Author: Sayed Hussain Hussainy

In the name of Almighty Allah Implementing human rights, reinforcing civil society and strengthening the rule of law provide the conditions for a capable state in Afghanistan An analytical open letter of CSHRN to the President and new government of Afghanistan December 2009 The title of the analytical letter of CSHRN contains a hopeful message to the new government of Afghanistan from civil society and human rights defenders. This letter focuses on ways on how to tackle the current problems in the field of human rights in Afghanistan. The goal of this letter is to create the understanding and the base for collaboration between the next government and the Afghan civil society in order to promote human rights and to create respect for the rule of law in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, it has to be mentioned that the role of civil society and its positive influence on the values of human rights have been limited recently. The candidates and the campaigning staff of the presidential election did not focus on human rights issues and the role of civil society in their campaigns. During the last six years, the Civil Society and Human Rights Network (CSHRN) organised a number of dialogues on the human rights situation in Afghanistan . These dialogues showed that still an important gap exists between civil society and governmental institutions regarding mutual understanding and collaboration. This issue has been emphasised by CSHRN during the symposiums, conferences and seminars, where representatives of human rights NGOs as well as some state and non state actors were present. CSHRN addresses this letter to the new government and its leadership in a very difficult time for the Afghan people. It is a time, when terrorists and enemies of human rights would like to restrict the role of civil society and…

In the name of Almighty Allah Message of condolences of Civil Society and Human Rights Network (CSHRN) due to the terrorist act to UN staff on 28th of October 2009 Kabul Afghanistan 29th October 2009 The Unite Nations has been in Afghanistan for more than 50 years. This international organisation supports and assists Afghans in the fields of economic, social, political and cultural affairs. The Afghan state joined UN on 1946 accepting UN values mentioned in its Charter. The UN system through its Security Council and Economic, Social and Cultural Council, have created many useful missions and entities in Afghanistan that play an important role for improvement of the current situation in Afghanistan. UN is a humanitarian and Peace supporting organisations. UN should not become under attack of any terror action. The civil society organisations and human rights activists in Afghanistan support the role of UN and appreciate its efforts on Peace and stability building in the country. The Civil Society and Human Rights Network condemn the attack that is against national interest of Afghanistan. CSHRN express its deepest condolences on the loss of UN staff during the incident. The Civil Society and Human Rights Network (CSHRN) supports and appreciates UNAMA's role and their important effort in relation to the current situation of Afghanistan . CSHRN supports the statements of Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary-General and his Special Representative, Mr.Kai Eide, on the current situation in Afghanistan. The Civil Society and Human Rights Network

In the name of Almighty Allah Statement of Civil Society and Human Rights Network (CSHRN) Regarding the killing of Afghan Journalist Mr Sultan Manadi The killing of a Journalist is a threat to freedom of speech, freedom of the media and civil rights in Afghanistan 10. September 2009 On September 9th Mr. Sultan Manadi, a committed Journalist and former colleague of the Civil Society and Human Rights Network (CSHRN), was killed during a military rescue operation by foreign forces in Kondoz province of Afghanistan. Sultan Manadi and Stephen Farrell, a British national journalist, were kidnapped by Taliban militants from Essa Khel village of Chahar Dara district last Saturday. The reporters were in the district in order to ascertain information about a deadly NATO air strike that had killed about 95 people and wounded several others on Friday September 4 th. The killing of Sultan has shocked civil society, Afghan intellectuals and the human rights community in Afghanistan . Sultan's killing indicates a lack of commitment on the part of the Afghan government to its citizens who work for civil freedom, the expansion of which has been one of the main achievements in Afghanistan during the post-Taliban period. Why the Afghan government forces could not rescue Sultan is the self-evident question posed by the Afghan Civil Society, which has so far been left unanswered. In releasing this statement, CSHRN would like to emphasize the following points. - The Afghan constitution clearly emphasizes the role and responsibility of the government and President to protect Afghan citizens' human rights. Afghanistan is party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights. Effective protection of the human rights of Afghani citizens is the responsibility of the Afghan state. CSHRN would like to urge the Afghan government to take is human rights protection…

