MAIDAN SHAR - Improved access to justice is essential to socio-political stability and economic development, said participants at a recent UN-backed symposium set up to discuss implementing Afghanistan’s new penal code in the central province of Maidan Wardak.

KABUL - As Afghanistan moves forward with efforts to hold key parliamentary and district elections on 20 October 2018, the Afghan public has taken an intense interest in the high stakes of the democratic process, which also will include a presidential vote in 2019.

KABUL - A law on the elimination of violence against women has been in place in Afghanistan since 2009, but Afghan women’s access to justice remains severely inadequate, finds a new report released today by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

TALOQAN - Government officials at a UN-backed symposium in Takhar’s capital city gathered with activists, professors and other community leaders to discuss recent efforts in the north-eastern province to improve protections for women’s rights.

KANDAHAR - The active participation of young Afghans in democratic processes is essential for creating a more stable, inclusive and peaceful country, said panellists during a UN-backed radio programme focused on elections in the southern province of Kandahar.