must take steps to align with international human rights obligations, calling this not only a legal duty but a practical path toward peace and development.

Protecting rights, the Mission said, builds public trust, promotes inclusion, and enables Afghans to contribute to national recovery.

“Human rights are not optional. They are the everyday essentials that sustain life,” said Georgette Gagnon, Officer in Charge of UNAMA and Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General. “Ensuring women and girls can learn, work, and participate fully is indispensable to recovery.”

Fiona Frazer, Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Afghanistan, reiterated that the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — adopted 77 years ago — remain vital. “Everyday essentials—education, health, livelihoods, and freedom—are rights that must be afforded to all Afghans. Yet too many are denied them.”

On Human Rights Day, UNAMA called on Afghanistan’s authorities, communities, and international partners to uphold human rights as the foundation for the country’s path toward stability and hope.