UPR Info

Investigate thoroughly all acts of violence against women and defenders of women's rights and bring those responsible to justice.

Submit its delayed reports to the Committee against Torture.

Take extensive and timely steps to ensure the independence of the media free from intimidation and suppression, including through proper implementation of the media law passed in the fall of 2008.

Investigate all allegations with respect to torture and inhuman and degrading treatment by Afghan National Police and the National Directorate of Security.

Provide and improve training programmes on human rights for the judiciary, law enforcement personnel and lawyers.

Establish a human rights unit within the Ministry of Justice.

Enact, with immediate effect, the new Media Law passed by the Lower House of Parliament.

Include civil society and human rights defenders in the development of legislation and decision-making processes, through an institutionalized consultation process.

Investigate fully and effectively harassment and attacks on journalists and bring those responsible to justice.

Enact legislation and take effective measures to protect and promote women's rights, especially with regard to forced marriages, honour killings and access to education for all girls.

Establish a mechanism in order to systematically monitor human rights in the administration of justice and to organise human rights training courses for public officials.

Elaborate a road map to improve prison conditions and to prevent mistreatment of prisoners.

Strengthen the judiciary and make it independent by training judges in order to guarantee effective implementation of the law.

Enact, with immediate effect, the new Media Law which could help to promote and protect freedom of expression

Launch public information campaigns and work with religious leaders to raise awareness of the legal rights for women and girls guaranteed in Afghanistan's Constitution, including the legal age for marriage.

Take urgent and radical measures regarding legislation which will allow a real improvement of the situation of women and will guarantee the respect of their human rights, including, in particular, the right to education.

Give priority to achieving the objectives set by its national development strategy and in particular its commitment to ensure that women take, at minimum, 35 per cent of places in professional training programmes and 20 per cent of vacant posts.

Strengthen its efforts to ensure access to education - and to health care - for all its citizens, including those with disabilities, regardless of ethnicity, religion, tribal affiliation or economic status.

Take promptly any necessary action to comply with any findings of the review of the draft Shia Personal Status Law with the Constitution.

Ensure that all allegations of civilian casualties resulting from military operations on its territory are properly investigated and the perpetrators held accountable.

Increase its efforts for the protection of civilians

Strengthen its efforts to promote self-reliance of the returned refugees and IDPs

Identify specific challenges confronting the country, prioritize them in line with the needs and aspirations of its citizens and then seek support from the international community to face these challenges in a systematic and verifiable manner.

Take timely and efficient measures to ensure that the national legal framework properly incorporates international standards and conventions, ratified by Afghanistan, pertaining to women's rights, for example CEDAW.

Pay greater attention to the respect for women's rights when adopting legislative measures and abrogate all discriminatory measures against women.

Move swiftly to pass its new Media Law.

Make better use of the Commission's work as a contribution to improving the rule of law.

Promote a public discussion on women's rights and encourage influential men- whether elders, clerics, politicians or others - to participate in this discussion and raise awareness, especially amongst boys, of the importance of seeing women and girls as equal and respected partners in society.

Take further steps to honour its Constitution and protect and promote women's rights as an integral part of universal human rights.

Take steps to ensure an equitable and truly representative appointment of members of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission and to protect the Commission from undue political interference.