Afghanistan

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Afghanistan emerged from Taliban rule in 2001 as an institutional wasteland. The justice deficit was acute, making the country a test case for law-based nation-building. Ever since, IDLO has been working with the Afghan government to drive judicial reform and foster the rule of law. And as Afghanistan takes charge of its own future, IDLO has been stepping up efforts to expand legal capacity and promote human rights. Advancing legal protection for women and combating gender violence have been among our priorities. IDLO has helped create an infrastructure of legal aid to victims, while supporting the prosecution of crimes against women and girls.

But Afghanistan remains a brittle post-conflict society. We have trained Afghan public defenders, empowered the poor to seek legal aid, and helped build legal resources in most of the country’s provinces. We have developed legal textbooks, reconstituted an entire pre-war body of lost law, and contributed to the establishment of a law library at the University of Kabul. Thousands of Afghan legal professionals – judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers, MPs, civil servants and academics – are benefiting from this knowledge transfer.

Afghanistan has been an IDLO member party since November 2012.

Violence Against Women Awareness Campaign in Afghanistan

Over 5,000 people across several provinces in Afghanistan have learned about violence against women and citizens’ legal rights through an awareness campaign supported by IDLO.

Protecting GBV survivors' confidentiality in Afghanistan

When women survivors of violence in Afghanistan seek justice for the crimes perpetrated against them, they must be able to trust the authorities to protect their identity and treat their case with discretion.

EVAW database allows for tailored training in Afghanistan

An important advancement in Afghanistan has been the development of a comprehensive electronic database to track cases of violence against women and girls across the country. Launched in 2016, it is now being used in 20 provinces.

Evaluation (Mid-Term) of the project "Supporting Access to Justice (SAJA) in Afghanistan"

As part of IDLO’s continuous commitment to accountability and results-based management, IDLO is pleased to share this Mid-Term Evaluation Brief (summarised evaluation report): “Supporting Access to Justice in Afghanistan (SAJA)”. The evaluation has been conducted by independent evaluation experts, supervised by IDLO’s Evaluation Unit.

Working in Afghanistan: “I don’t have many female colleagues”

Mosooma* is 29 years old, and the only woman in a group of two dozen civil and commercial law instructors working for the Government and Bar Association in Afghanistan.

Strengthening Afghanistan’s Justice Institutions

Despite significant donor assistance and a marked improvement over the past decade, Afghanistan's justice institutions still suffer from a severe lack of capacity across a range of basic competencies. These deficiencies persist due to a variety of factors, including the high turnover of staff in justice sector institutions and a lack of focus on developing the internal capacity of institutions to manage their own professional development.

Afghans join International Prosecutors' Conference

A delegation led by Afghan Attorney General, Farid Hamidi, participated in the 21^st Annual Conference of the International Association of Prosecutors in Dublin this month, with the support of IDLO.

Prestigious award for Afghan colleague’s work

The Upper House of the Afghan National Assembly has recognized the work of IDLO legal trainer and adviser Gul Ghutai Afzalyar with an award for her efforts to reform and clarify the Legislation for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (LEVAW) in Afghanistan.

Reflections on 10 years in Afghanistan

Hossam Helal is an Egyptian judge, who has worked with IDLO in Afghanistan since 2005 in many roles, including Acting Chief of Party and Head of Training for JTTP.

Supporting women’s economic empowerment: Lessons from India

After the brutal rape of a young woman in New Delhi in 2012, the issue of violence against women in India was thrust into the spotlight. The intensity of the national outcry in the aftermath led to the establishment of the Verna Committee, a governmental branch dedicated to addressing the issue of violence against women.

Key Initiatives

Evaluation of the project "Justice Training Transition Program (JTTP) Follow On"

As part of IDLO’s continuous commitment to accountability and results-based management, IDLO is pleased to share this Evaluation Brief for the project, "Justice Training Transition Program (JTTP) Follow On". The evaluation has been conducted by independent evaluation experts, supervised by IDLO’s Evaluation Unit.
Evaluation of the project "Afghan Justice Institutions Strengthening (AJIS)"

As part of IDLO’s continuous commitment to accountability and results-based management, IDLO is pleased to share this Evaluation Brief for the project, "Afghan Justice Institutions Strengthening (AJIS)". The evaluation has been conducted by independent evaluation experts, supervised by IDLO’s Evaluation Unit.
Reducing the Impact of Insecurity on Afghanistan’s Legal System

For over 15 years, IDLO has been assisting the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan develop accessible, accountable, effective and efficient justice sector institutions. While significant progress has been made, many challenges remain, frequently perceived to be rooted in the ongoing conflict, the impact of insecurity and the public’s fear for their safety. There is a strong need to address the concerns and goals of the justice sector and find innovative solutions and methods to strengthen its resilience.