On Sept. 25, Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, and Canada revealed that they would refer the Taliban to the International Court of Justice over severe violations of women’s rights. Announced at the 79th UN General Assembly, this is the first instance of the ICJ being asked to take a country to court over gender-based discrimination.

The aforementioned countries have called for the Taliban to adhere to their international obligations under the Convention of the Elimination of All Discrimination Against Women which was adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly and is “commonly referred to as an international bill on the rights of women”, which Afghanistan ratified in 2003.

“If these violations are not addressed within a reasonable timeframe, an arbitration process will be initiated, and ultimately, the case may be referred to the International Court of Justice,” the UNGA draft statement reads.

The call to action is a response to last month’s publishing of a new set of vice and virtue laws which include prohibiting women from speaking in public, singing, or leaving their homes unless fully covered. These laws are an extension of Taliban-led changes in the last 3 years, which also prohibit women from accessing schools, gyms, parks, and sports facilities. Limitations have also been placed on women’s employment, which has contributed to exacerbating poverty in the state, according to an April report by the World Bank.

Suhail Shaheen, head of the Taliban’s political office in Qatar, commented on the situation through X and condemned the exclusion of the group's representative from the 79th UN General Assembly.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has both the support of the people of Afghanistan and writ all over the country but still no representative or delegation from IEA is invited to participate in the current UNGA meeting,” he wrote.

Additionally, the EU announced a new aid package of 146 million euros aimed at supporting Afghan people’s basic needs and livelihood.

“The EU stands firm in its support for the Afghan people … we can continue to strengthen the resilience of communities and individuals through basic social services, community-based safety nets, and livelihoods support in line with the EU’s established principled approach ….This new €146 million package reinforced our ongoing commitment to supporting the most vulnerable in Afghanistan,” said EU Commissioner Urpilainen. Meanwhile, the Taliban have expressed interest in joining BRICS. The deputy spokesman of the Taliban government, Hamdullah Fitrat, made this announcement in a video statement ahead of the BRICS summit in Russia, indicating the Taliban’s desire to align with emerging powers.