United Nations Strategic Framework for Afghanistan
UNITED NATIONS STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR AFGHANISTAN
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Output 3.3: Communities, civil society organizations, vulnerable groups, women, and other relevant
stakeholders are more aware of and better able to promote and protect their human rights, aligned
with international norms and standards, and mitigate threats to their safety and wellbeing.
The UN will advocate for the promotion and protection of human rights and the alignment of
Afghanistan's normative and legal frameworks with international human rights instruments. Advocacy
and behaviour change interventions will be pursued to address policies, structures, and harmful socio-
cultural norms that perpetuate underlying drivers of social inequalities and conflict. Given the
systematic erasure of the rights of women and girls across all spheres of life, the UN will work to
restore women's rights and find practical ways to improve the daily lives of women and girls, including
their labour rights. Through both technical and financial means, the UNCT will support grassroots
organisations present in the country to preserve civic space.
Sex and age disaggregated data and reports will be produced to monitor excluded and at-risk groups,
human rights threats, and violations to inform the UN response.
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Awareness of human rights will be increased and capacities built, particularly of marginalized and at-
risk groups, to identify and prevent rights violations (including those that have been normalized due
to harmful socio-cultural norms) and effectively advocate for their rights. Flexible, long-term funding
will be provided to community structures, civil society especially women-led civil society — NGOs,
human rights defenders, and labour-related organizations to advance human rights, labour rights, and
gender equality. Freedom of association, access to information, ending impunity of violence against
journalists, peaceful assembly, opinion, and expression will also be promoted, including through
support for a free and independent media.
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Leave no one behind: The primary purpose of this outcome is the promotion and protection of the
human rights of all, focusing on the most excluded and marginalized groups women, children,
youth, refugees, refugee returnees, IDPs, migrants, ethnic and religious minorities, persons living with
disabilities, sexual and gender minorities, people living with and affected by HIV, civil society, media,
among others
in Afghanistan to ensure no one is left behind. The UN will continually advocate for
the rights of such groups in line with international standards and provide direct support to
national stakeholders, especially civil society, working to promote and protect the rights of excluded
and marginalized groups.
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Partnerships and Sustainability: The UN will work with diverse national and international
stakeholders. Local structures, such as Community Development Councils, Shuras, and Jirgas, will be
key partners to advance inclusive community-based decision making and dispute resolution. Given
that these structures are primarily male-dominated, active efforts will be made to finding practical
pathways for women's participation in local structures. In addition, partnerships with civil society,
national and international NGOs, and human rights defenders will support implementing work related
to rule of law and access to justice, promotion and protection of human rights, especially women's
rights, socio-cultural norms, social cohesion, gender equality, research, and documentation.
Cooperation will be enhanced with relevant national and international organizations and institutions
I such as the International Legal Foundation, International Development Law Organization,
Organization for Islamic Cooperation, the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Center, Integrity WatchView entire presentation