Afghanistan case study

Description

• landlocked country, largely mountainous, Southwest Asia

• development held back by long period of political instability and armed conflict

• Taliban in control of 90% of country before 2001, after it was overthrown by the USA and allies

• after USA military pulled out in 2021, the Taliban has regained control

Human rights issues in Afghanistan

• high number of casualties - 45,000 members of Afghan security forces + 32,000 Afghan civilians

• high level of gender equality - e.g. MMR of 638/100,000 live birth, high adolescent birth rates, only 20% of women in the work force

• restricted socio-economic development - ranks 168/189 countries in terms of HDI, because of low life expectancy of 53 years, low GDP per capita (US$2000) and 55% of pop. living below poverty line

• violation of human rights - 87% of women face physical, emotional, sexual violence and rarely receive justice when crimes are reported

Contributions and interaction of different organisations at a range of scales from global to local

• the aims of the UNAMA are to support the government, the process of peace and reconciliation, to monitor and promote human rights and protect civilians in armed conflict

• UNICEF protects rights of women and children

Consequences of global governance of human rights for local communities in rural communities

UNICEF promotes rural development by:

• protecting children from child marriages, child labour, violence and domestic abuse

• provide maternity services

• promoting community based schools

• advising on nutrition to reduce malnutrition

• improving fresh water supply and sanitation

• UNDP - sustaining rural development projects by improving local democracy

• USAID - agricultural programme helping to improve food security, rural employment, and family incomes

Consequences of global governance of human rights for local communities in urban neighbourhood

• UN habitat - working to co-ordinate Afghan gov. community councils and funding from Japanese gov. to upgrade neighbourhoods in the country

• basis of these projects is the election of Community Development Councils (CDCs)

• CDCs are locally elected and plan to upgrade of housing, infrastructure etc.

• denial of basic human rights and rapid urban growth in Kabul has deprived communities o many services

• other benefits are improved engagement of women in the projects, employment opportunities

The Afghan government

• protection and promotion of human rights -the gov. have established the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, working closely with the UN

• Women’s access to justice - OCHR reports positive engagement with the Afghan government to comply with international standards, there have been efforts to address the violence, and to recruit more female prosecutors and judges

• Socio-economic development - ECO and AARC allows free trade and promotes economic growth

• Government ministries co-operating with international organisations, which aim to promote and protect human rights

Afghanaid, an NGO

• operates in most provinces with a focus on some of the poorest and most remote communities

• aim is for long-term development based on resolving human rights issues such as food security, women’s rights, economic livelihood, and access to the basic services of infrastructure, water supply, sanitation

Consequences of global governance of human rights for local communities

• the effects of global governance are not uniform across the country

• work is being undertaken to improve peoples lives through protection of human rights for local communities both in cities and in remote rural areas