A/HRC/16/67 50. As per commitments made at the Kabul Conference, the AIHRC worked with line ministries and civil society to develop both a six-month action plan and a three-year work plan for implementation of the National Priority Programme for Human Rights and Civic Responsibilities. The Programme includes, inter alia, revised implementation timelines for the Action Plan for Peace, Reconciliation and Justice as well as planned activities to strengthen the technical capacity of the Human Rights Support Unit of the Ministry of Justice. As of September, the AIHRC had finalized its suggested revisions and submitted them to the Government for review, budgeting and further action. B. Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission 51. OHCHR/UNAMA continued to provide technical support to the AIHRC both at the national and regional levels. OHCHR/UNAMA worked closely with the Special Investigation Team of the AIHRC on protection of civilians, and shared information on major cases that caused civilian casualties. In the 2010 Parliamentary election process, OHCHR/UNAMA provided technical assistance to the AIHRC by supporting the Commission’s election-related activities and participating in awareness-raising programmes in particular on women’s participation in the electoral process. 52. As part of its efforts to secure long-term sustainability and viability, the AIHRC, together with OHCHR/UNAMA and key donors, continued to urge the Government to provide State funding for AIHRC operations. The Government endorsed the need to provide funding for the AIHRC and to create a long-term independent budgetary mechanism that guarantees the Commission’s full independence. 53. The AIHRC welcomed this decision as a first step by the Government towards fulfilling its commitment to provide the Commission with political and financial support. Progress to date in implementing the decision of 18 October 2010 has been slow and the Ministry of Finance has raised questions regarding whether the Law on Budget may need to be amended to create the independent budgetary unit for the AIHRC. OHCHR/UNAMA has been assisting the AIHRC to explore State funding modalities that would not compromise the Commission’s independence, actual or perceived. An independent State funding mechanism is a core principle of legitimacy for national human rights institutions under the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (Paris Principles) endorsed by the General Assembly in 1993. C. Ministry of Justice 54. On 29 September, the Human Rights Support Unit within the Ministry of Justice was officially inaugurated. The Unit is responsible for strengthening the Government’s capacity to fulfil its international human rights obligations in conformity with the Constitution. The further development of the Unit was one of the commitments made at the Kabul Conference. 55. As part of its support to the Human Rights Support Unit, OHCHR/UNAMA conducted training on the human rights-based approach for newly recruited staff of the Unit to enhance their understanding of human rights mainstreaming in development planning at line ministries. OHCHR/UNAMA also facilitated a seminar to support the action plan designed by the Unit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other stakeholders to implement the Human Rights Council’s universal periodic review recommendations in the Government. The Unit incorporated this into its annual work plan and has been seeking to synchronize its activities with the National Priority Programme for Human Rights and Civic Responsibilities endorsed at the Kabul Conference. 15