Human Rights and Democracy Report 2016 - CHAPTER VI: Human Rights Priority Countries - Afghanistan

The overall poor security situation and the ongoing insurgency in Afghanistan continued to limit progress on human rights in 2016. Whilst the Afghan Government continued to show commitment to an agenda of ambitious reform, outlining this at the Brussels Conference on Afghanistan in October 2016, implementing this agenda presented serious challenges. A UN report on the Protection of Civilians¹¹ showed a 3% increase in the number of civilian victims in the conflict (the highest number since UN records on civilian casualties began), including a 24% increase in the number of child casualties. The majority of these were attributed to armed insurgency groups, including the Taliban and Daesh, but a rising number were a result of Afghanistan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) actions. Concerns around rights of women, democracy, and protection for human rights defenders (HRDs) also remain.

A lack of recognition of women’s rights has left women and girls susceptible to violence, poverty and exploitation. The Afghan Government places a strong emphasis on improving the position of women in Afghanistan. The UK continues to work with the Afghan Government, civil society and the international community to implement Afghanistan’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1325. Other programme and political activity includes supporting victims of violence, raising awareness of the right to access to justice, support for women’s economic empowerment, supporting an increase in the number of female graduates from the Afghan National Army Officers Academy (ANAOA) and increasing the number of female prosecutors.

In addition to support for the rights of women, our human rights objectives in 2016 focused on supporting the development of Afghanistan’s electoral system and promoting improvements to the rule of law. We are also helping to develop human rights institutions, particularly the AfghanistanIndependent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC). Moreover, we are supporting a project to train HRDs to protect themselves better in hostile environments.

The death penalty was carried out on six individuals following conviction for terrorism offences. These were the first instances of the use of the death penalty since 2014.

The UN reported that over 650,000 Afghans were forced to flee their homes in 2016, a record number of internal displacements. Another 600,000 Afghans returned, predominately from Pakistan. The UN estimates up to another million are likely to return in 2017 and almost half a million are expected to be displaced internally. This is likely to place a further strain on the country’s capacity to both respond to the needs of its population and maintain people’s right to an adequate standard of living.

Displacement on this scale could increase vulnerability to modern slavery. The UK is seeking to support work to tackle modern slavery through aspects of our programme work focusing on understanding, prevention, protection and prosecution.

We will continue to encourage the Afghan Government to deliver on commitments it made in October 2016. We will continue to provide support to the development of the AIHRC to increase its capacity to investigate allegations of abuse by security forces.