14 June 2010 - Latest news and information from UN agencies operating in Afghanistan.

The United Nations Secretary-General: 
Message for 100-day countdown to International Day of Peace
13 June 2010

One hundred days from today, the world will mark the International Day of Peace – a day on which armed conflict is meant to be stilled…a day on which we appeal to combatants to observe a ceasefire…a day on which we reaffirm commitment to non-violence and the peaceful resolution of disputes.

This year’s observance, which takes place on 21 September, focuses on youth and development, under the slogan: “Peace = Future.”

Young people already play a crucial role in working for peace. Yet I know they can do even more. So this International Day comes with a challenge for young people everywhere: Expand on your work to build peace. Share your plans and ideas, with creativity and passion. The world’s concerns will soon be in your hands.

This year, the International Day of Peace coincides with the Summit I am convening to boost progress towards the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Achieving the goals is essential for ending armed conflict and building sustainable peace. I hope the voices of young people will be heard at the Summit and in the run-up to it.

Over the next 100 days, I urge young people to plan projects that can help create the conditions for peace in their communities, in their schools, in their countries. We need your voice and commitment, and we will share your stories with the world.

As we start the countdown to the International Day of Peace, we recognize two truths: only in a peaceful environment will young people realize their full potential – and young people have the potential to start building that peaceful world today.

Commemoration of the United Nations “Global Open Days for Women and Peace 2010”: Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Staffan de Mistura, holds dialogue with Afghan women peace actors
12 June 2010

Afghan women peace actors marked the 10th anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 by coming together to discuss and agree on a range of key issues for women and peace in Afghanistan. The women presented their strategic priorities to Staffan de Mistura, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, in a meeting organized by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in cooperation with the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) aimed also at celebrating the global Open Day for Women and Peace. The women’s key priorities and messages were:

Security:
• There is need to recognize that there is war in Afghanistan and women are the main victims of this conflict.
• There is no proper coordination of armed forces and lack of adequate adherence to the rules of war leading to many civilian casualties.
• There is lack of prevention of border infiltrations, lack of proper disarmament of irresponsible individuals, especially along the borders.
• Women do not trust the police so many violations of the law are not reported.

On these issues, we propose:
• The establishment of full coordination amongst national and international security forces during military operations.
• Security sector reform that will lead to an increase in the participation of women in the armed forces and the police.
• There is need to strengthen law enforcement at border control in collaboration with neighbouring countries so as to eliminate the abuse of women that seek asylum or are trying to return from neighbouring countries.

Conflict Resolution and Peace-building:
• Women’s participation in decision making in the peace process is very low and only symbolic.
• Although Afghan women expressed some satisfaction on their participation at the Peace Jirga, the 25 per cent of female representation needs to increase.
• The international community should be consistent in supporting the increase of women’s participation in peace and security.
• There is need to create a body that will plan and take forward the implementation and monitoring of SCR1325 Action Plan.

Justice and Accountability:
• Women lack information on their rights.
• Traditional justice mechanisms of society victimize women and violate their rights.
• There is inadequate participation of women in judicial institutions.
• There is lack of adequate support for victims and their families by the judicial institutions.

In this regard,
• We call on the government of Afghanistan to utilize Constitution of Afghanistan to implement Conventions they have acceded to.
• National laws that contradict Conventions that the country has ratified should be repealed.
• Women’s rights should not be negotiable in the peace process.

Provision of Basic Services:
• In Afghanistan, the humanitarian crisis caused by conflict further exacerbates the low provision of basic services.
• Insecurity limits women’s access to social services that are available, especially in rural areas.

In this regard,
• There is need to improve provision of education, especially for girls.
• There is also need for continuous efforts to raise awareness amongst Muslim men, mullahs, and traditional leaders on the benefits of educating both boys and girls.
• The international community should provide financial and technical assistance to improve girls education
• There is need to create health centres dedicated to the treatment of serious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, TB, and drug abuse.

Sexual Violence:
• There is a lack of recognition of the problem of sexual violence and there is no follow-up on gender-based violence by warring parties, which leads to violations with impunity.
• There is lack of adequate support to victims and their families.

In this regard,
• There should be strict follow-up, investigation and prosecution of perpetrators of sexual violence.
• There is need to establish a follow-up commission on the issues of sexual assaults and sexual exploitation of women and children.
• Government should take serious measures to protect the victims of sexual violence related to the conflict and should prosecute perpetrators, giving adequate punishment for this grave violation.

