05 February 2003
Human Rights Must Be Integrated into Afghan Reconstruction Efforts
(Conference discusses U.S. role in building Afghan institutions) (890)
By Ghada Elnajjar
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- Numerous U.S. government officials emphasized that a
real concern for human rights must and will be integrated into the
development of Afghanistan's economic, political, and security
institution.
They spoke at a conference entitled "Reconstructing Afghanistan:
Freedom in Crisis," which was held January 29 in cooperation with the
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)
and George Washington University Law School.
Addressing policymakers and representatives of non-governmental
organizations, Zalmay Khalilzad, President Bush's special envoy to
Afghanistan said, "Structures for food, jobs and security help build
and reinforce the structures that protect human rights."
U.S. support for security, economic development and human rights is
reflected in U.S. financial support for Afghanistan, which, Khalilzad
said, would reach over $800 million this year. The role of the United
States, he said, is to provide aid and support to this process, but
Afghan decisions should be made and agreed to by the Afghan people.
"It is up to the Afghan people to develop their own distinctive
political culture. But the world and the United States have some
lessons to offer, most importantly the overriding importance of
protecting fundamental human rights," said Khalilzad.
Through its contributions of $1 million to the Afghan Independent
Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) and $2.5 million for the Constitution
Commission, the United States "actively supports these structures,"
Khalilzad said. In addition to financial support, he noted that
structures established by the Afghan government to promote judicial
reform and encourage respect for human rights receive logistical and
technical support from the United States.
Established with the blessing of the Afghan Transitional Authority,
the AIHRC is charged with monitoring and investigating human rights
violations. It also aims to develop and implement human rights
education programs and institutions and propose a national strategy to
address justice and past abuses. It functions in tandem with a broader
effort to introduce human rights into the institutions of government.
According to Neamat Nojumi, former USAID consultant in Kabul,
Afghanistan must build a legitimate legal system that embodies the
covenants of Universal Declaration of Human Rights in conjunction with
Afghan traditions and culture.
Human rights, he said, must be included in the curriculum and training
of the law enforcement agents as well as prosecutors, judges, law
clerks, and all students at the law schools. "These steps," he added,
"would produce significant numbers familiar with the legal system in
relevance to human rights."
A Constitution Commission, composed of Afghan experts some of whom
were present at the conference, has been appointed to consider a new
constitution which includes clear protections of religious freedom and
civil society organizations that promote human rights.
Ambassador Wendy Chamberlin, USAID assistant administrator for Asia
and the Near East, stressed that it is important to integrate the
human rights message into vital development initiatives. "In the
health sector alone," she said, "90 percent of health programs favor
women. The same is for education."
A total of $80 million is provided to assist women and girls in the
areas of human rights, education, healthcare and other programs.
According to the White House Office of Global Communications, the
United States announced $2.5 million during the first week of January
for the construction of 14 women's centers, and an additional $1
million for training women on business and NGO management and
political participation, and girls' education.
Ambassador Karl F. Inderfurth, former assistant secretary of state for
South Asian Affairs and current professor of the Practice of
International Affairs at George Washington University, cautioned
policymakers that security in Afghanistan should be priority for the
United States and other donor countries. According to Inderfurth,
"security needs to be provided first before human rights and
everything else can be protected."
During the all-day conference, panels discussed possible new ways to
strengthen Afghanistan's central government and promote security and
stability in Afghanistan. Ambassador Peter Tomson, diplomatic
associate at the Center for Afghanistan Studies and former U.S. envoy
to the Afghan Resistance, said that the United States and its allies
should work to expand the International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF) throughout the entire country. Currently, the operation of ISAF
is restricted to the capital of Kabul and surrounding areas. With
security spread outside Kabul, said Tomson, more aid and construction
projects can be brought to the rural areas.
Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Lorne
Craner, urged a broad effort to provide maximum support enforcing
institutional and structural reforms within the government. He said
that, based on U.S. experience, nation building is not possible when
it is the effort of an outside country alone. It is the role of the
United States and the donor community, he said, to help the Afghan
people build a democratic nation.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
(USCIRF) is an independent body of the U.S. government created by the
International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1988 to monitor
religious freedom in other countries and advise the president, the
secretary of state, and Congress on how best to promote religious
freedom (for more on the Commission, please visit www.uscirf.gov).
Similar domestic concerns are monitored by the U.S. Commission on
Civil Rights (www.usccr.gov).
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)
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