In the name of Almighty Allah Message of CSHRN on the Presidential Election in Afghanistan (Translation of the Dari original) 10. August 2009 Freedom is a God given right and a central value of human rights. Democracy means that this freedom is used to choose. Freedom of choice is the most significant part of human rights. In these days, the citizens of Afghanistan practice this important aspect of their rights: they elect their leader. The Civil Society and Human Rights Network (CSHRN) appreciates this historical day and wants to emphasize the following points: •  Elections give legitimacy to the state. Each kind of fraud with regard to elections negatively affects the state and nation building process in Afghanistan. Therefore, CSHRN requests the persons and institutions involved in the election process to avoid any kind of fraud when conducting the election and counting the votes. •  The tolerance demonstrated on the day of election for the rights of citizens and the respect for the culture of democracy will have a positive effect on the trust of people in elections. The people will accept and officially recognize that elections can bring political sustainability as well as social and economy stability. For that reason, CSHRN requests from all the candidates and their campaign teams to respect the choice of the people and to avoid any kind of activity which would cause harmful effects on the social environment. To oppose or to support is the right of each citizen! The citizens of Afghanistan have the right to demonstrate if they do not agree with the outcome of the elections, but such demonstrations should not have negative effects on the sustainability and social security in our society. •  CSHRN requests from all national and international election observers to make available the information they…

In the name of Almighty Allah Message of CSHRN regarding the Joint Policy between the National and the International Armed Forces on the Fight against Terrorism in Afghanistan Kabul, 21 February 2009 During the last two years, the Civil Society und Human Rights Network (CSHRN) has released statements concerning the coordination between military operations of international and national armed forces in Afghanistan. The main goal of these statements was to address necessary measures to reduce the number of victims and casualties among civilians. CSRHN has constantly asked for a better collaboration and information between the different forces. Recently the NATO commanders together with the leadership of the Afghan army have agreed upon a policy, which states that both parties collaborate and coordinate with each other their military operations against terrorism in Afghanistan. Both parties agreed that for conducting a successful operation, a dialogue with the local authorities and representatives of the population in the area of action is necessary. The reasons and the need for the operations have to be explained to the people of these districts. CSHRN welcomes and encourages such an agreement between the international and the national armed forces. CSRHN asks both parties to implement the agreement and to strengthen the communication with the Afghan people in order to inform them about the role, the duty and the tasks of both forces. CSHRN believes that to create a useful dialogue will help the Afghan people to understand the role of the international community, in particular the one of the NATO, in Afghanistan. The dialogue and the implementation of the agreement will also reduce the number of violations of international humanitarian law and strengthen the respect for the fundamental principles of human rights. Civil Society and Human Rights Network

In the name of Almighty Allah The statement of CSHRN about the adoption and signature of the “The Private Life of Shias” by the president (Translated from the Statement in Dari) 03 April 2009 Kabul, Afghanistan Recently, the parliament of Afghanistan, the Shura e Meli, adopted a new legislation on “The private (family) life of Shias”. This legislation was signed by Hamid Karzai, the president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. To draft, adopt and sign such a legislation, created a broad national and international reaction. The adoption of this law resulted in civil society, human rights activists, Afghan intellectuals and Afghan persons influential on the public opinion expressing major concerns regarding the implementation of this legislation. •  Adopting and signing this legislation is against the values of the Holy Islam as well as against the international principles of human rights. The values anchored there deeply respect the important role of women and mothers in society. •  Adopting and signing this document is to impair the weak body of the rule of law in Afghanistan, because the rule of law is based on social and public reality, the priority of human values, the common will, sustainable reforms and respect for the constitution. •  Adopting and signing this document is against the international commitments the Afghan state has assumed with regard to international human rights including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women. The adoption of this new law took place after the Afghan government had committed itself to the principles of human rights in the Universal Periodic Review report submitted to the UN Human Rights Council. •  Adopting this legislation is a blow against the role of the parliament in Afghanistan because the adoption…

In the name of Almighty Allah Recommendations of the Afghan civil society at the “The Hague Conference” 31st March, 2009 The Hague – Netherlands Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Allow me to express our warm gratitute and thanks for the inclusion of the NGO community and civil society in Afghanistan. It is a great honor to be part of this important conference and we expect that the presence of civil society remains an ongoing mechanism in the future. As a result of a broad range of consultations among civil society and the NGO community, we have come up with the following recommendations for the International Conference on Afghanistan in The Hague about strategies for solidifying the peace process, which are grounded on the fundamental principles and values: 1. The concept of “Afghans in the lead” must shift from a mere rhetoric to a genuine principle guiding the strategic discussions on Afghanistan's future. A broad range of Afghan actors, including civil society, must be part of these discussions. 2. While Afghans support a broad based and inclusive dialog and reconciliation efforts, these processes must be grounded in a non-negotiable position of respect and must be according to the Afghan Constitution and the fundamental values enshrined in it, including respect for human rights, women's rights, the rule of law and the principles of democratic governance. Democratic principles, for which Afghans have sacrificed their lives and which they championed for the last century, cannot be negotiated away by the Afghan government and the international community under the guise of peace and security. Key Recommendations In the field of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) The Afghan Government and the international community must prioritize and take all necessary measures to minimize civilian casualties and to institutionalize mechanisms of accountability, transparency and systems of reparations…