A/HRC/31/46 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 11 February 2016 Original: English Human Rights Council Thirty-first session Agenda items 2 and 10 Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General Technical assistance and capacity-building Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan and on the achievements of technical assistance in the field of human rights in 2015* Summary The present report describes the human rights situation in Afghanistan, covering the period from 1 January to 30 November 2015, and provides an overview of the core work and technical assistance carried out by the Human Rights Unit of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The report raises key human rights issues relating to the protection of civilians in armed conflict, in particular the impact upon women and children; continued torture and illtreatment in places of detention; the prevalence of violence against women; and the continued absence of accountability for perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses. The report provides an overview of the monitoring, documentation, advocacy and related activities carried out by UNAMA/OHCHR to address those issues. The report draws attention to the consequences of the armed conflict on the protection of human rights . Indeed, civilians continue to bear the brunt of the violence, with UNAMA/OHCHR having recording 3,234 civilians killed and 6,935 injured between 1 January and 30 November 2015 — the highest number of civilian casualties since 2009. The report highlights key activities undertaken by the Government of Afghanistan to uphold its commitments under international human rights law, including the adoption of national plans of action in the areas of women’s rights, peace and security, and the prevention of torture. The report concludes with concrete recommendations to the Government, anti-Government elements and the international community. * The present report was submitted after the deadline in order to reflect the most recent developments. GE.16-01911(E) *1601911*