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To President Karzai and the government of Afghanistan:
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Take all possible steps to stop intimidation, threats, and
harassment of women so that more women are able to participate freely in
presidential elections and in parliamentary and local elections scheduled for
2005. Dismiss any government official found by either JEMB or the joint
AIHRC-UNAMA political rights verification team to have made threats or committed
abuses.
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Make a new request to NATO to supply additional troops for the
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Peacekeeping forces should
consult with womens rights organizations and the Ministry of Womens Affairs
to find out about gender-specific security problems and they should ensure full
protection for women and girls.
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Ask NATO and the U.N. Security Council to expand ISAFs mandate
to include a central role in disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration
(DDR) efforts and request that countries operating Provincial Reconstruction
Teams (PRTs) integrate PRT operations into the ISAF command.
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President Hamid Karzai, his cabinet, and Afghanistans main military factions must commit themselves to meaningful implementation of DDR
programs. Investigate, prosecute, and punish the perpetrators of attacks,
threats, and acts of intimidation against women, womens rights advocates, and
womens rights programs.
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Encourage women to report abuses to local UNAMA, AIHRC, or JEMB
offices. These offices should strengthen outreach to women and make their
services more accessible to them.
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Commit to providing strong political support and resources for
womens rights initiatives, including legal reform, girls education, health
care, and womens rights awareness programs.
To the United States:
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Enact the Afghan Women Security and Freedom Act (S2032) to
continue providing aid to the Ministry of Womens Affairs, Afghan womens groups,
and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.
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Make human rights promotion and protection a primary goal of U.S. efforts in Afghanistan, which in turn will enable democratization and nation-building
processes. The United States should support Afghan government efforts to
improve political freedoms, including by helping to weaken autonomous abusive
commanders, redoubling efforts at militia disarmament, and increasing
protection of womens rights activists and independent political actors.
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Increase cooperation with ISAF and support the expansion of troop
levels so that ISAF can play a greater role in providing security for the 2005
elections and security generally to enhance Afghan womens political participation.
o
ISAF troop levels, currently set to decrease after the elections,
should instead be increased.
o
The U.S. should work with other NATO member states to adopt a
common mandate for ISAF and PRTs, focusing on assistance with disarmament
efforts and protection of politically active women and other targeted political
actors and groups.
o
Provincial Reconstruction Teams, where they are used in lieu of
ISAF troops, should be given clearer mandates to assist with disarmament
efforts and protection of politically active women and other targeted political
actors and groups.
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End immediately all direct cash payments and other forms of assistance
by agencies of the United States to Afghan military or faction leaders or
sub-leaders and discourage payments to such leaders by other sources. The
Department of Defense and all intelligence-gathering agencies in Afghanistan should review their operations to ensure that U.S. cooperation with local militias,
local commanders, intelligence sources, and other local entities is not being
misused as a basis for extorting civilians or threatening political opponents.
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Increase funding and support for training of the Afghan national
army, as well as police training, to professionalize these forces. Recruit and
train women police officers. The United States should specifically increase the
U.S. contribution to the Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan (LOTFA).
To NATO member states and other nations involved militarily
in Afghanistan:
- Increase
ISAF troop levels, which are currently set to decrease after the elections.
- Adopt
a common mandate for ISAF and PRTs, focusing on assistance with disarmament
efforts and protection of politically active women and other targeted political
actors and groups. Provincial Reconstruction Teams, where they are used in lieu
of ISAF troops, should be given clearer mandates to assist with disarmament
efforts and protection of politically active women and other targeted political
actors and groups.
To international donors:
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Increase financial support for womens rights projects, including
funding for training programs for women candidates in the provinces, UNAMA and
AIHRC human rights monitoring and reporting, and womens voter education
projects. Start implementing these programs immediately, in order to have
enough time to reach women in the provinces before the 2005 parliamentary and
local elections.
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Ensure that the JEMB and UNAMA have the necessary resources and
funding to administer 2005 elections in ways that will facilitate the full
participation of women voters and candidates.
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Encourage UNAMA to facilitate a central independent monitoring
body charged with observing the 2005 elections, and earmark funding for that
body.
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Provide resources for womens rights initiatives, including legal
reform, girls education, health care, and womens rights awareness programs.
To the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA):
- Increase
staffing levels for womens rights, human rights, and political affairs
monitoring, and continue public reporting with the Afghan Independent Human Rights
Commission on Afghanistans political rights situation. Increase outreach to
women outside of urban centers, including through mobile teams. To ensure that
staffing increases are not delayed by bureaucratic hurdles, the hiring process
should be centralized in Kabul.
- Put
special emphasis on facilitating a central independent monitoring body to
observe the 2005 elections.
To the Special Representative of the U.N.
Secretary-General:
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Continue to press the Afghan government and its international
partners to revitalize disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration efforts. The
Special Representative should keep pressure on the United States and NATO
members to increase troop contributions for ISAF and PRTs and refocus the
mandates of those forces so that they give priority to assisting with
disarmament efforts and protecting politically active women and other targeted
political actors and groups.
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