Fwd: AFGHANISTAN: Revitalise transitional justice system - UN human rights commissioner

[Henk Elegeert]

REPLY TO: D66 at nic.surfnet.nl

"
AFGHANISTAN: Revitalise transitional justice system - UN human rights
commissioner

KABUL, 21 November 2007 (IRIN) - The government of Afghan President
Hamid Karzai and the international community involved in Afghanistan
must recommit to the Action Plan for Peace, Reconciliation and Justice
(APPRJ) - known as transitional justice - which is expected to address
crimes committed in the past three decades in the war-torn country,
said the UN high commissioner for human rights, Louise Arbour.

At the end of her week-long visit to Afghanistan, Arbour told IRIN it
was time to renew the already missed deadlines for APPRJ targets, set
two years ago.

"It is unthinkable to expect a full implementation of this whole
document [transitional justice] within three years. It should be
recommitted and renewed," Arbour said.

Backed by the UN and several other international actors, the
government and the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC)
set an ambitious three-year agenda for the implementation of
transitional justice in late 2005.

The APPRJ calls for the documentation of past crimes, the
identification of alleged criminals, compensation to victim families,
remembrance of all victims and prosecution of human rights violators.

Almost two years later, however, the AIHRC says the transitional
justice project has been a "complete failure" due to various problems
- mainly lack of political commitment and support.

Reiterating the AIHRC's concerns, Arbour said: "I am very disappointed
at the lack of progress in implementing the commitments made by the
government and supported by the international community under the
APPRJ."

Need to broaden national debate about transitional justice

Whilst the UN and the AIHRC confirm there has been a lack of progress
in all aspects of APPRJ, Arbour criticised concentration only on the
prosecution of alleged criminals "some of whom continue to hold high
positions".

"Transitional justice is a multi-faceted process, which focuses on the
needs of the victims - for truth, for compensation, for rehabilitation
- as well as on the punishment of the perpetrator," Arbour told
journalists in Kabul on 20 November.

Afghanistan should re-energise and broaden its national debate about
transitional justice, she added.

The UN top human rights official, meanwhile, called on the world body
and the wider international community to provide better support and
assistance to the Afghan government in the implementation of
transitional justice.

"There is a sense that there is not a strong commitment very much from
the international community and other actors to follow the
implementation of transitional justice," she said.
"

**********
Dit bericht is verzonden via de informele D66 discussielijst (D66 at nic.surfnet.nl).
Aanmelden: stuur een email naar LISTSERV at nic.surfnet.nl met in het tekstveld alleen: SUBSCRIBE D66 uwvoornaam uwachternaam
Afmelden: stuur een email naar LISTSERV at nic.surfnet.nl met in het tekstveld alleen: SIGNOFF D66
Het on-line archief is te vinden op: http://listserv.surfnet.nl/archives/d66.html
**********