The European-Global Civil Society organization  (EGCSO) together with all other Afghan refugee organizations and civil society activists living in Europe and around the world, call upon the United Nations to act immediately to protect and safeguard two decades of achievement at the table of peace talk with Taliban. We demand attention, action and the protection of the United Nations.

 Minority rights, women’s rights and civil rights are the biggest achievements of the past 20 years in Afghanistan. The current peace process with Taliban threatens to undermine all these achievements. We as Afghan community Diaspora are all following the peace talk process painfully and have profound concerns about the outcome of peace talks. We all support peace talk negotiations and ending the long war but peace talks should be inclusive. Minority and women rights should be at the center of peace talks, and not an issue of ‘just talk’. We demand immediate ceasefire in order to  continue the peace talk. 

EGCSO calls on the United Nations to enforce General Assembly Resolution 47/135 of 18 December 1992 the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities with regards the situation in Afghanistan. Articles 1-9 of that resolution must be enforced to protect Afghan minority rights. It is quite clear. Any lack of attention of UN could bring damaging and horrific impact to minorities in Afghanistan.

The EGCSO and other Refugee Organizations around Europe demand in the strongest manner possible:

1.That the United Nations act immediately and reach out to the current US administration and key players of the peace talks to safeguard two decades of achievement.

2.That the United Nations act immediately to ensure that the rights of the minority, women and civil rights advocates in Afghanistan be protected to the full extent of international law.

3.That the United Nations act immediately to bring pressure to Government of Afghanistan to protect and safeguard all two decades of achievement and Constitution of Afghanistan.

4.That the United Nations act immediately to bring pressure to NATO allies and partners to preserve all two decades of gains.

We demand in the strongest language possible that the United Nations take effective steps to protect the rights of  minorities and women in the peace process with Taliban. The world is watching to see what actions the United Nations will take.