A/HRC/40/45 I. Introduction 1. The present report, prepared in cooperation with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), is submitted to the Human Rights Council pursuant to its decision 2/113 and resolution 14/15. It covers the period from 1 January to 30 November 2018. 2. The report focuses on the five priority areas of work of the UNAMA Human Rights Service, namely the protection of civilians in armed conflict; children and armed conflict; women’s rights and the elimination of violence against women and increasing women’s participation in peacebuilding and security; the prevention of torture and arbitrary detention; the civil society space and the integration of human rights into peace and reconciliation processes. 3. During the reporting period, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) continued to provide technical and financial support to the human rights mandate of UNAMA. II. Context 4. The year began with two major attacks in Kabul and one in Jalalabad, resulting in at least 143 civilian deaths and 265 injured between 20 and 27 January. Amidst rising political uncertainty and limited prospects for peace, security concerns increased. The armed conflict continued to inflict serious harm to civilians as anti-government elements perpetrated a campaign of targeted attacks in both rural and urban areas. The escalation in conflict and increased attacks by Taliban and Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)-Khorasan Province continued to cause a high level of civilian casualties, with the United Nations recording the highest number of civilian deaths in the first nine months of the year in any comparable period since 2014. 5. On the other hand, there were developments in peace negotiations. In February, the Government proposed unconditional peace talks with the Taliban. However, the Taliban did not respond formally and instead announced its annual spring offensive. In June, the Government announced a 10-day unilateral cessation of hostilities while the Taliban announced a three-day ceasefire to mark the end of the month of Ramadan. During that time, Taliban fighters came into cities and celebrated with their families unhindered by the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces. However, the parties to the conflict relapsed into fighting. 6. Following the ceasefire in midyear, the country witnessed a large-scale civic movement for peace, including a march from Lashkar Gah to Kabul, with participants demanding that armed groups renounce violence and engage in negotiations for a peaceful solution of the conflict. However, this call for peace remained unheeded by the parties to the conflict. The Taliban’s pursuit of territorial gain created challenges for the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces. The continuous fighting left civilians with a persistent fear of insecurity, with continued high levels of civilian casualties and other conflict-related harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure. Continued fighting caused disruption to public services, affecting the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights and inducing widespread internal displacement. 7. Targeted and deliberate attacks by anti-government elements, particularly the Taliban, continued to cause death and injury to civilians, particularly women and children. ISIL-Khorasan Province continued to conduct attacks targeting the Shia Hazara Muslim minority in their pursuit of fomenting sectarian strife. Meanwhile, the United States of America continued to implement its new strategy for South Asia, announced in August 2017, increasing foreign troops with more autonomy for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Afghanistan to conduct airstrikes. As a result of increased aerial attacks, UNAMA/OHCHR documented an increase in civilian casualties from aerial strikes by pro-government forces. 2