For more information, contact:
Stella Tandai Makanya: makanya@un.org

UNESCO high-level roundtable discussion on inclusive and child-friendly education
8 June 2010

On 8 June at the Ministry of Education (MoE), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) supported the Ministry in organising a high-level roundtable discussion regarding the issue of inclusive and child-friendly education.

Deputy Education Minister for Academic Affairs Mr Sediq Patman chaired the discussion, and participants included several Deputy Ministers, Heads of Directorates, Advisors to the Minister, and members of UNESCO and UNICEF.

The roundtable was held with the following objectives:
• increasing awareness on a rights-based approach to education;
• developing a common understanding of the concept of inclusive and child-friendly education among high-level officials of the MoE;
• agreeing on a common definition of inclusive and child-friendly education in Afghanistan; and
• developing a common understanding of some of the key measures that need to be taken by the MoE to increase enrolment in schools.

Participants reached a clear consensus on the definition of inclusive and child-friendly education for Afghanistan: “An inclusive and child-friendly education system ensures that all children have equal access to quality education regardless of their gender, age, abilities, disabilities/impairments, health conditions, circumstances, as well as socio-economic, religious, ethnic, and language backgrounds.”

Participants also agreed on the need for greater coordinated efforts towards inclusive and child-friendly education in terms of resources and programmes, and it was agreed that a National Conference on Inclusive Education will be held in early August 2010.

For more information, contact:
Mohammad Amin Sadiqi: a.sadiqi@unesco.org

UNEP celebrates World Environment Day in Central Afghanistan Highlands
5 June 2010

On 5 June over 100 school children, community groups and members, and Government partners helped the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) celebrated World Environment Day in Bamyan.

With the theme "Biodiversity, Natural and Healthy Ecosystems and Ecological Restoration," children and their teachers from Kamaty, Burghasun and Khushkak primary schools held a short ceremony at Khushkak Valley in the Shah Foladi Protected Area.

Children and teachers visited the sanitary and ecological toilet project at Khushkak primary school, where they also did some landscaping work. Environment workers from the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) and staff from UNEP gave short, easy-to-understand introductions about biodiversity and ecosystems and the importance of conservation.

The entire group then headed for the hills of the Shah Foladi conservation area. They took an overland route, leading through winding valleys and stark ridges to Chap Qolak village where UNEP is developing community-conservation and ecological-restoration projects. Playing in the snow and a picnic at 3,200 metres above sea level topped off the fantastic day.

For more information, contact:
Bahar Kazimi: +93 (0)700080038; bahar.kazimi@unep.org
http://www.unep.org/conflictsanddisasters/

WFP launching voucher programme
14 June 2010

The World Food Programme (WFP) is preparing to launch a new urban voucher programme aimed at helping vulnerable Afghans meet their families’ food needs in Kabul and, eventually, other cities.

The WFP voucher programme is designed as a safety net, to help these vulnerable urban families access the food they need, giving them choice and control over the type and quantity of food to buy. At the same time, the voucher system will help stimulate local markets, creating thousands of new customers for local shops by empowering families previously unable to afford regular food purchases.

The decision comes after a thorough evaluation of a six-month pilot project found the voucher programme to be a success.

The pilot project assisted about 10,000 impoverished families in several districts on the eastern outskirts of Kabul. Over the coming months WFP is planning to continue the voucher programme in this area, and to expand it to other districts of Kabul as well as to Jalalabad and, eventually, to other cities.

WFP fed some nine million needy Afghans in 2009. Most of WFP’s other programmes involve the distribution of food rations, mainly in rural areas where food insecurity is highest. In urban areas where markets are functioning the situation is different – food is available, but may not be affordable for the poorest families.

The evaluation report, completed last month, found that both beneficiaries and shop-owners were pleased with the voucher pilot project, and wanted the programme to continue. The report said the WFP vouchers helped improve families’ food security by reducing poor coping strategies, such as taking children out of school or eating fewer meals.

The evaluation found that WFP’s careful selection of beneficiaries and extensive, rigorous monitoring of the project helped it succeed. The evaluation recommended a few adjustments that will be incorporated into the expanded programme.

For more information, please contact:
Challiss McDonough: +93 (0) 797 662 116 or Challiss.McDonough@wfp.org