National and International Processes on Afghanistan: HRD+ Statement on the Criteria for Civil Society Participation
Recently, groups under the name of civil society and individuals as representatives of civil society have been engaged in negotiations and interactions with international institutions and de-facto administration, both inside and outside Afghanistan. These efforts have intensified specifically with the approach of the new round of United Nations meetings in Doha.Civil society, which acts as a bridge between the country’s citizens and national and international systems, has a series of accepted criteria that should never be deviated from. Human Rights Defenders Plus (HRD+) outlines the below criteria for civil society in important events concerning the future of Afghanistan as: Civil society is not a political institution and should not be used for the goals of political groups: Civil society can advocate on behalf of the country’s citizens for improving conditions within national and global political structures. Inclusion of civil society in any political misuse is contrary to the norms of this valuable institution. Civil society is a people-driven entity whose legitimacy comes from citizen formations: No institution should misuse this valuable legitimacy to support any political or economic interests of their group or individual. Institutions or representatives of civil society should have collective backing from other civil institutions and should attend events as a result of constructive negotiations and dialogues with other civil institutions. Civil society’s proposals in significant gatherings should be based on human rights values, particularly the rights of Afghan women: Women’s participation in all political, economic, social, and cultural matters should become a fundamental precondition for civil society. Women should be invited to important national and international events concerning Afghanistan without any discrimination, and their meaningful role in all affairs should be observed. The rule of law, a lawful modern national state, should be the most important principle in any agenda for civil society: Legitimacy is a prerequisite for effective…