A/HRC/12/18 page 8 (b) Asia and the Pacific 15. The 2005 Action Plan on Peace, Reconciliation and Justice in Afghanistan mandates the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) to undertake truth-seeking activities. AIHRC has been investigating and documenting human rights violations committed during conflict, and is planning to publish a mapping document in 2009. HRU UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) has provided technical assistance to this project, particularly with regard to collecting victim and witness testimonies and devising strategies to protect mass graves to safeguard evidence. It has also been raising awareness on the right to truth, collaborating with AIHRC and two victims’ groups to organize a travelling theatre project portraying the plight of victims and advocating for truth in April 2008. The Unit subsequently distributed a video documentary that contains scenes from the play as well as interviews with victims and human rights activists on the need for truth-seeking. 16. The 2006 Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the Interim Constitution in Nepal both contain commitments to establish a TRC. In mid-2007, the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction produced a draft TRC bill without prior national consultations. The Ministry subsequently commenced a series of regional consultations at which interested parties are afforded an opportunity to comment on the legislation. OHCHR Nepal has shared information on comparative experiences and relevant human rights and international humanitarian law standards, provided financial and logistical assistance for consultations, and assisted the Ministry’s efforts to document the consultative process. OHCHR Nepal continues to support the Ministry in conducting further thematic and district-level consultations, as well as undertaking initiatives to empower civil society and national institutions to participate in the transitional justice process. OHCHR Nepal continues to provide commentary on successive versions of the TRC bill. In February 2009, the President promulgated the Disappearances (Crime and Punishment) Ordinance, which criminalized enforced disappearances and provided a framework for the establishment of a commission of inquiry on disappearances. However, the ordinance has lapsed since it did not receive parliamentary approval. The Government is proceeding with further draft legislation. In addition to distributing model provisions, OHCHR Nepal is providing recommendations on ensuring the legislation’s consistency with international human rights standards. (c) Latin America and the Caribbean 17. In June 2005, the Congress of Colombia approved the Justice and Peace Law, which established a special judicial process for demobilized members of illegal armed groups who offer information about their past activities and provide reparations to the victims of crimes for which they are responsible. OHCHR Colombia has been monitoring implementation of the Law by attending voluntary depositions of demobilized soldiers, promoting better coordination between different units of the Prosecutor-General’s Office, observing the exhumation of bodies of disappeared persons and providing information to victims and victims’ groups seeking to assert their rights under the Law. 18. The agreement to establish the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala entered into force in September 2007. The Commission is a hybrid mechanism with the capacity to conduct independent investigations, present criminal complaints to Guatemala’s Public Prosecutor and take part in criminal proceedings as a complementary prosecutor in the

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