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the period 2014-2019, which was published on 10 December 2014. The plan defines five
strategic objectives: to encourage and empower government, individuals and civil society
institutions to promote, protect and respect human rights; to lead the Afghan human rights
movement and advocate for change; to monitor the Government’s compliance with national
and international human rights obligations; to defend and protect the rights of victims of
human rights abuse; and to ensure the Commission’s effectiveness and impact of its
interventions. UNAMA/OHCHR remains committed to strengthening this critical national
institution and supporting implementation of its strategic action plan.
51.
On 20 August, the Commission released the report of its national inquiry into the
causes and consequences of Bacha Bazi (“playing with boys”), a practice that involves the
sexual exploitation and often the sexual enslavement of boys by men in positions of power
in Afghanistan. The Commission interviewed perpetrators, victims, local elites and
witnesses in 14 provinces across the country and called on the Government to put an end to
this abuse by amending the law to specifically criminalize the practice, to address the
culture of impunity and to identify and protect victims. The report blamed the practice on
factors such as weak rule of law, corruption, poverty and the presence of illegal armed
groups in the country. The Commission is currently drawing up a follow-up advocacy
strategy and action plan that UNAMA/OHCHR will support.
VII. Cooperation with United Nations human rights mechanisms
52.
The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review held its eighteenth session
from 27 January to 7 February 2014. The review of Afghanistan was held at the 2nd
meeting, on 27 January 2014. At its 10th meeting, held on 31 January 2014, the Working
Group adopted the report on Afghanistan. In its opening statement, the delegation of
Afghanistan acknowledged the challenges that had slowed its progress in human rights,
such as terrorism, extremism, narcotics and insecurity in some parts of the country. The
delegation noted that women’s rights and gender equality remained a top priority for the
Government, highlighting the enactment of the Law on the Elimination of Violence against
Women, the establishment of special prosecution offices for the elimination of violence
against women, and the establishment of 16 protection centres/shelters for female victims
of domestic violence; it also highlighted the Government’s success in increasing access to
education and improving health-care provision, and stressed that Afghanistan had become
party to most of the core international human rights instruments.
53.
In response, the issues raised by the Working Group related, inter alia, to the failure
to respond effectively to increasing violence against women; the prevalence of arbitrary
arrests and detention by the police, cases of torture and other ill-treatment in detention
facilities; the human rights situation of internally displaced persons; the high percentage of
employed children; and the considerable outstanding challenges with regard to the fragile
security situation. There were 224 recommendations made by 89 States covering a wide
range of human rights issues, of which the Government accepted 189, rejected 12 and noted
23 for further consideration. UNAMA/OHCHR will work with partners to assist the
Government in its implementation of the accepted recommendations.
54.
From 4 to 12 November, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its
causes and consequences, Rashida Manjoo, conducted a mission to Afghanistan, during
which she met with senior Government officials, the Chairperson of the Afghanistan
Independent Human Rights Commission, representatives of civil society and the diplomatic
community in Kabul, Herat and Jalalabad. In her public statement at the end of her visit,
she noted that positive legislative and institutional developments had taken place since the
visit of her predecessor in 2005. However, she urged state institutions to address — among
others — the absence of comprehensive and coherent data collection on violence against
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