A/HRC/16/67 25. OHCHR/UNAMA continued its support to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and provincial Departments of Women’s Affairs to strengthen their capacity to implement the law on Elimination of Violence against Women including through the establishment of a High Commission for the Prevention of Violence against Women and provincial commissions in compliance with the law and a June 2010 Council of Ministers decision. The provincial commissions are mandated to coordinate efforts between provincial authorities and NGOs to eliminate violence against women, through awareness-raising campaigns and monitoring and follow-up on individual cases of violence against women. Once commissions were set up, OHCHR/UNAMA supported their monitoring of police, prosecutors’ and courts’ implementation of the Law and coordination efforts. 26. OHCHR/UNAMA also conducted awareness-raising activities and training for women’s groups, mullahs, judges, prosecutors, police and tribal elders, particularly in rural areas, on the practices the Law on Elimination of Violence against Women criminalizes and on the duties and obligations of law enforcement authorities. Training included presentations on the law and specific measures that can be taken by the law enforcement authorities to ensure its implementation. 27. Given critical events such as the National Consultative Peace Jirga, the Kabul International Conference on Afghanistan (Kabul Conference) and elections for the lower house of the Parliament of Afghanistan, women’s participation in political processes assumed a central place on the agenda of human rights defenders in 2010. OHCHR/UNAMA worked to ensure that in all political processes aimed at restoring peace and economic prosperity in the country, women were physically represented and that women’s rights remained firmly on the agenda of all discussions. OHCHR/UNAMA facilitated a more regular dialogue between women’s groups and the UNAMA senior political leadership. OHCHR/UNAMA supported advocacy initiatives in line with Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security, to promote women’s participation in decision making and to ensure that the issue of women’s rights remains a priority. 28. The participation of more than 300 women (25 per cent of the total number of participants) at the National Consultative Peace Jirga, held from 2 to 4 June, was widely viewed as a positive development largely attributed to the successful lobbying and advocacy of Afghan women’s associations and NGOs. OHCHR/UNAMA supported civil society by raising the issue of female participation in all appropriate forums. Following the jirga, the Afghan Women’s Network, an umbrella organization of Afghan women’s groups, issued a statement calling for a minimum of 25 per cent female participation in all peacemaking forums and international oversight to ensure that any peace deal does not violate women’s rights under the Constitution. 29. In the communiqué issued following the Kabul Conference,2 the Government of Afghanistan and its international partners reiterated the centrality of women’s rights, including political, economic and social equality, to the future of the country. They committed to assist all national ministries and sub-national government bodies in implementing their respective responsibilities under the National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan, and to ensure that all training and civic education programmes contribute to practical advancements in its implementation. In addition, the Government of Afghanistan is to develop a strategy to implement the Law on Elimination of Violence against Women, including services for victims. 2 Available from www.mfa.gov.af/FINAL%20Kabul%20Conference%20%20%20Communique.pdf. 9