Independent Investigative Mechanism for Afghanistan

According to resolution 60/2 of 6 October 2025, the Human Rights Council established the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Afghanistan to collect, consolidate, preserve and analyse evidence of international crimes and the most serious violations of international law, including those that may also amount to violations  and abuses of international human rights law, committed in Afghanistan, including against women and girls, and to prepare files in order to facilitate and expedite fair and independent criminal proceedings, in accordance with international law standards, in national, regional or international courts or tribunals that have or may in the future have jurisdiction over these crimes, in accordance with international law.

The Council also decided that the Mechanism shall:

(a) Incrementally advance its work based on funding made available, and benefit from the experience of, and possible synergies with, existing investigative mechanisms, with no prejudice to their work;

(b) Build on the work and findings of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, and to this end be able to make use of relevant information collected by the Special Rapporteur, with the consent of information providers as appropriate, and continue to collect evidence; with the consent of information providers as appropriate, and continue to collect evidence;

(c) Have the capacity to document and verify relevant information and evidence, including through field engagement and by cooperating with other entities, as appropriate;

(d) Adopt procedures that are multidimensional, gender-responsive and victimcentred;

(e) Identify, where possible, those individuals and entities allegedly responsible for international crimes and the most serious violations of international law, including those that may also amount to violations and abuses of international human rights law, with a view to ensuring that they are held accountable;

(f) Report on its main activities on an annual basis to the Human Rights Council as of its sixty-fourth session, in an enhanced interactive dialogue, and to the General

Assembly as of its eighty-second session;

(g) Optimize possible synergies with existing investigative mechanisms, including to ensure cost-efficient use of its resources;

(h) Work in complementarity with, and without risk of prejudice to, competent and robust existing national and international processes;

(i) Cooperate closely with ongoing and future investigations by national, regional or international courts or tribunals, including those conducted by the International Criminal Court or the International Court of Justice, or other legal proceedings.

Terms of Reference of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Afghanistan:  A/HRC/61/CRP.6
10 March 2026

Human Rights Council resolution on the Situation of human rights in Afghanistan: A/HRC/RES/60/2
6 October 2025 

Update to the Human Rights Council on the operationalization of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Afghanistan by Ilze Brands Kehris, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights.
27 February 2026