Afghanistan signs landmark agreement to prevent recruitment and use of children in armed forces
30 January 2011 - The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan today committed to take further action to protect children affected by armed conflict in Afghanistan by signing an agreement to prevent under-age recruitment into the Afghan National Security Forces as well as other violations…
Government, UN sign plan to stop under-age recruits in security forces
30 January 2011 - The Government of Afghanistan and the United Nations today signed a child protection plan to end recruitment and use of children in the Afghan National Security Forces and other violations. “Today’s agreement contributes towards the placing of the protection of children affected by…
UN officials in Kabul honour human rights advocate and family killed in attack
30 January 2011 - Senior United Nations officials today paid tribute to Hamida Barmaki, an Afghan lawyer and human rights activist, who was killed on 28 January along with her husband and all four children in a suicide attack on a Kabul supermarket. “She died for a cause because she was working for…
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UN envoy on children and armed conflict wraps up Kabul visit
KABUL - The United Nations envoy on children and armed conflict today met with Afghan human rights leaders and members of the international community before wrapping up a two day visit to Kabul to co-sign a child protection plan with the Government of Afghanistan. “Last year we had evidence that the…
UN-supported Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) completes mandate
31 January 2011 - In accordance with Afghan electoral laws, the United Nations-supported Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) today completed its mandate and closed down, transferring its archived information to the Independent Election Commission (IEC). The ECC - an independent Afghan electoral…
Afghanistan launches its first polio campaign of the year
1 February 2011 - Thousands of health providers and volunteers in eastern and southern Afghanistan are making house calls today to vaccinate around 740,000 children in the country’s first polio immunization campaign of the year. The Afghan Ministry of Public Health kicked off the three-day drive on…
Opium cultivation in Afghanistan to decline despite high prices – UN
31 January 2011 – Poppy cultivation in Afghanistan is expected to decline slightly this year despite the current high prices of opium, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said today, basing the information on a qualitative assessment of farmers’ intentions in the Asian country. UN…
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Few health services for IDPs as winter bites
KABUL - Tens of thousands of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Afghanistan are vulnerable to cold-related diseases but have little or no access to health services, according to aid agencies. IRIN story Over 350,000 IDPs, including about 155,000 people displaced by conflict since November…
Majority of Afghans positive about local police, survey shows
3 February 2011 – Despite challenges, Afghans are increasingly confident about police in their area because of improved presence of officers, according to an independent survey launched today by the Ministry of Interior of Afghanistan and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Overall, 79…
Kunduz Governor's visit focuses on gender, human rights
3 February 2011 – On his first official visit to UNAMA Kunduz, provincial governor Muhammad Anwar Jegdalek today told local and UN officials in the northern region that he plans to recruit a provincial advisor for legal, gender and human rights issues. The governor, who in the past has headed the…
New UN-Afghan pact will help curb recruitment, sexual abuse of children – UN
3 February 2011 – A new agreement between Afghanistan and the United Nations holds out the hope of ending the recruitment of children by armed forces and curbing the sexual abuse of young boys by powerful commanders, particularly in the national police, a top UN official said today. UN News Centre…