UPR Info

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 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.

Submit its first periodic report without further delay and ensure full implementation of CEDAW and other international human rights conventions to which Afghanistan is a party.

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.

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.

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

Increase its efforts for the protection of civilians

Prepare as a matter of priority a transparent and well-administered system of rules for verifying candidates' eligibility, in close connection with the assessment of the disarmament process and the strengthening of the capacity of the Electoral Complaints Committee.

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.

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.

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 further steps to protect the human rights of those who live in rural areas where respect for basic human rights, especially with regard to women and children, remains impeded under customary law.

Take the necessary measures to protect journalists against intimidation, violence, censorship and abusive convictions, and have published and applied the new media law adopted by the Parliament.

Strengthen and support the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission so that it discharges its mandate in the most effective manner.

Continue with its very constructive and transparent steps and efforts taken to improve the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms situation in all areas and implement effectively the extremely important recommendations contained in the national report.

Continue its positive engagement with OHCHR and other United Nations agencies to fully realize the targets that it has set for itself, especially on children and women's rights.

Pursue, within the context of paragraph 1(d) of Human Rights Council resolution 9-12, the achievement of its MDGs in the areas of health and education through national plans of action

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

Strengthen the capacity of the Government of Afghanistan to implement its national development strategy, particularly to achieve human rights benchmarks.

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

Establish a human rights unit within the Ministry of Justice.

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

Ensure human rights and international humanitarian law education for all security forces and prison and judicial personnel and adopt further measures to ensure their full accountability for any violations of these

Guarantee free access to the media.

Redouble its efforts aimed at an impartial and effective operation of the State bodies at the national and local levels, including at addressing corruption.

Ensure that the law enforcement agencies fully observe the legal mechanism and comply with human rights principles, such as the right of the accused and suspects, in the course of carrying out their duties.

Give special regard to women and children and enhance their enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

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.