Published: March 31st 2009 - at 10:35 am

The following statement was presented today by a group of Afghan civil society organisations at the international conference in the Hague today. Your help in circulating it would be appreciated:

‘Your Excellencies Ladies and Gentlemen,

Allow me to express our warm gratitude and thanks for inclusion of the NGO community and Civil Society in Afghanistan. It is a great honor to be part of this important conference and we expect that the presence of Civil Society remains as an ongoing mechanism in the future.

As a result of a broad range of civil society and NGO community consultations towards providing recommendations to the International Conference on Afghanistan in The Hague about strategies for solidifying the peace process, we have come up with the following recommendations which are grounded on the fundamental principles and values as:

1. The concept of “Afghans in the lead” must shift from rhetoric to a genuine principle guiding the strategic discussions on Afghanistan’s future and must be inclusive of a broad range of Afghan actors, including civil society actors.

2. While Afghans are in support of broad based and inclusive dialogue and reconciliation efforts, these processes must be grounded in a non-negotiable position of respect and acceptable for the Afghan Constitution and the fundamental values that it enshrines, including respect for human rights, women’s rights, rule of law and the principles of democratic governance. Democratic principles, which Afghans have sacrificed their lives for and championed for the last century, cannot be negotiated away by the Afghan Government and the International Community under the guise of peace and security.

Key Recommendations

In the field of International Humanitarian Law
The Afghan Government and the international community must prioritize and take all necessary measures to minimize civilian casualties and institute mechanisms of accountability, transparency and systems of reparations to address victim rights. The Taliban must be equally held to account for their role in civilian damage and casualties.

Human Rights Issues
The Culture of impunity must be brought to an end through concrete measures including support and political will for the advancement of the transitional justice process and the implementation of rule of law measures. The Government of Afghanistan together with the international community should according to the constitution of Afghanistan commit themselves to the values of human rights in Afghanistan without any compromise. More focus should be paid to economic social and cultural rights.

In the field of Women’s Rights
Women must be involved in all dialogue and political processes including negotiations and reconciliation efforts. Creating a mechanism which can ensure that women in the sub-national as well as national level have an active political and economic participation.

In the field of Freedom of Expression and Media Rights
The role of an independent and impartial media should be strengthened and promoted in advance of the Presidential Election through political and financial support, the removal of government influence in the Media Complaints Commission and ensuring that election monitoring and watchdog groups prioritize freedom of expression and the protection of journalists under threat.

Aid Effectiveness
The International Community must improve coordination within the donor community and take strategic action to ensure that vital resources are committed to improving the lives of ordinary Afghans and addressing extreme poverty.

We strongly recommend that the International Community takes measures to distinguish humanitarian and development programs from military and security goals.’

About the author
Conor Foley is a regular contributor and humanitarian aid worker who has worked for a variety of organisations including Liberty, Amnesty International and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. He currently lives and works in Brazil and is a research fellow at the Human Rights Law Centre at the University of Nottingham. His books include Combating Torture: a manual for judges and prosecutors and A Guide to Property Law in Afghanistan. Also at: Guardian CIF
· Other posts by Conor Foley


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