§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what assistance is provided by his Department for the training of(a) members of the judiciary and (b) the police force in Afghanistan; [177111]
(2) what support is provided by his Department to train (a) law enforcement officials, (b) members of the judiciary and (c) Government officials in Afghanistan on the protection of the rights of women. [177117]
§ Mr. RammellThe UK funded two senior Afghan police officers to attend the International Commanders Course at the International Faculty at Bramshill in 2003. Two UK police trainers form part of the International Police Assistance Mission that has been 301W providing basic and conversion police training in Kabul since June 2003. In July 2003 a five-strong team of UK police advisers deployed to Kabul to establish Crime Scene Investigation Units for the Afghan police. A further five UK police mentors are currently being deployed to join the US-led Regional Police Training College in Mazar-e Sharif. All police training in Afghanistan supported by the UK includes an awareness of both human rights and gender issues.
Italy and UNDP lead work on judicial reform in Afghanistan, in conjunction with the Afghan Ministry of Justice. The UK contributed £1 million in 2002–03 to the UNDP Judicial Reform programme. In 2004–05 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is providing £240,000 over two years to the Bar Human Rights Committee to train Afghan legal practitioners in human rights and women's rights advocacy.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the case for expanding protection by the International Security Assistance Force throughout Afghanistan. [177114]
§ Mr. RammellThe international community, including the UK, is responding to the need for security throughout Afghanistan with increased commitments of troops and resources, including extension of the network of Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs). Deploying additional PRTs is the key to expansion of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The UK is at the forefront of this, having agreed to lead a second PRT and provide a Forward Support Base for all PRTs in the North. But ISAF expansion can only proceed once NATO's statement of requirements is fully met and we are pressing other nations to contribute the resources needed to meet existing shortfalls.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Afghanistan about the need to criminalise(a) rape, (b) the giving of girls in marriage as a means of dispute resolution and (c) the forcing of women and girls to marry against their consent in Afghanistan. [177116]
§ Mr. RammellThe UK and other EU member states have regularly raised human rights issues, including the rights of women and girls with the Afghan Transitional Administration.
Women's rights in Afghanistan are protected by the new Constitution, ratified in January 2004. The Constitution contains specific articles on women's equality and rights to political participation. The Constitution also requires the Government to uphold its obligations under international law. Rape and forced marriage are both prohibited by Afghanistan's obligations under the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, both of which Afghanistan has ratified. It is important that these rights now be implemented in practice.
Practical improvements in women's rights require further progress on security and judicial reform. The UK provided £10 million in 2003–04 for training of the new Afghan National Army and US$4 million in 2003–04 for Disarmament, Demobilisation and 302W Reintegration of former combatants. In 2004–05 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is providing £240,000 over two years to the Bar Council to train Afghan legal practitioners in human rights and women's rights advocacy.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what efforts he has made to achieve a change in the mandate of the provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan to focus exclusively on security. [177120]
§ Mr. RammellWe have not sought to change the mandate of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs). They are not resourced to focus purely on security, nor is that their purpose. PRTs aim to extend the authority of the central Government by facilitating reconstruction and security sector reform. Although small in size, we believe that PRTs are succeeding in achieving this through the beneficial effect they have on the security environment in the areas in which they operate. This has certainly been borne out by our experience with the UK-led PRT in Mazar-e Sharif.