One decade of partnership brings results in Afghanistan
In 2002, the Danish Institute for Human Rights entered the post-Taliban Afghanistan to support the Afghan civil society in the promotion of human rights. The first milestone was achieved in 2004 when the Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR) supported 25 human rights NGOs to organise the Civil Society and Human Rights Network (CSHRN).
During 2004-2014, CSHRN built its fundamental institution partnership with DIHR in a constructive manner: It expanded from Kabul to 26 provinces with five regional offices. The network, as a main civil society human rights actor, organised capacity building programmes for human rights organizations, raised awareness of Afghan citizens on human rights, provided feedback and responses to the national and international agendas, released statements on behalf of the civil society about the human rights situation and monitored human rights violation in Afghanistan.
“We learned how to understand and manage human rights in the Afghan society, thanks to the Danish Institute for Human Rights’ cooperation and partnership. During the past decade, we have witnessed a professional, technical, political and moral support by the institute,” Naim Nazari, the executive coordinator of CSHRN, says.
Today, the CSHRN has a functional strategy based on human rights values, democracy and rule of law. One of the key elements of its strategy is to advocate these human rights values. Due to this reason, advocacy for human rights culture is one of the key strategic areas for CSHRN partnership with the Danish Institute for Human Rights. The Danish Institute for Human Rights has supported CSHRN in providing facilities on advocacy techniques and with best practices.
“During the past ten years the Danish Institute for Human Rights has conveyed good practices of its international work to Afghanistan. We have developed our strategy, guidelines in programme policies by support of the Danish Institute for Human Rights’s professional colleagues,” Mr. Sieyar Lalee, officer of CSHRN explains.
seven educational manuals on human rights
nine human rights schools
twelve analytical symposiums,
four human rights annual reports
campaigns on the eradication of domestic violence
human rights radio programmes
an international humanitarian law campaign
sustainable structures for providing statements on the human rights situation in Afghanistan
conducting a transitional justice campaign.
Better legislation
From 2011-2014, CSHRN has worked on the issue of the legalisation of access of information in Afghanistan. During this period, the Access to Information Draft Law was provided by CSHRN and subsequently approved by the Afghan government and parliament.
“This was a giant step for transparency in Afghanistan. The working groups who worked on the draft of the law worked closely with our experts. The result is clear: The law convey the values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and it respects the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights," senior adviser Malek Sitez from the Danish Institute for Human Rights says.
In 2009 and in 2014 CSHRN submitted shadow reports on the human rights situation in Afghanistan under Universal Periodic Review mechanisms (UPR). Today, the network is the major civil society partner with the Afghan government and parliament. CSHRN is enlarged to 164 member organisations. During the past decade the Danish Institute for Human Rights and CSHRN has worked constructively and effectively to support the network with the purpose of achieving a sustainable outcome.