A/HRC/34/41 I. Introduction 1. The present report is being submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council decision 2/113 and resolution 14/15. It covers the period from January to November 2016 and has been prepared in cooperation with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). 2. The report focuses on the five principal areas of work of the UNAMA Human Rights Unit, namely: protection of civilians in armed conflict; human rights and the protection of children in armed conflict; the elimination of violence against women, increasing women’s participation in peacebuilding and security, and gender equality; the prevention of torture and arbitrary detention; and the integration of human rights into peace and reconciliation processes. 3. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) continued to provide support to the human rights mandate of UNAMA, and the Director of the UNAMA Human Rights Unit represents the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Afghanistan. II. Context 4. In 2016, the political and security situations remained fragile. Fighting intensified during the second quarter of the year and continued at high levels for the remainder of the reporting period. The Government of Afghanistan and its international partners attempted to reverse the gains made by the Taliban and other anti-government elements. Civilian casualties from conflict-related violence remained high. Planned reductions in foreign force levels were adjusted to retain a greater presence than originally envisioned. In July, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) announced continued support for Resolute Support Mission beyond 2016, with force contributions and donations to forces of the Government of Afghanistan.1 5. On 29 September, the Government of Afghanistan and Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin signed a peace agreement. On 4 and 5 October, at an international donor conference in Brussels, €13.6 billion were pledged for development assistance in 2017-2020, but little to no reference was made to human rights. III. Protection of civilians 6. Civilians continued to suffer from the consequences of the armed conflict. The increasing number of offensives by anti-government elements, including the Taliban, against government-controlled population centres, combined with the expansion of newly emerging armed opposition groups and indications of resurgent pro-government armed groups in parts of the country, further complicated efforts to protect civilians. 7. From January to November 2016, civilian casualties from conflict-related violence increased by 1 per cent over the same period in 2015. While overall civilian casualties remained comparable to the high levels recorded in 2015, child casualties increased by 20 per cent and women casualties decreased by 8 per cent. 1 See www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_133171.htm?selectedLocale=en. 3