A/HRC/41/2 465. Verein Südwind Entwicklungspolitik regretted that, like previous universal periodic review cycles, there were no recommendation made to Afghanistan on the environment, climate change and water management, despite the fact that the country has suffered from the droughts since years, including floods this year, which caused both high numbers of casualties and financial losses. It stated that any type of disruption in the usage of already inadequate water flow of the Helmand (Hirmand) river would bring the life of these people in danger. It regretted to observe the negative impact on the Afghani migrants and their families, especially children in some neighbouring countries because of not ratifying the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. It welcomed the acceptance of recommendation on ensuring birth registration of all children born in the country, which reduces the risk of statelessness. 466. CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation regretted the lack of progress in implementing universal periodic review recommendations related to the civic space, including ensuring effective investigations and accountability of abuse against journalists and human rights defenders, which continued with impunity. It noted that Afghanistan was the deadliest country for media, with 15 journalists and other media workers killed in 2018 and five by mid-2019. It urged Afghanistan to stand by the rights of journalists and to protect them, as parties negotiate an end to the war, following Taliban threats against media. It was concerned by the lack of transparency in the trial of the two journalists killed in 2018 and sentencing perpetrators to death sentences. It called on the Government to ensure women and independent civil society organizations have a seat at the negotiation table of the peace process and meaningfully participate in decision-making and implement these recommendations to create and maintain, in law and in practice, an enabling environment for civil society. 467. The Association of World Citizens was deeply disappointed that Afghanistan had only noted, all 20 recommendations regarding the abolition or the moratorium on the death penalty. It welcomed the development of a national action plan to end the harmful practices such as early and forced marriage and the new Penal Code to limit honour killings and other harmful practices. However, the situation of women and girls remained a great concern, including their forced marriages, violence and street harassment. It was disappointed that the polygamy was still not outlawed. It was also worried about the health of women, as the recommendations regarding the legal and safe access of women to voluntary termination of pregnancy were not accepted. It commended the acceptance of recommendations to combat child labour. 468. Ingénieurs du monde welcomed the new Penal Code and hoped that it will remedy the critical aspect of the Afghan human rights record and strengthen its commitment to international standards. It was concerned that the situations of women remained extremely dire, especially due to the role of Taliban remnants and terrorist factions. It stated that millions of women face domestic abuse and harassment by law enforcement; women face discrimination within the justice system in that cases of violence against women are referred to traditional mediation rather that adjudicated in courts. It stated that baad marriages, which is the practice of settling family disputes through forced marriage, remains widespread. 469. International-Lawyers.org stated that despite the establishment of a legal framework to provide protection from violence against women, obstacles remained, limiting women’s access to justice. While it applauded the enhancement of local laws on the elimination of violence against women, it remained concerned that they are not implemented to the same degree in all provinces and that such cases are referred to traditional mediation rather that the legal framework. It stated that very few cases of violence against women, particularly cases of rape or sexual abuse, are reported, compared to the actual prevalence rates, for 80