Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to join Germany, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands in bringing proceedings against the Taliban as the de facto government of Afghanistan for the violations of Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

We have repeatedly condemned Taliban restrictions on women and girls' rights, including through UN Security Council and Human Rights Council resolutions. As the Foreign Secretary said on 24 August, the exclusion of women from all aspects of public life is another tragic setback for Afghanistan. We are discussing with international partners ways to hold them accountable. More broadly, officials regularly press the Taliban to reverse their inhuman restrictions, both bilaterally and with international partners.