OSCE Asian Partners for Co-operation Special Group Meeting
Exploring the Long‑Term Impact of Girls’ Education Bans on the Comprehensive Security and Stability of Afghanistan and the Broader Region
Statement by H.E Ambassador Ian Biggs, Australia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and International Organisations in Vienna
9 March 2026
Chair, Secretary General, Excellencies, colleagues
I thank the Permanent Representatives of Afghanistan and Finland for convening this Asian Partners for Co-operation Group meeting.
I am grateful but deeply saddened to hear the updates shared by the Special Rapporteur and our expert panellists on the situation in Afghanistan.
Chair,
Australia has a long history of advancing, promoting and protecting the education and agency of all women and girls.
The full and equal participation of women and girls in society is critical for sustainable economic and political development, social cohesion and stability, and lasting peace.
Australia is gravely concerned by the continuing and systemic oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan.
Since August 2021, the Taliban have demonstrated a pervasive disregard for the human rights of women and girls, introducing edicts – including the so called ‘morality’ law and penal code – that seek to systematically erase women from public life and punish any resistance.
Restrictions on women’s and girls’ access to education, work, healthcare, and legal protection violate Afghanistan’s international human rights obligations, and deny dignity and self-determination. They are causing long-term harm to Afghanistan’s prospects, deepening the humanitarian crisis, and worsening health outcomes for women and children.
The Australian Government is taking strong action to hold the Taliban to account and support the Afghan people.
Complementing broader efforts, we have introduced the world’s first autonomous sanctions regime on Afghanistan in response to the ongoing oppression of women and girls, minority groups, and the general population, and the undermining of good governance or the rule of law in Afghanistan.
And together with Canada, Germany and the Netherlands, Australia is holding Afghanistan to account under international law for violations of the human rights of women and girls, as enshrined in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
Since 2021, the Australian Government has provided over AUD310 million in humanitarian and basic human needs assistance to respond to the Afghanistan crisis, with a strong focus on women and girls.
Chair,
We know that gender equality is a predictor of peace. Today we reaffirm our deep and enduring commitment to Afghan women’s and girls’ human rights, including their rights to return to school, to university, to work, and to participate in public life.
In our call for justice, we lend our full support to the inclusion and amplification of the voices of Afghan women, and we urge their equal and meaningful participation in Afghanistan’s future.
I again thank Ambassador Bakhtari for facilitating this discussion and for her continued advocacy for the women and girls of Afghanistan.