March 17 and 18, 2018: Workshop on State-Civil Society Relations in Addressing Fundamental Rights in Afghanistan in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

On March 17 and 18, 2018, APPRO held a workshop on State-Civil Society Relations in Addressing Fundamental Rights in Afghanistan in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The workshop gathered representatives of Afghan public institutions, Civil society, the Independent Human Rights Commission and international experts to discuss gains made on access to basic rights in Afghanistan since 2001, challenges in protecting these gains, and pathways forward in strengthening and expanding these rights.

The workshop was organized as means to provide a basis for constructive dialogue and cooperation between State and Civil Society in Afghanistan to work toward achieving rights-related commitments of the Afghan Government.

This workshop consisted of the following segments:

Discussion on the use of evidence to inform policy dialogue and action on fundamental rights: This segment built on findings from monitoring and researching the conditions for fundamental rights in Afghanistan through the Afghanistan Rights Monitor (ARM) project, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and focused on three key rights areas. These were: Access to Health, Access to Education, and the rights of the internally displaced and returnee migrants.

Insights on State-Civil Society relations in other contexts: Two international experts discussed frameworks and mechanisms for state-civil society interactions on fundamental rights based on evidence from research in other contexts. Professor Pearl Eliadis, Human Rights Lawyer and Adjunct Professor at McGill University (Canada) gave a presentation on findings from a five-year research project on state-civil society relations through the Voices-Voix Canada project and discussed the implications of the findings for State-Civil Society relations in Afghanistan, focusing on the need for an enabling environment for civil society. Dr. Sarah Pugh, Research Fellow with the Centre for International and Comparative Politics at Stellenbosch University (South Africa) and Managing Editor for Reproductive Health Matters, presented findings from a case study on State-Civil Society engagement toward the protection of fundamental rights in South Africa and its implications for Afghanistan. These provided the basis for an engaged discussion on the interfaces and mechanisms for interaction between government and civil society in the context of Afghanistan.

Action Plans for better engagement between State and Civil Society on health, education, and migrant rights based on identifying Actors, Factors and Mechanisms: The participants formed three groups to develop and present action plans incorporating evidence and experience to address three key rights issues in Afghanistan. These were: the reintegration of returnees, improved access to preventive health, and improved access to education in remote areas.

With the aim to further strengthen State-Civil Society relations in Afghanistan, follow-up actions to the March 17-18 workshop will include:

– A workshop in Kabul to finalize the Action Plans toward improved State-Civil Society relations in health, education, and migrant rights

– Joint development of recommendations and a monitoring mechanism to follow up on Action Plans

– A roadmap for engagement between civil society and relevant state institutions on each of the three themes.

– A joint CSO/State press conference on outcomes of the workshop and follow-up actions.

Presentation of ARM Findings at the Ministry of Interior

On April 24, 2017, the Secretariat of the National Advocacy Committee for Public Policy (NAC-PP) presented findings of research conducted by Afghanistan Public Policy Research Organization (APPRO) as part of the Afghanistan Rights Monitor (ARM) project at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Interior (MoI). The presentation was based on findings from a baseline assessment in 2015 and the first three monitoring cycles of ARM in 2016. Read more

Observations From Afghanistan Rights Monitor: Food Security

Afghanistan Rights Monitor (ARM) is designed to support informed policy and action on fundamental rights protection and promotion in Afghanistan through research, constructive advocacy, and increased capacity of public institutions in responding to citizens’ rights needs. Read more

New ARM Report is out: “State-Civil Society Relation: Fundamental Rights in South Africa”

This paper presents contemporary South Africa as a case study of the ways in which state and civil society actors engage with each other toward the protection and advancement of fundamental rights. The paper was commissioned by APPRO to draw potential comparative lessons for the context of Afghanistan, and for other emerging democracies. The report is available at: http://www.nac-pp.net/2016/07/01/state-civil-society-relation-fundamental-rights-in-south-africa/

Observations from Afghanistan Rights Monitor: Child Labor

Afghanistan Rights Monitor (ARM) was designed to conduct regular monitoring of the conditions of fundamental rights in ten provinces of Afghanistan (29 districts) from 2015 to 2018 using a set of indicators based on internationally recognized monitoring standards. Read more